Email Marketing is the Backbone Of Online Sales

Email marketing is probably the most critical component of the vast majority of extremely successful online businesses.

I'm not talking about spam or unsolicited bulk email, that's obviously a no-no for any ethical marketer with an ounce of integrity. No, I am talking about emails that are sent to a list of people who have chosen to receive your information.

This could be a list you have created offering incentives. It could be a list of previous clients. It could even be a list of people who have signed up because they like you and want to hear what you have to say. But the point is, they signed up to receive information from you for some reason.

Creating a list is absolutely crucial, as it increases the lifetime value of the customer. Studies have shown that most people don't buy a product the first time they see it.

If you don't build a lead list, you could be missing hundreds or even thousands of sales each year. By creating a list, you can expose your subscribers to your offers multiple times, and you can also expose them to other offers. 

Almost any type of online business commerce can benefit from the use of email marketing just by creating a list of your existing customers. They have shown that they are willing to buy online and that they are willing to buy from you. By collecting their email addresses, you can send them information about new products, sales, and special offers.

You can create a list of previous buyers or people who have simply chosen to receive a free report or other incentive. Not only will you be able to market your own products on these lists, but you will be able to use your list as an incentive for people to join JV with you, and also as a powerful method of promoting affiliate products.

Even if you only run AdSense-style information websites, you can take advantage of the power of email marketing. Let's say you have a site about trout fishing. You provide articles and information about it, and you have AdSense and some affiliate ads on your site. If you can't create a list of your visitors, you will probably only have a unique opportunity to sell to them, which is the first time they visit your site. Most people don't go back to small niche sites unless they have unusually sticky content like a forum or blog that is regularly updated.

If you take their email addresses when they are first on your site, you will have the ability to market them over and over again for a long time. Just be sure to provide solid content when sending your emails to minimize opt-out options and keep people reading the messages you send. People who visit content sites tend to be pickier with the newsletters and emails they receive, and will want to receive good content on a regular basis, not just sales letters.

No matter what type of online business you are running, you will greatly benefit from adding email marketing to your repertoire. It will increase the lifetime value of your customers and provide a continuous way to monetize them.