Most serious internet marketers today are in agreement about the need to develop a list in order to make money by being online. In the olden days, it was a "mailing list", but now with the a mature internet, e-mails, instant messaging, and so on, it seems adequate to just use the term "list". If you are looking for customers online, you should have a capture form on each of your web pages to try to obtain new subscribers. What will you do with these names? Well, for starters, it is highly beneficial to have an autoresponder working for you to e-mail your list automatically. Of course, you will need to manage the content of the autoresponder series yourself, or have some one set it up for you. The rationale for sending a series of e-mails to your prospects is that most prospects need to see an offer more than once before they commit to a buying decision. Your autoresponder takes care of that obstacle.

Sometimes new prospects are reluctant to send you their name and e-mail (or other details) simply out of fear or suspicion. To get around any reluctance, many online business types will offer a free item such as an e-book or special report, in exchange for their contact information. Did you know that many prospects may actually want to be on your list simply because they are interested in the type of products you have? Certainly, if you have a specialized product line and a customer has purchased from you before or expressed interest in a previous offer, they are likely to continue to be interested in similar offerings, another way you can make money by being online.

Therefore, while you may not actually know personally the prospects on your "list", they have a familiarity with you and feel comfortable with you because of your past valuable and honest dealings with them. If they did not feel that level of comfort, they would simply unsubscribe, as this is simple to do with most autoresponders these days. Most provide a link at the end of each e-mail should the recipient wish to unsubscribe.

It may surprise you to learn that prospects on my mailing list have actually contacted me to thank me for the information provided in my own e-mail series. And why not? It was carefully constructed with the intent of bringing value to my subscribers, in order to help them to make money by being online. (It is gratifying, though, to have those efforts recognized.)

Once you have developed a mailing list, be sure to continue to add value for your subscribers. Make them an offer of free reports or useful services. Find a way to make their lives easier. If you are marketing to opportunity seekers, find a way to help them achieve their goal of attaining a profitable opportunity which will work for them.

There is an old rule of sales that I strongly believe in. It goes like this, "To get what you want, help others to get what they want."

Once you have developed a list of subscribers, you are free to send them any offer you would like. If your list is made up of of targeted prospects, they may be very anxious to buy the type of products or services you are offering them. Sending good offers to a large, targeted mailing list is one secret that longtime successful entrepreneurs have used for years to make money by being online with their home based business.