One of the most profitable arts of building an online business that is worth learning and mastering is to build email list. Maybe you may one of the affiliate marketers who believe they must be ‘advanced’ to build email list successfully.

Well, let me tell you a fact now: The art of building email list is much simpler than most ‘gurus’ have told you. But in this article, I want to show you a step-by-step way to help your own opt in email list marketing even as you read and follow this simple tutorial.

Are you ready…?

Step 1:

You will need a simple form on your site to collect visitors’ names and email addresses. How do you get this? There are 2 major ways to do this. First you can sign up with a good email list building services such as Getresponse or Awebar.

Either of these services will provide you the HTML code to add to the html source of your WebPages. After adding the html code, save it and upload to your server.

Second, you can install your own (independent) mailing list script on your host server. However, I strongly suggest you go for a proven email autoresponder service like getresponse because they will make things easy for you and you will not have to worry about technical issues.

Step 2:

It is better to design a separate page to capture email addresses instead of adding it among an existing page. However, you may add a smaller form on your home page and other pages.

Make sure the form and other information on the email capture page is viewable on the browser without having to scroll down.

What should you put on the email capture page? In addition to the form, let it have a catchy headline and possibly a sub-headline to reinforce the strength of the headline. Let it have a content describing your offer and encouraging visitors to subscribe to your email list.

However, ensure as much as possible to let everything on the email capture page – from the headline to the bottom of the form be viewable on the browser without having to scroll down. This may not possible, but give it a try.

Additionally, design a thank you page similar to the email capture page in structures, design and appearance. Also create a download link page, where visitors will actually click to download your offer.

Step 3:

Answer this question: “Why should people willingly subscribe to your email list? The answer you provide to this salient question will determine if your project will succeed or will crumble like a pack of cards.

How should your offer look like? There is no must-adhere-to rule about this but it is imperative to make your offer irresistible to your visitors. Here is what I suggest you should do…

Give away valuable things such as free report or course or a set of valid tips. If it’s a free report I suggest you have it in PDF and put the picture (BIG ONE) on the page.

The picture or image of the offer will let your visitors have a ‘physical feel’ of the free reports or tips on offer. You can also add some testimonials if you have some – but do not fall to the temptation to frame up testimonials!

Step 4:

Remember to write the ‘confirmation content’ which visitors will see and click on to confirm their subscription. This is very important in these days of Spam and spamming accusations and counter-accusations. So a double opt in email marketing method is the most ideal.

Step 5:

In the same vein, write the ‘welcome content’ and ‘sequence or series of contents’ for your visitors. While I can’t tell you exactly what to write, here are some points to guide you:

a) Your contents must be valuable, informative and highly educative to help your readers achieve something tangible.

b) Avoid loading your list with adverts and promotional contents too soon.

Friend, if you follow the above steps carefully, you will definitely create an effective web page to build email list. Anyway, for clarity sake, let me recap the above steps for you again.

You sent targeted visitors to your well-designed email capture page. They fall in love with the clearly-written contents describing your offer to download an instant FREE gift, and they are ready to take action. Then they willingly enter in their names and email addresses to receive the free gift from you.

Immediately, they are directed to your ‘thank you page’, where they are informed that they will receive an instant message shortly. (Your autoresponder from Getresponse or Awebar will do this for you.)

What next? I am sure, as it often happens; the willing new subscriber goes to his mailbox and find your mail just arrived. He opens the mail and click the link to confirm his subscription, which then open a new page for him to download the free gift.

The confirmation by subscribers is known as double opt-in or permission email building in the internet marketing industry. It is very effective because it will be very difficult for them to turn back and accuse you of spamming them.

But more importantly, the subscribers have by that action give you unhindered permission to send them more emails in the days, weeks, months and years ahead. Personally, I’ve been on the list of some fellow marketers for several years and also unsubscribe from others.

The rule of thumb is to remember not to build email list in the hope of loading them with promos. And of course, remember to always devise legit ways to put your opt in email list marketing in front of targeted subscribers in order to develop it consistently. And ensure to align your email marketing with the best affiliate program online.