New Year's Resolution - Collect More Email Addresses

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your readership throughout the year. Your interest, your questions and your kind comments make Hints & Tips worth writing. Thank you.

Did you know there is an Email Marketing Hints & Tips Archive? I have selected what I believe is one of the most useful articles in the archive to re-publish for this final issue of 2001. It just happens to be the very first one I wrote - way back in March! Look for all new "episodes" starting January 11th, 2002. Happy New Year Everyone!

A Site Visitor is a terrible thing to WASTE

If you're not collecting email addresses on your homepage (and anywhere else you can), you are missing out on opportunities to turn one-time visitors into your best customers. No matter how they found you - maybe you rented an opt-in list, placed a banner ad or two, distributed a flyer or sent a postcard - if you're not providing a way for customers and visitors to express interest in hearing from you in the future, that opt-in list rental, that banner ad, flyer or postcard was nothing more than a one-shot deal.

Hints and Tips on Building Your Own Opt-in Emailing List...

Ask for email addresses at every point of customer contact:

• On your company website
• In a guest book
• On customer service or support calls
• On invoices, brochures, customer surveys, feedback forms
• At tradeshows or events

Place your email list sign-up on your homepage above the fold
You may also want to place it on other pages, like "news" or "contact us" but whatever you do, don't hide it! Same goes for your guest book. Place it prominently. Ask your employees to make it a part of their routine to ask customers if they would like to receive your newsletter, to receive special promotions, or to be notified of private sales and events.

Make it quick and painless
Just get the email address to start. Your visitors' and customers' trust must be earned and this only happens over time. To that end, also make your privacy policy clear up front. Make sure they understand how you will be using their email address, that it won't be sold or traded and that they can decide to "opt-out" of further communications at any time.

Create an incentive
If the lure of private sales or promotions isn't enough, email list sign-up success can be achieved with sweepstakes, drawings or the like. Make sure your incentive is closely related to your product or service. That way, you'll end up with an audience interested in you, not just the latest gadget.

No matter what kind of business you're in and no matter what your size, your goal should be to make the most of every visitor and every customer. Make your site traffic and/or foot traffic, work for you by building your own opt-in email list and communicating with your visitors and customers