PMI Online Business

If you don’t have an email list for your online business, it’s like someone taking the time to build a beautiful brick and mortar store and then not having a cash register. A solid email list is an incredible asset that helps your sales go through the roof! Did you know that most people don’t make a purchase from a website until they’ve visited it at least five times? This means that when a potential customer visits your site, it is likely that no matter how long they spend, they are not going to make a purchase during that visit. By collecting their email you have the opportunity to stay in contact with them and market to them in the future. If they visit your website once and then leave, they may never return again. In that case, you’ve not only lost a sale, but the potential of continued business from that customer. This is why an email list is so crucial. You simply can’t effectively market without it!

Every person on your email list is a potential customer. You need to tell them why they need your emails and how it will benefit them. Doing so will help you build a loyal email list of people who understand who you are and what you will be providing them. A huge benefit of having an email list is that you can be proactive with information. For example, you can send out an email to new signups that answers a handful of frequently asked questions. This allows you to give them the information they may have been wondering about and also answers questions they didn’t even know they had! Taking this approach provides them with helpful information and drastically cuts down on your incoming calls and emails.

When it comes to their personal information, most people are understandably protective and wary of giving it out unnecessarily. Be absolutely certain that you clearly state your privacy policy. Everyone hates spam. In fact, many people are actually afraid of it, because it can be accompanied by viruses and other nasty things. Let your subscribers know from the get-go that their information is safe with you. Your policy could state something like this, “We will never sell, trade or share your email with a third party.” Make your privacy policy easy to see – people shouldn’t have to click a link to see it. For one thing, linking to it may lead people to think that you have something to hide. Additionally, some states actually require you to put include your privacy policy right at the point of opt-in, so you should stay on the safe side and make it obvious. This transparency and openness will help people trust you and boosts your email marketing success!

All companies know how expensive it is to market themselves to new customers.  TV spots, print ads, web space, and radio ads are some of the most popular, effective, and expensive ways to get the word out about a new company.  Retaining customers once they are found, however, is an inexpensive and proven way to build business.  One of the best ways to market a business to existing customers is through email marketing.

Many companies that have email lists use a voluntary double opt-in system that allows customers to sign up for email newsletters.  This way, companies can be sure that they aren’t pestering customers when they send email messages.  Also, by making email newsletters an opt-in feature, companies develop a list of engaged and interested customers that will be receptive to email marketing and could potentially become their most valued and loyal patrons.

With a focused list of interested customers, email newsletters are a great reminder in a personal venue (their inbox) to valued customers that the company is still there, still offering great products.  Newsletters are great places to announce sales and provide links to new products or special offers.  Companies that reach out to their customers build trust and brand loyalty. 

Email marketing is extremely cheap and very easy to gather information from.  There are programs that companies can download for free or for a small fee that allow marketers to track how many of their delivered emails were opened, which links were clicked, and ultimately how many sales were made from the email.  With this kind of information, sales campaigns can be focused and strategized with ease.

If you aren’t taking advantage of the inexpensive and focused marketing opportunity that is email, you are doing your company a disservice.  Start designing, sending, and tracking marketing emails now and reap the benefits of building relationships with your valued customers.