If done correctly, building your opt-in list can be extremely profitable for your online business and the best use of your time. Emails are fast replacing regular mails from the post office. Not only because it is cheaper, also because its much faster. Emails can be sent in as fast as five seconds, depending on the server, anywhere in the world.

These days, many businesses are realizing the importance of email marketing. Through emails, an online business can market their product directly through their customers. Email marketing is used as a quick and direct way to reach target audiences.

Email marketing is also used by businesses, to distribute newsletters, promotional mails, and other things via emails. And also to maintain contact, good relationships, and the trust and credibility already established with their customers.

So, how would you round up email addresses to send out all those marketing mails you have? Here is where an opt-in list comes in.

An opt-in list is basically the list of email addresses of people, who have subscribed to your mailing list. Once they’ve subscribed, you are free to send them emails about your promotions, new product announcements, updates, offers, info and all other aspects of your marketing campaign. Building an opt-in list will increase the probability of being successful in email marketing, and it will also boost your sales and profits as well.

To build your opt-in list, add a subscribe link on your web site. It’s a good idea to put it on all the pages, and make sure that it is strategically positioned, so that visitors can easily locate it. The upper right hand corner of the page would be a ideal.

Other key things in email marketing, are placing extra emphasis on what sets you apart from your competitors. And of course, its also important to know your product or service really well.

Distribute information, write articles, and always have your links included in them. Make sure that the information is relevant to viewers. Offer free courses to your visitors and do some networking too. Join forums or discussions and build relationships with people. This will also be a good way for you to get more contacts, visitors and potential clients and customers. Give away freebies, offers and goodies that will require visitors to give out their email addresses to join.

Of course, once you have them, treat these email addresses with respect, and remember that you are trying to build trust, credibility and long-term visitors and customers. Don’t jeopardize this by spamming. Not cool. Your aim is to get your customers to trust you and your products.

Email marketing is such a hugely profitable business on the Internet. But it would not be complete and will never succeed without the help of the opt-in lists. These two must always go hand-in-hand, in order to be successful in the virtual world of Internet marketing.

Wishing you Great Successand happy marketing! Graeme Stuart YourSuccessNetBiz.com