Why IMers need to build email list first?

[jordantyj]

I am curious why internet marketers and webmasters need to build email list first?
Why don't you drive directly traffic to your products to increase your sales. Is list building helping your continue earning more times on the list? Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[PTTed]

You can drive traffic directly to your products to increase sales as long as you are driving buying traffic. For example if you get traffic from people searching for "buy widgets online" then that traffic is going to convert well because most of those people are shopping right then and there.

With an opt-in offer and email marketing campaign you can convert non-buying traffic into customers too. For example, you could create an epic blog post guide that teaches people how to build widgets. That would attract people from search engines who are searching for how to build widgets. Then you could create a free giveaway offer like a report that gives away "the ten most popular blueprints for widget builders" or something like that. You offer the report in exchange for the person's email address. Then over the course of the next two weeks you send the person a series of emails that tells him more and more about how to build the coolest widgets and how your store has the best widget parts of any place on the planet. And you can also send that person an email any time you are going to start selling some new type of widget on your store.

That allows you to turn a whole bunch of "non-buying traffic" into buying customers.

Often times, a person won't buy from your store on their first visit. And unless you have a system in place to get that person to come back to your store multiple times, then he is likely to only ever visit your store one time. If you could get him to visit your store a second, third, fourth or fifth time then he is more likely to eventually end up doing business with you. So, just by capturing the person's email address and reminding him over a period of time that your store exists, you can increase the percentage of people who ultimately buy something from you.

There is no law that says you have to build a list. Lots of people make lots of money without doing so. But, if you are willing to put the time and effort into learning how to do it, you will probably find that it is worthwhile and ends up earning you more money than you otherwise would have earned.

 

[Content by Rhonda]

I feel the reason behind that strategy is that you give people something to get them on your list and then you continue to give them lots of value all along the way. During this period you can also send them affiliate offers as well. The better you treat your list and (at least for me), the more a person does for me and the more value they give me, the more I buy from them. It's all about building trust!

 

[professorrosado]

Another point to building a list first first is that, for most IMers, getting traffic to a blog / offer page isn't a dominated skill set. The things you need to learn in finding and targeting "buying" traffic on top of the costs involved in testing and optimizing can be daunting and frustrating.

Starting first with a low cost email list building learning phase will teach you how and where to find targeted traffic and to convert that traffic via a simple email submit (your list). After this, a natural progression into CPA submits would get you immediate cash per email.

Once you have mastered a few niches like this and have converted sales within the email sequence, you can then move on to a website or platform and enjoy proficient traffic generation.

Many threads are started by IMers with websites and no traffic.

The second benefit is one that we hope would never happen, but it has happened to a few IMers - hackers and other business interruptions! Quite a few websites and platforms have been decimated or have had to shut down and then what do you have? Then they realize, "if only I had a list!" Well, that's the first thing I recommend every marketer to do - one day, you'll thank me!

 

[Nuke07]

Yes, For most marketers Email List building is the most Easy Money Making Method.

Because, of selling affiliate Products and can also have Recurring clients as well.

 

[dustinthigpen]

I am curious why internet marketers and webmasters need to build email list first?
Why don't you drive directly traffic to your products to increase your sales. Is list building helping your continue earning more times on the list? Any comments would be appreciated.

Basically, most traffic won't buy from you just from seeing a sales page. Most customers must Know, Like, and Trust you before they purchase.

You accomplish these 3 things by getting them on your list and constantly providing them value on a regular basis. (3-5 times a week minimum) Then once a week, hit them with a hard sell. As long as you're giving them a product you know will help them, and convey that to them effectively, you will make more sells.


Also, as it's been said above, people usually need repeat exposure to a product before they buy. This exposure NEEDS to be mixed in with lots of value though.

Another reason to build a list-
If for whatever reason your traffic source dries up, you can still sell to your list. A loyal list that loves you is like guaranteed income. And no traffic source can match that...

Hope that helps,

Dustin

 

[NetMan]

I am curious why internet marketers and webmasters need to build email list first?
Why don't you drive directly traffic to your products to increase your sales. Is list building helping your continue earning more times on the list? Any comments would be appreciated.

Without repeating what as already been said about the good reasons why, I would simply add that builing a mailing list as become a must for anyone doing any kind of business online, NOT only IMers.

 

[Ron Killian]

Have a list(s) "can" be like having traffic and/or sales on demand. If you build a relationship with them and treat them right. Plus stay in regular contact.

 

[Developer]

List building is not JUST about sales, it's about building a relationship. A relationship is extremely vital to anyone's success online.

Now a days, unless your Amazon or eBay or Google, no one is going to trust you right off the bat, and hell, even if you are Amazon, there are still many old-school types that won't even trust you then, LOL.

Having a list enables you to have a no-cost way (no cost for your subscribers) to build a relationship with those who are willing to give you a shot at earning their trust.

Once you've earned someone's trust, and you're offering something they truly need/want, sales will roll in like the rolling thunder. Hell, even if they don't need/want what you're offering, earn enough of their trust and they may still buy from you, even if only to support you and your cause.

There's an old adage which goes something like "It's easier to re-sell to an existing customer than it is to convince a new buyer" (ok ok, I know that's not exactly how it goes, but I'm sure you know what I'm trying to say)... the point is, it's true. It IS 1,000,000,000 times easier to sell something to some who has already purchased from you (and trusts) you, than it is to convince someone who simply stumbled onto your site from a google search.

Building a list is NOT just about building sales. You have to build a relationship first, and having a mailing list makes it so much easier as you can communicate constantly with your subscribers...

Ironically, @Ron Killian (I believe it is him), sometimes talks about how often you should email your list. (1st, I said ironically because I had to go searching for his name and I just noticed he was the last forum member to post, so, all I should have done was look at the post above, and 2nd, I also see that in his post above, he too speaks of what I am about to say... great minds think alike, eh Ron?)

Proper frequency is an extremely important factor when running a successful mailing list. Email your subscribers once a month and chances are good that they will forget about you as early as your second email to them. Email them 4 times a day, and you'll surely piss them off (unless your list is designed for such a schedule, of course).

The key is to email them often enough that they start KNOWING who you are, but not so often that they get tired of hearing from you.

If you're only intent when emailing them is to blatantly sell them something, less frequency is better. If you're providing real-world value, then emailing them as often as once per day could be very beneficial.

Anyways, getting back to the point, having a list and building a relationship DOES INDEED help increase sales as it enables you to building a following...

Think about it, how often do you go out and buy something because your friend said it was cool? Or your sibling said "it really works"?

When building a relationship with your subscribers, it's pretty much the same thing. I know MANY marketers who could successfully sell "shit piles" to their subscribers and make a KILLING.

Why? Because their subscribers trust them, their subscribers don't hesitate to buy ANYTHING they recommend because they have a relationship, a bond if you will.

Well, once again, I went off on a tangent, so I will stop here.

Hope what I said helps answer your question, if I didn't go too far off topic of course.