Communicating with customers is the best way to persuade them to return to your web site and make a purchase. The easiest way to do this is to create an email list. With an email list, you can accomplish many things including:

* Repeat sales ? it is much easier to sell items to those who have already used them and are satisfied with them.

* Trust and loyalty ? many people are still unsure about purchasing items from the internet and only shop on select sites. Sending email and promotional alerts will persuade people to shop on your site. Once they have made a few purchases, you will have a customer for life.

* Branding ? branding your product using a logo or slogan will help people recognize your product easily. Including your company logo in all email sent will help spread the word and create brand awareness as people can forward your email on to others.

* Newsletters ? with an email list, you can send monthly newsletters that inform people about what is going on in your industry and your web site. Include sale items, new products, and other information that will entice customers to browse your site.

As you can see, the benefits and possibilities you create for your company by building an email list are many. This is a resource that will continue to grow as more people visit your web site.

Sign me up!

The biggest obstacle when creating an email list is getting people to sign up. While you can't force people to sign up for email alerts, newsletters, and other items, you can persuade them in a variety of ways.

* Landing pages ? This is a page that can be used to introduce your web site. Many internet business owners use this page to expand their email lists. Simply ask for email addresses before taking visitors to your site and you will be amazed by how quickly people will sign up.

You can choose to make this mandatory for entry to your web site or voluntary. Try both ways to see which is more successful.

* Advertising the newsletter ? By simply adding a sign-up box on the pages of your web site asking if people want to sign up for your newsletter, your email list will grow. Make sure your box is easy to find and easy to use.

* Ordering pages ? You can ask customers when they are placing an order if they want to receive alerts and other promotional items. Make it easy by having them click a box to sign-up. Since most companies need email addresses in case of order issues, all you need is the customer's permission to send promotional items to their email address.

* Receipt confirmation pages ? Ask a second time on the receipt confirmation email you send to customers. They may change their minds and want to sign-up.

Always include an opt-out option so customers will be able to remove themselves from your email list at any time. Add this to the bottom or your email.

Buying email lists

If you are having difficulty building an email list, you can always enter into a joint venture with other internet business owners or affiliate marketers. By sharing some of the profits earned from list sharing, you will be able to reach even more people, who may turn into customers.

Buying email lists outright from a list broker is another option. For a one time fee, you will have access to hundreds of potential customers. While most internet business owners build their own email lists over time, if you want to increase your sales quickly, investing in an email list may be the right decision for you.

Even though there are many forms of marketing on the internet, communicating directly with customers is still the best way to make a sale. Creating an email list or purchasing one will allow you to showcase new items, persuade more people to visit your site, and increase the number of return customers, which can have a huge impact on your bottom line.