Any business today on the internet should be building an optin list. Seriously, No matter what size it is if you don't have an opt-in list there is money walking out the front door. Having an opt-in list can make a world of difference and also add some extra bucks (dollars) to your pocket. These days you will rarely see a web-site, big or small, that is without an opt-in list. So if you don't have one you should really start considering it.

You see, an opt-in list enables a company to market their wares and site via an e-mail. A bit like direct marketing but your visitor asks for you to contact them. With an opt-in list, a site and a subscriber consents to sending and receiving a newsletter from your company. Through this, you can keep in contact with your subscribers and let them know what is available on your site as well as whatever is coming up.

And because there is mutual consent between the two parties, any mail sent to the list is not considered as spam mail. There is a great number of successfully read promotional materials such as catalogs, newsletters and such that are sent because the subscribers themselves have signed up for them, meaning, they do want to be sent those items.

Building a customer list is crucial to the success of any business. And with only a small percentage of visitors actually subscribing for an opt-in list you need to do it smart. Many people find promotional mails annoying but if you always work to adding value to your subscribers you will see your list build up and grow. You can also achieve this by having valuable content on your site. When your visitors like what they read on your web-site the will more than likely want more. Having a 'Subscribe to my Newsletter' box you will have a new way to invite them back to your site. A little teaser or appetizer if you will.

An opt-in list can also be used to earn extra profit other than marketing your wares and your services. It is best to build a really big list first always adding valuable content but then you can start working to monetize your list. The more subscribers you have, the more money you can get. Here are seven ways to make money using nothing more than your list.

1. Selling ad space. If you have a good list there will always be companies contacting you to advertise their products. But this is where it can get tricky. If you are just using plain text you will not be able to put in banners as they are images, but if you have a html email you can. Also, I would never ever recommend renting your list to a company. Your subscribers have allowed you to contact them, not someone else. It is ok for you to promote someone elses stuff but never ever give away their email address.

2. Pay For Performance - Set up little Joint Ventures with other companies that have are related to your niche. If you are selling Dog Bowls you might like to work with a Dog Clothing company. Here the other company will provide links and brief descriptions of all their products and services. With every click made on the link that directs or leads a subscriber from your list to their site, the company will pay you. This P4P or pay for performance.

3. Affiliate Partners - A lot of businesses on the net want to employ you to promote their products. They wont pay you a weekly wage but they will pay you whenever you sell one of their products. This is just like being a salesperson working in their company and getting paid on commission. And each time you direct someone to them that buys something you make a commission, a percentage of the sale. All you need to do is promote their products through your email.

4. Consignment - Some business will let you take products without paying for them until you sell them. This is called 'on consignment basis'. This is good when you are starting out but is hard to come by as there is a lot of trust given to you. All you then need to do is place descriptions, articles and photos of the product in your newsletter.

5. Sell e-books or a compilation of your articles on your list. Manuals and how-to articles are in great demand. Many people will be willing to shell out money to gain knowledge about a certain topic and subject. With your existing list trusting your expertise in that area, an e-book could be offered and sold or used as an incentive.

6. Hold a Competition - Talk to other businesses in your niche and then run a competition and give away a prize for people who invite someone to join your list. You can always find competition scripts on the net as there a loads php scripts which you can use. Tell your list that for every person they invite they get one ticket in the draw. If they invite 15 people they get 15 tickets. And don't just give 1 prize away. Give away 15 or 20 so people who only have a few friends will always compete. And then after the competition has finished send out an email to let everyone know who the winners are and then give them a 25% discount. That way everyone is a winner.

7. Make your subscribers your partners. If you have an affiliate program you should promote this to your list. If they like your products they are more likely to tell their friends or even the visitors to their website. So tell them about your affiliate program.