3. A special VIP/promotion list.

If I like what I see, and you give me chance to receive *special offers* that will save me money at your site, I'll be sure to sign up for your list. For example, one site I love buying from is http://www.BlueFly.com. They offer designer clothes and accessories (e.g. BCBG, Fendi, Prada — I'm salivating right now!) at discount prices with exceptional customer service. Throughout their site and when you place an order, there are invitations to sign up for "discounts, exclusive offers, and first looks." Count me in!

4. A free special report or e-book.

Here's another neat idea — give people a special report or short e-book related to your topic of interest. Not sure where to start? Try a top-10 list of tips, a list of relevant resources, or a collection of articles you've already written. The more "how-to," better — give me real, useful information. But of course make sure it implies that YOU and YOUR BUSINESS are best resource in end. This is a delicate balance to achieve, but it's not as hard as you may think. And at end of your content, tell me how your services/products will further help me. (Again, lead me on to next step.)

5. Don't forget to follow up!

Once you capture a list of prospects, you'll need to contact them again. We'll cover art of follow up in an upcoming article. Of course, if you're publishing an e-zine, that's already set. (Hooray for e-zines!)

(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

12. Who has ACCESS to their servers and your list?

Anytime you hand over your customer list, you're taking a risk. You don't want your service or anyone else using your list for spamming purposes.

13. What happens if some addresses are UNDELIVERABLE?

These are also called "bounces" or "bounce-backs." You don't want them to automatically remove names for "soft bounces," which are due to temporary conditions like full mailboxes.

14. How do users SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE?

Do they have to visit a Web page or can they do it via e-mail (best if both options are available). Is process single or double opt-in? (Double is better for more security — user has to respond to a confirmation e-mail before she’s added to your list.) Is process kept simple?

15. Can you customize your LIST SERVER DOCUMENTS?

This means messages like your subscriber welcome and goodbye messages. (You'll definitely want to be able to do this, since prewritten messages many list services use are horribly cold and confusing.)

16. Can your e-zine give PERSONALIZED GREETINGS AND MESSAGES?

Not necessary, but a very nice feature. For example, if your e-zine came to me, it would start off with something like, "Hello Alexandria!"

17. How often do they BACK UP their servers?

It should be at least once every day. Also ask if you can download your lists to back them up on your own, as a backup to their backup!

18. Can you send a TEST MESSAGE out to yourself or another person before you send out each issue for real?

You'll definitely want this because it’s best way to see how your e-zine looks on recipient’s end, do a proofread, and check all your hyperlinks.

19. Can you see stats on your CLICK-THROUGH rates?

If you publish in HTML, you should be able to see how many people — and even exactly who — opens your messages.

20. Can they AUTOMATICALLY ARCHIVE your issues if you'd like them to?

Some services will archive your e-zines at their site, others can configure it so they're archived at your own site (which is better).

21. Are they currently BLOCKED anywhere on Web?

If so, it may mean they've been reported for allowing spammers to use their network. You don't want to work with any list service that's been blocked anywhere, because it means that your e-zine won't reach all of your readers.

(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR