You can use any of several good Auto-Responder services that are available for FREE online.

We offer a List of FREE Auto-Responder Services: via Auto-Responder at: mailto:freeautoresp@emailexchange.org

But what about all of those confirmation emails?

Some of Auto-Responder services forward all your responses to you for review of any that might have special questions, requests, etc.

That still leaves you with problem of having to go through all of that email via your main email address.

Solution?

A FREE Email Provider that ALSO has a FREE Auto-Responder!

That way all responses go to your extra e-mailbox and your message AUTOMATICALLY gets sent to everyone responding to your FFA link submission.

For a List of FREE Email Providers via Auto-Responder: mailto:free_email@emailexchange.org

Don't forget to access that FREE Email account and manage your email otherwise your incoming messages will bounce because of a "Full Mailbox".

In order to really TAP INTO THIS SECRET GOLD MINE, you must take a minute or two and actually reply to those email messages or visit web site they feature.

By doing so, you open a legal, Spam-Free dialogue with QUALIFIED ONLINE BUYERS of INTERNET BUSINESS SERVICES.

Once you open a line of communication with these PREMIUM FFA members, then you can legally email them from time to time about something you are featuring.

Using this technique, I have amassed a list of over 700 PREMIUM, QUALIFIED BUYERS.

And, we receive a steady flow of visitors to our web site and new subscribers to our newsletter.

It has more than paid for itself generating new streams of cash flow and new customers for our services with only investment necessary on our part being time and effort to compile list.

Keep lines of communication open with this small, select group of people and you will always have ready access to one of best LISTS of potential BUYERS for your products or services.

Probably best approach is to forget about a 3 or 4 month moving average, and generate an average this month for all earlier months. Whatever your results, you can not afford to advertise until you have a tested ad and feel confident from value of a hit ad will produce profits. For a new site, unless you already know advertising game, this may mean waiting a year or more before even giving advertising a try.

Getting Started With Advertising

Most find advertising in ezines to be most effective approach on Web. The trick is to find ezines directed at your target. Then test your response to an ad in least expensive way. Given a poor or inadequate response, try another ezine. But given a good response, go for it. In theory, advertising that works can bring unlimited profits.

Ezine advertizing costs are often stated with a single price. To make your numbers work, convert this price to CPM. This also makes it easier to compare costs from ezine to ezine. For example, if circulation of an ezine is 4000 and cost of ad is $20, you are paying $5 CPM.

Other Paths

I've haven't heard any recent reports of good success with banner advertising using CPM model. Some are reporting success with pay-per-click model, which means you pay only for clickthroughs to your site. This is essentially same model used with pay-per-click search engines such as one at GoTo.Com. There are no tough decisions here. If value of a hit to you is greater than what you must pay for a click to your site, go for it. If it's not, ignore these avenues until it is.

With an established site, several search engines, such as Google, offer some interesting possibilities I have not tested. Pricy, though, for new or small sites.

Directories

To submit a listing to Yahoo requires payment of $199. Regardless of value of a hit to you, submit as soon as your site is sufficiently polished. Consider it a one time advertising cost, and don't look back. Yahoo may deliver as much as a third of search engine related traffic.

LookSmart is not such a sure thing. Also $199, they're asking too much, in my opinion. But I still recommend paying fee. Again, it's a one time cost. Over time, a listing will pay for itself, and may ultimately do so many times over.

SNAP is another matter. They also ask for $199 for a listing in their "Top Sites" directory. I don't think it's worth it. And I have not heard others recommend it. But it is an option. Submit for free to their "Live Directory," then walk away.

DMOZ is a must. Submitting a listing is free. And if you find a second category into which your site fits well, a second submission about a month later works well.

So When Should An Advertising Campaign Be Launched?

As soon as value of a hit and a tested ad will produce profits. Until this point is reached, advertising is a waste of money.

For a new or sluggish site, way to go is to keep working at boosting your CR (Conversion Ratio). That is, continuously examine all elements in all paths leading to sales, in search of improvements that bring a higher CR. By increasing your CR, you increase value of a hit. Ignore all thoughts of advertising until your CR is sufficient to produce a hit value high enough to cover costs of placing ads.

But once this happens, go for it. All out.