1. Find your niche: Everyone has something that really turns them on. Maybe it's chess or even NASCAR, acting or quilting. It really doesn't matter as long as there are enough people searching for keywords in that niche each month. So, in case the first idea doesn't have enough interest, maybe pick 2 or 3 things that can sustain your interest for a long time to come.



2. Search for keywords: Make a list of 4 or 5 words that are important to the niche you've chosen. Then, go to http://inventory.overture.com/ and type the words in one at a time. If they show 3,000 searches per month or more, then, you probably have a decent niche to explore. If you have tens of thousands, then you may have a great niche, but also a very competitive one. When there's less than 3,000 searches showing, find a new niche. The one you like the best just won't sustain a business.

3. Devise a great domain name: Domains should relay the idea of what your site is about. For instance, this domain, listbuildingblog.com is about list building. Makes sense, right? Well, if your niche is coin collecting, you may want to see if coincollectingtips.com is available, for instance. This makes it easier for people to find and also for search engines to understand what your site is about so that it gets indexed quickly. Just be sure not to make it too long or difficult for people to remember.

4. Set up a web host: Be sure to choose a web host that's reliable. Be sure they've been around a while, and that they have a good reputation for reliability. If a host has a lot of downtime, that will cost you sales. Cheaper isn't always better. Those companies often go under and never come back. You probably only need basic hosting if you're just starting out. But if you're planning something more complicated that requires a MySQL database, then you'll need a bit more. If you don't know what those things are, you'll probably be hiring a tech person to set that up, so ask his or her recommendation for a host at the same time.

5. Create a squeeze page for list building: Choose a graphic related to your niche. If you're building a list around sports, for instance, somebody playing baseball might be appropriate, for example. Then, come up with three to five benefits that people will enjoy by joining your list. Add an opt-in box, and you're all set. But, the opt-in box requires that you have...

6. An autoresponder service: You can choose a web-based solution or a program that you administer yourself. But what the service will do is send confirmation messages, asking people to verify that they joined your list. They also house the list for you, and allow you to send out messages to your list whenever you want to do so. They also protect you from spam complaints, usually caused by people forgetting they sign up. When you use your own software, the problems are yours to deal with. You have to decide which solution is best for you.

7. Put your list building page on your server: The easiest and quickest way to put your list building page up is via FTP because it makes uploading quick and easy. Wise FTP and Cute FTP are two programs that you can use, but there are many others. Using FTP is something you should learn more about if you plan to do business online.

If you follow these 7 steps you'll be list building in no time. Choose a great niche, create a memorable domain name, build a squeeze page, get an autoresponder, and upload your page and BOOM! You're list building. How easy is that?