First, let's make it clear what is meant by a list. A list is your personal database of leads that have shown that they are concerned in your niche market. Not only are they interested in your niche, but they have given you permission to send them emails with information about that niche.

The most successful internet marketers use a large part of their marketing efforts just to build a list. Many online marketers would rather have a lead sign up for their list than have them buy something without signing up. Why do they value a list so greatly?

The most difficult part of internet marketing is finding a targeted group to market to. By having a list, you already have a targeted group that has given you agreement to market to them. This allows you to develop a relationship with them as you provide them information and suggest products they may want to buy. It is much easier to market and sell to your list than it is cold leads. The best part is, you can market and sell to them over and over again.

To illustrate the value of a list, think about infomercials that you see on TV all the time. The advertisement companies spend millions of dollars on those advertising campaigns. You may not know this, but their purpose, in most cases, is not to sell the item they are pitching on TV, rather it is to get you on their list.

Most advertisement companies loose money on every TV offer they sell. They know that once you buy from them, they will be able to market to you again and again. It is on the second purchase you make from them that they start to make a profit. Of course, if you buy from them a third or fourth time then they are way ahead.

Your list is the same way. Every lead that subscribes to your list is valuable to you. Your initial product sales to your list may not be one you can retire over but if you have defined your niche correctly and your list is built with leads that are highly interested in your niche, you will see how easy it becomes to sell to them at higher and higher prices.

The secret is to market to them again and again. As a general rule, those that buy from you once are more likely to buy from you again. You need your own list because it becomes the foundation of your online business. It provides you with a customer base that is looking for information about your niche. Having your own list makes it much easier to be an internet marketing success.