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An Internet marketer might be proud to tell how large their list is . . . 80,000 subscribers - 200,000 subscribers . . . But how big of a response will they receive if they sent an email campaign?
It’s not the number of emails you have in the database. It’s the quality of the list. The more squeaky clean your list is, the more profit you will make.
Here are some tips for maintaining your list quality:
1. Use double opt-in. This way you can make sure that email addresses are valid. The software you are using should be able to send a confirmation message so subscribers will click on it to confirm their subscription.
This way you are sending only solicited email to your opt-in list. Webmasters should keep a form on their website(s). If prospects want to receive email from that webmaster, they will enter their name and email address to subscribe. This in-house built list is safest for your email marketing efforts.
Wondering how to get them to subscribe? One option is to purchase a mailing list manager software such as the one found at http://www.scripts4webmasters.com/follow-up-autoresponder-pro/index.shtml
You can create a mailing list there, then copy and paste the HTML code for the subscription form on your website.
Using double opt-in means subscribers have to click on the link provided to them in their initial email.
2. Deal with bounces mercilessly. Delete bounces . . . period. But make sure it’s a hard bounce. A hard bounce is when the recipient’s mail server rejects your email. A soft bounce is when your email is accepted by the recipient’s mail server, but it bounces back because their mail box is full or your message is too large for their mail server’s limitations. Make sure to configure your list manager to try to send messages a few times before you delete the email addresses.
3. Try to avoid free email accounts. It’s a little hard to implement, because nowadays most people use a free email account like hotmail or yahoo.com even though they have their own domains. This is because they don't want to expose themselves, or they might be afraid that the publisher of the list will send junk or spam to them. So think of pros and cons of the situation and follow this tip.
4. Provide an option for subscribers to change their email address. Some list management software or services provide a link to your subscribers’ details and lists. From there they can change their email address. This way it’s easy for them to update their profile.
5. Validate the domain. While accepting an email address into your database, make the list manager validate it either by javascript or other means.
6. Delete unsubscribers. ALWAYS include an unsubscribe link for easy removal. Once in a while do a search for unsubscribers and delete them from your database.
7. DON'T buy email lists. You’ll likely not have a good experience when buying email lists. Most of them sell email addresses that they will get from website email extractors. If you see an offer like one million emails for $19.95, simply turn it down. You will feel glad about it if you gain some experience in Internet marketing.
8. Manually import subscribers. If you moved your subscribers from your old list manager to a new one or from your helpdesk to your mailing list manager etc., be careful to avoid spelling errors.
Keywords: email list,mailing list,email marketing tip,subscriber response,double opt-in,mailing list software
ReadyToPublish.com
Eight Tips For Keeping Your Email Lists Clean & Increasing Response Rates