The advice most commonly tossed at people starting new online businesses is that they need to have an opt-in list. And it’s absolutely true. Unfortunately, a lot of new Internet entrepreneurs wait until they’ve had their business running for some time, and don’t take full advantage of the opt-in list’s benefits.

Building a targeted opt-in list is a simple process, and there are several methods you can use to approach the task. Here are some of the most successful:

1. Offer a free newsletter. This is one of the most common ways of building an opt-in list, and one of the most effective. It’s an excellent way to build a relationship with your target market, by offering useful information on your area of expertise, links to online resources, and other things that will entertain and inform your subscribers. If it’s fun to read and packed with useful content, you’ll be creating a bond with your potential customers.

2. Make it as simple as possible for readers to subscribe. Create an easy-to-use form on one of the side column on your main website page, and on several – or all – of your other pages, making it as simple as possible for visitors to subscribe.

3. Be sure that the content of both your website and your newsletters are high quality. The website content will inspire visitors to subscribe; the newsletters will bring more people to your site.

4. Use the Internet for research. Check out message boards and chat forum where your target audience congregates, and participate in the discussions. Include your URL in the signature line, which will appear at the bottom of each post. Don’t spam the forums with ads for your site or your product – join in the discussions and become a regular, otherwise you’ll get a reputation as a sleazy marketer.

5. Position yourself as an expert. Whatever your area of business, you can contribute articles offering valuable information to various Internet outlets. Include your website address and link to your newsletter subscription page in your byline, and readers will visit your site to find out more.

All of these are excellent ways to build your opt-in list, and promote your product in a profitable, fun way. The more you do, the more subscribers you’ll have.