What could be better than having a list of email addresses for people who love your blog or readers that could be potential customers – a list of people who actually want to hear from you? Not much, right?

That’s why you should be gathering emails from people who visit your website.

Why It Works

Building your email list is important for your business because the more people who are truly interested in your services that you can reach with just one email, the more site visits, downloads and money you can potentially make.

Collecting email addresses and sending out an email newsletter has some wonderful benefits. For instance, each time you send an email to your list that contains links to your website, you’re boosting the potential for more site visits. If something in your newsletter looks interesting to the reader, they’ll click over to your site and there’s a good chance they’ll click through to other posts or pages, which boosts the chances that they’ll buy from you.

Email lists and newsletters also help your business because if you’re consistently showing up in someone’s inbox (in a good way, not a spammy way), you’ll stay top of mind to them. Then when they need a service or product you provide, they’ll instantly remember your helpful or fun emails.

How to Do It

Growing your list organically can take time but there are so many ways to gather email address from your readers. The most important thing to remember is to make is as easy as possible for them to sign up.

A few common places to add an email sign up form is in the sidebar or footer on every page of your site or directly underneath your header. These places work because they’re out of the way enough to not be irritating, but they’re prominent enough that people will notice them.

The best way to get people to sign up for your list is to offer an incentive, or opt-in offer, for sharing their email. Things like mini ebooks, discounts on services or access to an exclusive list work really well because the person signing up is getting something in return. Plus, people love free stuff!

Giveaways are also a great way to capture email addresses. Hosting a simple contest on your blog where all the reader has to do is enter their email address is a great way to grow your list quickly. Or if you’re hosting a live event, you can capture email addresses from attendees by having them sign up to win a prize.

Want some ideas on creating an opt-in offer that people want? Here are three simple tactics:

• Mini Ebook: Offer a downloadable ebook that will help your readers solve a problem. Give them design tips, create some fun worksheets or compile interviews you have done into a book.
• Discount on Services: Offer a certain percentage off your services or products, throw in a service for free or offer free shipping from your shop. People love discounts.
• Access to a ‘Faves’ List: Do you have a group of people you love to work with? Or a list of your favorite service providers? Take those lists and create a document with the names and contact information for each. This helps both you and the people on your favorites list and your readers will love to get an inside look at who you love to work with.

Do you need even more advice and ideas for opt-ins? Check out this post: How I Grew My Email List by 600% by Using Content Upgrades

About the author: Mariah is a Graphic Designer/Wedding Stylist who has a passion for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit.