Building a list is the absolute most important factor in creating success online…without exception.

The way build a list is to ‘capture’ people’s name and email address in an online form. Over time you build a relationship with the people who are subscribed to your list using an autoresponder service. You will then monetize the list by introducing your product or business over time.

Professional Internet Marketers generally have a landing page they send visitors to in order to capture names. They offer something of perceived value–like a free ebook or a revealing video, to intrigue visitors to sign up for their ‘newsletter’.

A lot of people understand the power of building a list but don’t know where to start or how to create their own capture page…. So they sign up for a ’system’ that does it all for them: pre-made landing pages, incorporated autoresponders and hosting, links to marketing tools and training that promise to brand YOU as the leader–all for about $50/month.

The reason these systems do so well is that most people WANT to brand themselves on the internet but don’t know how to do it. They don’t understand the basics of internet marketing, so these systems seem like the answer.

The problem is… there are millions of people using the same systems now. I see the same template everywhere. Considering the goal is to brand YOU as a leader, I find this ironic.

The people who are doing well with these systems are the ones who know how to rewrite and personalize all the included autoresponder messages, create and upload their own videos, market (or learn how to) market their site, and create a blog or website to accompany the system.

In essence…If you took the same time that would WOULD spend learning how to set up and promote someone else’s system, into learning how to do it YOURSELF, you will be able to get the same results (or better) because the ’system’ would be truly your own. If you do it yourself, it will cost $20-$25/month for hosting, a domain, and an autoresponder service… but in the end, you will in a better position to have any real success online.

The true success of ANY system lies in how you MARKET it–whether it is somebody else’s system or your own personal site. It’s all about marketing and driving traffic.

In terms of true and real relationship building, a good blog is better than a generic landing page. But there are a few key elements to consider. First of all, knowing that building your list is the main objective… the main page of your site has to have a FORM on it so people can sign up for your newsletter, and you need to offer them something for signing up. You need to have excellent content on your site that is useful to your target market–or why would they come back? (if you can’t write well, there are ways to do that) It also has to introduce YOU to your target market so that when they do start receiving your emails, they will already have a sense of being your friend–and will be more likely to stay subscribed to your list.

So the first step to branding yourself onine is to get a ‘blog or website of value’ up that focuses on your target market and is unique to YOU. In a previous article, I explained how to download Wordpress.org (free), get a domain name ($10) and hosting ($60/yr), and set up an autoresponder ($19/mth).

In the process of setting up your site, make sure you plan. Include pages like “About Me”(so they can get to know you and like you), “Tools for Success”(autoresponder, hosting, and anything else you personally use online), and “Work With Me”/ “Shop Online” (this is where you introduce your company/product). Of course, re-word the page titles to suit you, and add more of your own that are within your niche, but those are the basics.

Building a blog or website is an ongoing process so be patient. The better at driving traffic to your site you get, the more your list will grow. It’s not as hard as you think and there are a variety of marketing methods you can use–both paid and free. In the end, the leads you get will be quality, targeted (that’s the best kind) and interested in your industry. That is a good base for starting to build relationships with people.