Being able to build a list in your niche quickly is a skill that will grow your business steadily over time. In the offline world this is known as a prospect database, and the goal is to turn these prospects into clients as soon as possible. This can be done with blogging, article marketing, teleseminars, social media marketing, and attending live events.

The biggest mistake I made during my first year working on the Internet was to not take this process of list building seriously and make it a top priority. Instead, I spent too much time setting up websites and going through endless hours of training in search of the perfect business. Now I know that it is best to start gathering names and emails of people who are interested in your topic from the very beginning.

You want to make sure to have a permission based list, so this means that you must set up an opt in box for visitors to your site to sign up through. This is a simple process that can be done using any of the autoresponder services that are currently available. People will not sign up for your list for no reason at all, so offer them a short report that will provide them with useful information in your area of expertise.

This report need only be a few pages in length, but must convey real value. Even though you are giving this away at no cost, put your best foot forward to make it look and feel as professional and polished as possible. This will be the first time someone sees who you are and what you know on your niche topic so you want to shine.

This person has now added themselves to your list, so the next step is to stay in regular contact with them through email messages. You will want to set up some of these in advance as a sequence of autoresponders that will be sent out automatically over time. In addition to these automated messages, stay in touch at least twice a week through broadcast emails.

Your client and prospect lists are the most valuable asset in your business. Make sure to build the relationships with these people by providing them with relevant content, tips, resources, and appropriate offers. Over time these will be the people you do business with online, even if you never have the opportunity to meet with them in person.