Building Web Sites All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter 3. Online Newsletter

In This Chapter

• Creating mailing lists

• Adding people to a mailing list

• Maintaining a newsletter mailing list

• Making a useful newsletter

After you create, optimize, and submit a Web site to the search engines, it's the client's job to make sure that people return on a regular basis. One way to get people to return is to update the site content frequently. But how will the client's customers and Web site visitors know when the content is updated? Well, your client could be real subtle, use the blunt hammer approach, and send an e‐mail to all visitors asking them to “Look at my new content!” Well, begging usually doesn't get you very far, at least not in the business world. To get people to visit the Web site again, you've got to pique their interest. A great way to do this is to present them with useful information or special promotions that entice them to visit the site again. One of the best ways to do this is to send newsletters via e‐mail. The newsletter contains information that is useful to the recipient and links to pertinent areas of new content on the Web site. For example, in the case of a merchant's Web site, the links would be to sales items.

Building a Mailing List

You build the most beautiful newsletter in the world for your client. Your client scratches his head and asks, “What's next?” You politely answer, “Send it to your mailing list.” Your client goes to marketing and asks if they have a mailing list. Marketing says they'll buy one. WRONG! ...