Once you have made arrangements for hosting, the next step is to set up your business infrastructure. Following are the basic components you need to get started.

Payment System

You must have a way to accept payments from your customers. That includes a shopping cart and a merchant account. A merchant account simply allows you to accept credit card payments over the Internet.

Your shopping cart must integrate with your merchant account, and preferably with PayPal as well. The system must have a secure server, both so that your customers can safely transmit sensitive data, and to protect you from liability. Also, your payment system should include the capability for your customers to purchase and download e - books and other digital products. Even if you do not plan to offer digital downloads now, you may in the future.

112 YOUR INTERNET CASH MACHINE

Autoresponders

An autoresponder is software that allows subscribers to sign up for your mailing lists, and it can be programmed to automatically send out prewritten e - mail messages. You may have used a simple autoresponder at work to let people know you would be on vacation on certain dates. As an Internet marketer, you will use your autoresponder service to collect names of visitors and customers and thus build your list, and to send out e - mail communications to your list(s). Your autoresponder software should include a Wizard You can use to generate sign - up forms for your subscribers, as well as other forms for your web site.

You can design your sign - up box to collect only e - mail address information, or you can expand it to collect a visitor ’ s fi rst (or fi rst and last) name, address, and/or phone number. Of course, take into consideration the reluctance on the part of most people to offer personal information. You will get the best response by asking for the least information.

Why would your visitors decide to give you their e - mail address? That ’ s where the ethical bribe comes into play. Offer your visitors something of value, for free, if they will subscribe to your list. A report makes a good incentive. For example, visitors to Jillian ’ s site, www. GrantMeRich. com, can sign up for her free grant tips. Chances are, if your visitor is really interested in your topic, he will consider this a fair trade.

Once your visitor has subscribed to your mailing list, your automated system will immediately begin sending him a preprogrammed series of e - mails, each containing one segment of the report. You can also include him when you send out regular broadcast e - mails. We discuss those in greater detail in the chapter, “Get the Word Out. ”

Most marketers maintain several lists of subscribers, according to their interests and their status. For example, you might have a list of readers who have not yet made a purchase from you. Then you may have another list of customers who have purchased items under $100, and a third list of buyers of more expensive products. You may have separate lists for buyers of separate products, particularly if they are unrelated. For example, Jillian has one list of subscribers who are interested in grants, one list of those interested in real estate, a third list for Internet business, and a fourth list for subscribers interested in the

Spiritual principles of success. She even has a sign - up form confi gured so new subscribers can choose which list they would like to join. You can view this sign - up sheet at Www. GrantMeRich. com/nl. htm.

The autoresponder can be set up for single opt - in or double opt - in subscribers. Single opt - in subscribers are added to the list upon request, either their request or the request of the list owner. Double opt - in subscribers fi rst receive a confi rmation e - mail, to which they must reply, or which contains a link they can click, in order to be added to the list.

There are two schools of thought among Internet marketers regarding the opt - in process. Single opt - in builds a mailing list much faster and more effi ciently, since statistics show approximately one - fi fth to one - third of subscribers never complete the double opt - in process. However, double opt - in provides the list owner with greater protection in the case of spam complaints. The best autoresponder services will also handle any spam complaints you receive and will negotiate on your behalf with Internet service providers (ISPs) such as AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, Earthlink, and others. At the bottom of every message from you should appear a link the reader may use to unsubscribe.

If you have an existing business, or if you plan to manufacture, import, or create new products, including information products of any kind, you will want affi liate program software. This software makes it possible for you to enroll affi liates, track their sales, and compute payment to them. You should be able to sign up an unlimited number of affi li-ates, create and manage multiple affi liate programs, and pay your affi liates either by check or through PayPal. The software should include the capability for you to associate different products with different affi liate programs and to vary individual commission rates. You should be able to provide your affi liates with a variety of marketing tools.

Each of the services just discussed (payment system, autoresponder, and affi liate program) can be purchased separately, although that is quite expensive and unwieldy. At the present time, there is only one service available that provides an integrated solution for Internet businesses. This service will provide you with a payment system that is compatible with merchant accounts and PayPal, and will also provide

You with a merchant account if you need one. It provides unlimited autoresponders and an excellent affi liate program. What makes this service so useful to us as marketers is the seamless integration it provides. When readers come to your site and make a purchase, and pay for it, they can immediately download the product if it is digital (or if not, you’ll be immediately notifi ed of the purchase). Then the customer ’s name is added to the appropriate mailing list so you can continue to contact them and offer them future opportunities. To read more about this service and set up an account, visit Www. CashMachineCart. com.