Building a list for your business is the most lucrative way to make money. Once you have contact information for your potential customers, you can market to them over and over.

Statistically, it takes about seven contacts with a potential customer to get the sale. However, over the course of one year, if you continue to market your product or service to that reader, you have an 80 percent chance of making the sale.

Below is a list of reasons why you need a list.

1. It's where the money is. As I mentioned before, when you capture the contact information of your potential reader you can market to him/her over and over again. This increases your chance of making a sale.

2. You can build a relationship with the potential customer. Credibility is always a problem on the internet. When you build a relationship with your potential customer, you are more likely to get the sale. Your new customer is more likely to trust you, further leading to a sale.

Now that doesn't mean you should abuse this relationship. Offer your new customer products and services that will actually help him/her. You will inspire more confidence this way and increase your sales.

3. It's cheaper than finding new customers. It costs about five times more to find new customers than it does to market to the ones you have. Build a relationship, provide your customers with valuable content, and they will stay with you.

4. Lists are easy to build. Once you have decided the topic of what your list will be, all you need is a good lead capture system. Set up a minisite, list the benefits of subscribing to your list, and collect the email addresses.

Then you can send them your offers. Just don't forget to provide some kind of content. Offer a free report in addition to your newsletter. I can't emphasize enough how important good content is. You want to keep your customers coming back, and content is king on the internet.

5. Having a list will open up new markets for you. If you have a lucrative list, word will get around. This will open up a new market for you because you will get plenty of potential joint venture partners.

Not only will you get tons of products thrown your way, absolutely free, but you will add new products to the line you sell.

Let me caution you here: don't accept every joint venture you get. Make sure that the product falls in line with what you are already selling. Make sure that the product is a good one. Evaluate it yourself first to make sure that this is a product you can be proud of selling. Your reputation is on the line here.

Send too many offers to your list, and your readers will get so angry with you they will unsubscribe.

There are probably dozens of reasons why you should build a list. The most important reason, of course, is to increase your bottom line. Give your customers what they want, at a fair price, overdeliver, and you'll be well on your way to quickly and easily increasing your profits.