Everyone says it - "Build Your List"! The most successful online internet marketing experts have lists of several thousand individuals whose trust they have gained and who are willing to consider buying products which they recommend.

The obvious software to use for this is the autoresponder - but there are just a few things you must know before you start using one.

1. Shop around and compare prices and value - some autoresponders offer just one autoresponder whereas the more popular ones offer unlimited autoresponders. Whilst you may not want more than one now, it may be worth paying the difference in price to have the flexibility to grow your online business.

2. If you can get a free trial of an autoresponder - do so! Not all autoresponders are created equal and what works for one person won't necessarily work for you.

3. Read the guidelines - it's so obvious. This goes for everything that you sign up for - for example, Google Adsense and Adwords. Did you know that your account can get immediately closed just for simply breaking these guidelines?

4. Make sure that you have a paper copy of all your autoresponder series - better still, ensure that you refer people to your website - which increases your website traffic and hence your Alexa traffic ranking. It also gets people looking at other areas on your site and builds your credibility.

5. Don't send something to your list every day - those kinds of emails drive people crazy and will end up with people hitting the unsubscribe button rapidly.

6. Do send something of value - most credible internet marketing experts seem to send free information on a regular basis. By sending free, useful information that is related to the needs of your list you will be building a relationship that will stand you in good stead for some time to come.

7. Be patient - some of the big guys might be able to build lists of thousands within weeks - but as long as you are building your list, getting people to visit your site, creating customer loyalty - the results will come if you continue to be patient.