Ben Settle : 'The ONLY Reason to have your Website is to Build a List '

13 replies
Yep, I get El Benbo's newsletter. And earlier this morning ( april 2nd) he wrote this email and it started a brouhaha among Social Media and the IM World
Many including noteworthy CopyWriter Bob Bly slamming him !

I will paraphrase a piece of Ben's email ( so as to not piss him off as I know he is touchy with Infringements )

' The ONLY reason or purpose
to have a Website
(with only a few exceptions)
is to build a responsive email list


It is not to brand yourself.

It is not to showcase your products.

Or give some education to folks.

Or not to show off your intelligence or abilities or skills.

Or even to impress hot girls. '


(End of paraphrase)

What do you all think about Mr. Settles and his recent proclamation here ??

Too narrow minded ? Not utilizing the whole Internet for optimal Engagement ? Off target ?? Spot on ?? etc...

Just to be fair to him since Ben is the topic here.... Ben Settle - Top Email Marketing Specialist


- Robert


(Disclosure : Awhile back ( probably 2 years ago) I started a Thread about how I unsubscribed to Ben's newsletter as his extraordinary topics were getting ..well too ordinary and cumbersome. But on second thought I decided to join back up again and he has some good content. Not all the time but enough where you can really get some good insight to email Marketing ! And quite honestly a really sick as hell
Email CopyWriter, imo)
#ben #build #email #list” #reason #settle #website
  • Profile picture of the author Regional Warrior
    Mate

    I kinda agree with what he wrote ! If you are list building he is spot on but if you have a branded website do you not ad an area where a person can subscribe to your ( inset freebie/newsletter/whitepaper)

    So in a way maybe 50/50 he is right! dunno he does have a point in some cases.
    ( let the flames begin )
    Jason
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  • Profile picture of the author celente
    there is much debate on this topic.

    But I use a good example as tony robbins, even younger kids know who he is as a person, and a BRAND

    however.....go over and take a look at their lists, and their list building habits. They do it daily and add lots of people daily.

    Tony robbins would still do ok, if he did not market to anyone, because he has a brand, but with list building, and content giving he does millions of dollars each year.

    I think anyone who is in business these days, and does not build a list is not going to do that well.

    Even a like campain on facebook, and getting likes is like having email subscribers...or pretty much just as good. I find 2 likes from people is about like having 1 email subscriber in your database, from our testing.

    My point is some of the bigger marketers you will ever see online, make a large chunk of their BIG SALES, and INCOME through what? EMAIL MARKETING and having a LIST.

    Ben S, just knows that it would create a stir, so all he did was, uncannily email his members and show proof that it works, without having to do much else.

    OH! the Sweeeet Iron! haha.


    Email works, list building works, he just proved it by hitting the send button. Say no more! LOL.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Depends on who your customers are and how they buy.

    What business are you in? That's the question, and the answer determines the purpose of your website.

    I have sites that are solely for confirming the prospect's already-made decision to buy.

    If your business is selling people info products, then that would definitely be the wrong purpose.

    Ben's got a great point there about being totally clear on the WHY of your site...so that you don't just create content to create content.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Quick! Someone better tell the Google Guys about their site being all wrong before it's too late!
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    Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
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  • Profile picture of the author limitbreaker
    Yea, you're right. List building is the paramount thing bcos it gives the site owner a recurring income anytime, anyday.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jon Crimes
    Agree to a point, a list is important and it's a good idea to design your blog or website with more that one 'list entry point'! Think sidebar signup + popup etc.

    But...the main purpose of my blog (as I see it anyway) is for brand recognition and trust.

    I want my potential customers who haven't quite warmed up to buying from me yet to have the choice of checking me out to make sure I'm a real person who creates good quality work.

    Of course, you can never be 100% sure that someone is who they say they are on the internet but it's a hell of alot better than someone searching for your name and only finding a guy who enjoys an eye watering fetish at weekends.

    (that's not me by the way :-)

    Cheers
    Jon
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  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    Originally Posted by discrat View Post

    I get El Benbo's newsletter.

    "The ONLY reason or purpose
    to have a Website
    (with only a few exceptions)
    is to build a responsive email list"
    Originally Posted by discrat View Post

    What do you all think about Mr. Settles and his recent proclamation here ??
    I'm shocked. The purpose is clearly to impress hot girls.

    FADE IN.

    INT. NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT

    The dance floor is awash with twerking and fist-pumping and grinding bodies and, as we ZOOM-IN to the middle of this sweat-drenched sea of human flesh and spandex, we focus on Tom in a MEDIUM SHOT, busting some serious ROBOT MOVES as he approaches a hot chick. As the dialogue unfolds (both SHOUTING, due to the PUMPING MUSIC), Tom expertly morphs between a further 17 classic breakdancing moves.

    Tom
    Hey!

    Chick
    Are you having a stroke?

    Tom
    Last time I did, the bouncers kicked me out!

    Chick
    What?

    Tom
    What brings you here?

    Chick
    Beat it, buster!

    Tom
    Seriously, I better not!

    Chick
    What?

    Tom
    You want to come back to my place?

    Chick
    Yeah, and what about me being MARRIED?

    Tom
    You're a bit forward - we've only just met!

    Chick
    Get lost!

    Tom
    (Stops dancing. Points a finger at Chick)
    List building.

    Chick
    I SAID, get lo-
    Wait.
    Did you just say-

    Tom
    (Still finger-pointing)
    Liiiiiiiiiiist building.

    Chick
    TAKE ME HOME!

    FADE OUT.

    I won't slam Ben; because, had he stated asset building, as opposed to list building alone, I'd be in total agreement. In its purest form, a website exists for one reason, and one reason only: to give the target audience what it wants. If they want to search for information - give it to them. If they want to look at cats spinning around on ceiling fans - give it to them. But, from a marketing perspective, a website exists to build assets. To build lists. To build social followings. To build forum members. To build any platform for which we, as marketers, have some form of control and can, therefore, use it to engage our target audience. 20 years ago, many of us did online marketing all wrong. We relied on search engines and on bookmarking and on traffic trades. Modern IM is about asset building. And everyone - Nike, Pepsi Cola, Apple, et al - are getting in on the action. You see an ad on TV after the game, and you see a hashtag? Asset building. You register at Youtube to upload videos of Mister Tinkles III busting a move on your ceiling fan? Asset building.

    The real trick to modern IM: based on your audience, build the right kind of assets, and, at the same time, always give your audience what they want.

    My 3 cents.

    - Tom
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    As someone who makes his living teaching email marketing, Settle is doing what he is supposed to be doing - positioning his method as the only way.

    ' The ONLY reason or purpose
    to have a Website
    (with only a few exceptions)
    is to build a responsive email list


    It is not to brand yourself.

    It is not to showcase your products.

    Or give some education to folks.

    Or not to show off your intelligence or abilities or skills.

    Or even to impress hot girls. '
    If you rely solely on email marketing, then yes, the only purpose for anything you do is to gather people to whom you can market. (aka, 'build a responsive email list')

    I'll take it a step further.

    The only reason to have a responsive email list is to connect people with the needs and desires that will (ostensibly) make their lives better somehow, and do so at a profit.

    Building a brand and showcasing your products have the same reason for being.

    Educating folks puts them in a position to be receptive to your offers.

    Showing off? Ditto, or it's a waste of time and energy.

    Unless they become customers, impressing hot girls can only get me in trouble...

    Otherwise, to paraphrase my late grandfather, if you're selling hammers, you want everything to look like a nail.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tonester
    100% agree.

    I would change this a bit and say... if you're trying to make money on the internet, the only reason to have a website is to sell something, period!

    Now that doesn't mean you don't offer tons of free content or whatever else you want. But, the purpose of that free content, indirectly, should always be to SELL.

    Tony
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  • Profile picture of the author zakirnaik
    so depends on our audiences right ?
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  • Profile picture of the author toceng
    if you build good long term trust and you build a good business
    people will buys from you forever
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  • Profile picture of the author pronoton
    can i send a facebook fan page or groups to them so that it's a two way communication ?
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