How to monetize - build list or sell course?

-edit- I made some changes to the title so maybe I can get a response!

Always build a list. Always. Why? Because the money is in the list. We aren't lying when we say that. It really is. Build a list. Offer something for free and have them opt-in. When you sell an actual product have them opt-in.

Whatever you do, find a way to build a list and never stop. Ever.

All of the above.

Provide great content on your site so people come back.
Collect emails and provide great emails so people keep opening them
Reference your products, and if they help the user, you'll make money.
Reference other people's products, and if they help the user, you'll make some more money.
Anything you can reference on a blog, you should be able to reference in an email.

A list of names and emails is nearly worthless.

The RELATIONSHIP that you have with those names is where the value is.

Do both.

Just make sure that the line between your premium course content and the info you are giving away on your site doesn't start to blend together too much. With a course, though, if you can package it nicely into an easily digestable form and have it in a easy-to-follow system, then I'm sure your visitors would find value.

The great thing is, you can be giving them value in your site(which I guess you could consider this teaser content), and in your premium course. Even if the difference wasn't that huge between the paid course, and the info on your site, if you add in a private forum where these people can connect along with maybe access to yourself or an expert in some form(skype chat for 30 mins a month or whatever- skype group even with all the buyers) then that would be a great value for them.

But overall, focus on building that list of prospects. -squeeze page popup when they land on your site- And, say for example, if they land on one of your posts that is referencing your premium course, of course, you can link to that first. But, it might be helpful to have them either - 1) on the premium course salespage, have a squeeze page first, that once they enter their email, they are then taken to the salespage. or 2) They can be taken just directly to the salespage without forced optin, but say after 15 seconds, an optin form would scroll down the salespage.

Just make sure you test everything - google website optimizer is great for split testing. And remember, the beauty of the list lies in the fact that most people aren't going to buy the first time they land on a salespage, so you have to really make sure you are getting their optin whenever you can- but don't make it crazy, like 5 exit popups lol. Say, someone leaves your salespage after opting in... Consider that first week of autoresponder e-mails sent to them as a form of dating..Make sure to give them great value, and reference your product in the e-mails you send out.

the point is, just make sure you don't let them slip away without first getting their contact info. Give them good content, differentiate between your normal free blog or site and the premium stuff by adding a social factor(if you want- by that I mean like a private forum or skype group) or I'm sure there is some top tier info that you can save for the premium content that will have them drooling. And, last but not last, make sure your lead magnet- optin incentive- is really enticing! And, split test different squeeze page headlines and lead magnet concepts.

Cheers

Try to build your list with your quality products (free or paid - a a list of buyers is very valuable for you) and then build a relationship with your members- give them that quality tutorials and gifts.
The most important thing is not to spam your list with dozens of affiliate links.
After you have a good relationship with members of your list you can sell them your products.

Forget affiliate products. mr2monster is right. His way works the best. It can't be beat.

Can I get your how-to stuff anywhere else? If not you've got a gold mine.

Get DAP and integrate it with aWeber. Protect the content after the more tag. Visitors sign up because your written word is free. Send them to your premium videos that explain the how-tos step by step, even the little steps you might have missed in your wirtten how-to articles I know you're getting the drift.

Go to Viddler and setup a video store. Have your how-to articles videoized and in your store which you charge access to. You can do it all from within the Viddler subscription service.

Have one site and follow mr2monster instructions. Make it long term. Build one site and never stop posting. The money will follow. Just keep targeting those terms and long tails.

People are hungry for original how-to articles they can't get anywhere else.

Build your LIST! Once you build your list, the sales will be 20x easier..

WSPcpa,
Feel free to read my thread (follow my signature), I wrote it so that it will help people like you. Thanks.

You need a list of past customers. There is no point in NOT having a list, if
you do not use a list, then you will be leaving money on the table.

The money are not really in the list, or (more precisely) - not every list "contains" the money.

I'd build a paid membership site. This will give you at least 3 great things:
1) instant sales;
2) recurring revenues;
3) and (guess what?) - a list of real buyers.