It's all too easy to get distracted when running your business and forget to do those basic things that create real results for your online home based business.

Before you lose track of where you are headed take the time to focus your marketing plan and ensure that you are using every tool to it's maximum advantage. One of those tools, perhaps the most powerful, is of course, email.

Here is a short checklist to help you take full advantage of the power of email and, by so doing, making time your ally, not your adversary. Fast, easy, and free, the consistent use of email in the follow six areas will yield powerful results for you.

1. CUSTOMER LEARNING Do you offer a product that takes a bit of learning to use? Teach your customers how to get the benefits they deserve from your product or service via email. Keep messages on topic and separate your follow up series into bite-size learning pieces. These follow up messages can bring your refund rate to near zero ... a good thing indeed.

2. SPECIAL PRICING AND OFFERS Use email to deliver insider information on special bargains, limited time pricing, and more. Much like a coupon sheet in your local newspaper, selling advertising in this type of email is a breeze.

3. PRE-SALES SERIES Most people never buy the first thing they see? Do you? Comparison shopping is the way of the Internet, and getting prospective customers to return to your site is the challenge. A pre-sale series is the answer! This is actually very easy to do. Just write down the top ten reasons why someone should buy from you, then put each in a follow up message. Send one a day until they are all delivered. Offer the series to everyone who visits your site and let time do the selling work for you!

4. HARD TO FIND NEWS Want to know THE secret to building a loyal mailing list? Give the people what they want! People love offbeat news, especially when it has a connection to their lives. If you provide this you will get people to subscribe to your newsletter. Then let the autoresponder do the selling.

5. CUSTOMER FOLLOW UP When someone does make a purchase from your business set up a follow up system. You know these customers like your product so they are more likely to purchase again from you. Whether it's a simple as a one-time 'thank you' or as elaborate as a 50 message follow up system, customers love to know you care. At a minimum, send one message thanking customers for every order.

This just scratches the surface of ways to use email to increase your home based business online income. Email is everywhere and tremendously effective. Be creative and use email to take your business to the next level, I am sure you will see increased results with less effort! And THAT is a beautiful t