Search engines in the near future will look to building their own business. For example, Yahoo offers financial information and also list websites in their database that offer the same information. What information do you think is presented first? Next to Yahoo's own financial information are paid listings or banner advertising by big companies who can afford the going rate. This puts the small business website with minimal cash at a disadvantage. How can you find a way to generate more business and do it inexpensively? As in many of my lastest or future articles I speak about partnerships and how they can help.
The Internet is borderless and to make a go at it alone is very difficult. Even the big companies are developing affliate programs, which is a form of partnering. I find these to be the most informal ways to form partnerships. Eventhough the affiliate may make a few extra dollars, the main benefits go to the owner of the program. Eventually, affiliates will notice that the traffic they send to the owner of the program will bypass their site and go direct, thus leaving them out of the picture. This will lead to No Money and No Traffic to the affliate website. Here are a few ideas for forming that long lasting online business relationship. First you must find a company that will compliment yours and vice-versa. Then......
1) build a mailing list together
2) help build each other's private list
3) have a page on each other's website for search engine purposes
4) use any confirmation page to promote the other person's business
5) have a banner or link on the partner's site
6) share promotional item cost such as - banner advertising, advertising in purchase mailing lists, small plugs for each other in a mailing list discussion
7) write about each other in articles
8) joint promotional offers
9) joint contest giveaways
The other ideas and finer details belong to me.To show your commitment to your partner, think of things you can do to send business their way and share your ideas with them.
Don't let the Internet tuck you in corner where you will never be found.
Reach out and happy partnering.
Chris McClean
