A client asked me this week, how do I drive traffic to my site?  That’s the fifty million dollar question!  There are over 1000 books on Amazon.com on the topic.  I looked it up!  There are webinars, seminars, classes and full courses on the website traffic and hundreds of experts and gurus promoting their top methods.  So, you get the idea, it’s not a simple question.    What is an entrepreneur to do?  Don’t throw in the towel.  Here are four basic things you can do now. (While you start reading the thousands of books and taking those classes. LOL)

Make sure your website has quality, targeted keywords.  The keywords are what the search engines will use to “find” you and direct traffic your way.  Think about what someone who is looking for your service/product would enter in a web search.  After you’ve made your list, you can use one of the many, free keyword checkers. Here are a few that I use: WebCEO, Goggle’s Webmaster Tools, and GoRank.

Blog Marketing.  I encourage clients to post to their blog 3-4 times a week. (Don’t check the dates on my blog posts! I’m keeping all those client blogs up to date. LOL)  Frequent posting keeps your site fresh which the search engines like and it gives people a reason to come back to your site.  I’ve heard differernt statistics but suffice it to say your client typically has several “contacts” with you before actually becoming a client.  So give them a reason to come to you frequently.

Article Marketing. Submitting your articles is a good way to get your name and website out there and it establishes you as an expert in your area.  I have a series of posts on article marketing on my blog. Check it out here.

Social Media Marketing. Yes, social media is not just for reporting what you had for lunch any more.   It’s one of the hottest marketing tools.  This is another area where 1000′s of books have been written and classes available.  So dig in.  Good places to start: My book – Untangle The Social Media Web: A Beginners Guide to Facebook and Twitter and blog!

I hope that gives you some idea of where to start.  It is really just the tip of the iceberg.  If you would like to read more about internet marketing, read some of the posts on my blog(you can search for internet marketing) or check out my ebooks.  Of course, if you’d like help or say, “Ugh! I’m not that technical! Do it for me!” contact me.

Are you not sure how you can get into joint ventures? Here are some ideas that may give you an initial knowledge on the kind of business you want to get into.                                  

1. One of the simplest method of joint ventures is text link or banner exchange. You get to exchange these things with websites that are offering related products or services. If you start looking, you will find that there are a lot of companies that have what you have.

2. Exchanging of endorsements and reviews for both your products and services. Give and take. You write something about them and they write something about you too. Since you both know your products well, this is one form of getting credibility.

3. Combining products or services into a package with related businesses can also be an option. Your buyers will be more than glad to avail of what you are offering since they know that they are getting a good deal. When the profits start rolling, both of you can share them.

4. Products or services that do not sell good should not be left aside. Instead, try to offer them as an added bonus for another company. You can ask for a minimal share of the profits gained.

5. Volunteering a space for another business’ ads into your product endorsements. In exchange, you can ask them to do the same thing to their business as you have done with them. This is an effective way of expanding your visibility plus reaching further to other markets not on yours.

6. Trading of auto-responders or ezines with business having the same type of market.

7. Work together with related businesses to produce a promotional e-book to be given away. Publish your web site ads in the e-book then give them all away for free. 

8. Sponsoring a virtual trade show or seminar with another business. On these shows, try to include each other’s promotional bits and pieces.

9. Create a freeware program. Put in a promotional ad for each of your businesses in the program. Submit it to free sites and freeware.

In joint ventures, the idea is to give and receive. You can boost your marketing publicity with no problem at all by placing your advertisement on free stuff and allowing other people to give it away. The more people that give away your free stuff, the more your ad will be seen and exposed.

Unlike what you initially thought, many free stuff can be made effortlessly and without or little expense needed. Electronic freebies are perfect because with these types of freebies, you would not have to worry about shipping or physical material costs.

Below are some of the more popular kinds of electronic freebies you may want to take advantage of to make joint ventures work for you.

1. Free e-Books. Present these to your visitors. The e-book should tell something about your web site and what is offering.

2. Free e-Coupons or e-Gift Certificates. Give out free electronic coupons and gift certificates to your visitors so they will have an idea about your products or services.

3. Free e-Courses. Provide your visitors free electronic courses. They could e-mail your follow-up autoresponder to be able to get a free lesson everyday.

4. Free e-Reports. The reports could be in autoresponder form or in text format. In these reports, inform them about what your product or service is about and how it will benefit them.

5. Free Software. A lot of people are a sucker for free software. It could be a game or a useful utility. Have them download easily straight from your website.

6. Free Online Services or Utilities. Since most people are online most of the time, these freebies should be more than useful. They should also be ready to use right from your web site.

When you have decided on which type of joint ventures suit you the most, you can make use of this freebie strategy so your advertising will rapidly spread on the internet.

There is not much difference between a big time and an unheard of company or business when it comes to joint ventures. You have probably heard of rags to riches stories of how some people are making millions by getting into joint ventures. What makes their stories amazing is that before they got into the alliance, they were unknown entities making a decent income. Joint ventures made the sudden boosts in their businesses.

This strategic alliance, or joint ventures, is a type of organization where businesses work together to share knowledge, profits and markets. Joint ventures can take on a variety of structures.

Small companies can combine to take on the “big sharks” in their industry. While big companies form alliances with faster and small businesses with the right potential.  It is also possible for smaller companies to form an alliance with companies that have big name to be able to expand their geographic reach.

What are some of the valuable opportunities you can get from joint ventures?

1. You can cut down on the time-consuming business development. If you have a small business, getting into joint ventures will minimize the need to create new products and the knowledge to be able to expand your market. These things do not happen instantly, they take time. With joint ventures, you get more leads, advance expertise and accumulate fewer costs.

2. You get to improve your business’ credibility. This is the most common problems encountered by new businesses. They struggle to gain credibility within their target market and customer base. An alliance with already known and trusted company will significantly advance your credibility with your customers.

3. You can have new sources of revenues. Normally, small companies do not have enough capital and resources needed for growth. By getting into a joint venture with a sound and stable partner, your sales force will be sales force and channels will be expanded for a lower cost.

4. You can be shielded from your competitors. With the many existing competitors out there, there is a big probability that they will try to infiltrate through your business.  A partnership will major key companies will help lessen that. You get to build solid walls to keep your competitors out while retaining high profit boundaries.

With all these benefits up for grabs, you are probably too eager to start thinking of going into joint ventures. But then, do not start rushing to get into the first ones that you see. A badly executed and poorly planned joint venture is likely to be doomed early on.

What are the secrets of a successful joint ventures?

1. A clear objective. You have to know what you want to achieve from the start. The partner you chose may not have the same goals but at least they should be complimentary to yours.

2. The right partner. The best partnership should put you both in a win-win situation. Take some time to find the company that has an interest in joint ventures and has similar objectives set. If what you want is not in line with what they want, your ideas will probably clash sooner or later.

3. Plan the venture. Work out a plan on how you will go about negotiating and the tactics you can use. You have to understand the different aspects of the deal you are getting into. What is primary on your mind is to enter into a win-win venture.

4. Manage the alliance well. It is said that a joint venture relationship is like a marriage. Its foundation should be built on understanding and trust. The real work takes place once an effective alliance is formed. If you find yourself in one, treasure it as you would something that is valuable to you.

Joint ventures can work effectively for all the parties concerned. You just have to understand the processes involved so make the relationship smooth-sailing.

But first, go find yourself a good one.