So Traffic Geyser has come out with a “business in a box” product called Main Street Marketing Machine.

Materials in the package comprises a long list, with more benefits being added, but the gist is to enable internet marketers to make money by providing local businesses with the online marketing resources to beef up their businesses.

As much as possible for the internet marketer, that process is automated, starting with tools to find profitable niches and keywords. Customizable brochures, business cards, and prospectuses for local businesses can be generated (makes you look professional). Software makes website design and hosting simple, not to mention autoresponder packaged email additions for list building. A package for voice mail and mobile phone marketing is available. Traffic Geyser’s own software is used to upload content massively once a business has signed on.

There’s even an application for mobile phones one can use to scan business cards so the software can analyze the person’s business as it relates to Mainstreet Marketing Machine.

And more is being done to accommodate non-US business contexts.

I have joined as an affiliate of Mainstreet Marketing because it appears a win-win service all around and because I think it meets a large and pressing need in these tough economic times. Restaurants, chiropractors, veterinarians, hair salons, real estate agents, specialty retail shops–you name it.

Check out one of their videos for yourself.

Social Networking sites are useful for more indirect, long term, and round-about means of garnering traffic and conversions. The many such sites excluding commercial content will continue to be plagued by unwelcome sales pitches.

Savvy small business owners will …

learn to ask questions of potential friends rather than preach product to potential customers,

find out needs and desires before providing solutions,

provide help before doing business.

And the business done will be outside the social networking sites by the buzz that was first generated in the social arena. Of course, some such sites like Twitter (or many blogs) are openly business-friendly.

Perhaps the main advantage of social networking sites is that they help develop relationships that can produce long term and repeat customers.

Peter Rubel

Meanwhile, rising robotic click fraud is increasing demand for PPC solutions.

Granted, no marketing means or media is without its challenges (or benefits). But new websites for small businesses are likely to increase in number for the foreseeable future. For those that work their way to success, less expensive advertising methods are likely to become popular, especially at the beginning. Of these, the following effective methods especially come to mind.

First, Article Marketing

Some article sites do not adequately screen “contributors” who stuff their site with poor quality and plagiarized content. Others article marketing sites are more careful and maintain a better reputation.

The advantage for the start-up businesses that provide quality content for readers, of course, is links to the business’s website(s) and improved organic search rankings. Those providing useful content in the body of their article are usually allowed a small space at the end for business promotion.

Authors may contribute to some sites for free (e.g., ezinearticles.com). Others offer a service for a modest fee to distribute each article to multiple sites (e.g., www.articlemarketer.com).

More to follow …

Peter Rubel