As a result of a recent report created by a popular and well known internet marketer in late 2006, there has been much discussion online recently about the future of internet marketing, and its apparent impending "death."

While this was released in great part to slow down the product launch mania that started to overwhelm the market in late 2006, it has lead to some confusion about what the realities are and where to go in the future. The questions of "how does this effect the average marketer" or "what should the average marketer do now" are logical questions

The reality is there will always be an internet market to sell to, and it is continuously growing. The future looks bright for those that heed a few commonsense rules, and steer themselves in a different direction than the market started taking towards the end of the year.

Many internet marketers have lost sight of the fact that the whole point is to develop a long term, sustainable business, rather than continuously launch product after product. It should not be a "launch or perish" mentality, but that also doesn't mean that launches, or joint venturing within a larger market has to be over either.

The days for JVs aren't over, far from it, as a matter of fact after the market shakes it self out after this recent report, things will be better than now.

The key is things DO need to be done differently, but it is not that we should not try to share our JVs with the internet marketing community at large, or that we should not try to have a big product launch. What is key, however, is that we should not be continually spewing them forth month after month when we already have a good site or product. Good sites now start dieing due to neglect, once the shiny newness of the launch has worn off. People forget about their sites once the launch is past, and do little further to promote or maintain it.

This should not be about stopping launches, or jv opportunities. Products should be launched, but only when there is a high quality, market driven product to offer. The issue is the level of noise and how as a result many new great sites get missed, amidst all the mediocre ones. The way to resolve this issue is that we all need to spend as much energy building our business AFTER the launch, as we did before and during. This way our sites will continue to grow and the noise problem will take care of itself, as we focus building our businesses rather than simply creating launches for launches sake.

We need to take our business more seriously, once we have a launch, we should not abandon our project, but rather take that momentum and find ways to create long term promotions for it. We should be creating sites that are sustainable in the long term. Think about it, that would be much less work. We need to lengthen our attention span. Focus on one or a few great sites, instead of dozens of mediocre ones. Look at ways to sustain your sites by offering loyalty features for membership sites, and use jv partners from launch to springboard a new team of ongoing affiliates.

How do you do that? Membership sites, and products that provide ongoing value will be key. Have your jv partners get their second tier to run your promotion as well, by offering special 2nd tier bonuses and promotions during launch. All of these people can then be encouraged to join your ongoing affiliate program. Yes, don't forget, that they still exist, and "affiliate" is not a bad word. Leveraging these 2nd tier partner lists will give you a way to find future affiliates that will loyally promote month after month...if you give them the incentive. To keep things going, update your sites, add new features, content etc...hasn't anyone noticed sites like listandtraffic.com? These are hugely successful, quietly taking wheel barrels to the bank, month are month.

If you do have a major change or update, run a mini-relaunch, among existing affiliates and jv partners. This can be done to keep affiliates motivated, and your site fresh in their minds.

Have a list, but no product? Planning on promoting an upcoming launch? Make sure that you get the most that you can from it, by recommending promotions that you believe in to YOUR list and affiliates. It is a benefit for them, and frankly there is a ton of money to be made on the 2nd tier. Start thinking of your list as valued business partners You can have you own little band of affiliates selling a product you don't even own, and make big bucks from it, if they sell. Also encourage your list or affiliates to continue to promote the project long past the launch. Why should they stop now? Did someone say that had to?

The reality is with the noise died down on a product after launch, it is actually sometimes easier to sell it in the market place, as there is less competition. This means you may find products that you and your list and can promote year round, even if you don't have your own product. There is almost always still a market for any well done product, long after launch, and it is barely touched, because everyone suddenly gave up trying. This is an huge opportunity. You may even be able to make special arrangements with the site owner.

The thing to remember is that a launch is the beginning of a product, not the end. You should use it as a platform to build up a new site for the long term.

The biggest change, as you may see, is starting to think of your partnerships more long term, and start taking some time looking at your list, not just as prospects, but also as valued business partners. Make sure that you are building a business, and not just another site.

If everyone does these things, they will have the opportunity to build a sustaining business and cut down on the noise that exists now as result of too many launches.

This will allow launches for new ideas, and great products to be able to come forth without being lost in the noise.

These will be some of the ways that we can do common sense business in the future, NOT by suddenly stopping participation in all JVs and launches. Don't make the mistake of taking things from one extreme to the other.

Good Luck to everyone, and plan your strategies now for a prosperous 2007.