How to Build a Magnetic Website For Your MLM Opportunity

Your number one task when starting out as a MLM distributor is to build trust and credibility with your prospects. People are skeptical. They buy from those they like and respect. They hate to be “sold”. They want to feel as if making the purchase is their idea.

You, as a MLM distributor, have got to continually earn your customer’s trust. Remember, in your prospect’s eyes you are a complete stranger, and they really have no reason to believe you are going to deliver. Why should they? In their experience, marketers tend to over-promise and under-deliver. Like it or not, you have A LOT to prove.

Your website can either help you or hinder you in that process. Because your website represents you; it’s the “face” that the rest of the world sees. If you've read “Magnetic Sponsoring”, you know that your prospective MLM business partner isn’t looking to join a company but a person. Which is why your company’s replica MLM website won’t cut it here. You need your own personal site that talks about you.

But remember this: even though your site is about you, it’s not really about you. It’s about your prospective business partner/customer and what you can do for them. That awareness needs to pervade every sentence, every word that you write. Always ask yourself, “How does this relate to my prospect, and why should they care?”

To make sure your website will work for you and not against you, here are eight questions you should ask yourself.

1. “Have I chosen my domain name carefully?”

Now what does a domain like "LovingMLM.com" say about you? It says you’re a sales person who’s out to pitch your incredible (in your opinion) MLM product/opportunity. Now, is that the message you want to convey? No! Because your personal site is not about your MLM products! It’s about you -- as a leader, an expert and a helper. So use your own name in the URL, not the name of your products or your company. Some examples of how this can be done are: “YourName.com”, “MeetYourName.com”, “WhoIsYourName.com”, and “AboutYourName.com”.

2. “Have I branded myself, and does my site show it?”

Ask yourself: “Who am I, and why should my prospects care?” Are you the young computer wizard who dropped out of college to pursue a career in network marketing? The “recovering” real estate agent who left the dwindling housing market for a promising career in Internet marketing? The stay-at-home-mom and former schoolteacher with a lifetime of experience catering to the needs of others? The part-time journalist with a passion for writing?

Ask yourself: “How does who I am and my particular experience shape the way that I operate my MLM business? How does it make me an ‘authority’? How does it set me apart?” And – “How can I best convey this through my website?”

3. “Am I providing excellent content?”

Your site gives your visitor an idea of what it will be like for them if they join you in MLM your business. So ask yourself what your site says about that prospective future relationship. Do you truly have something to offer your new recruit? Does your site show this? Do you have links to your own articles, blogs and videos as well as links to affiliate products? Are you recommending useful books, and the websites of other professionals? All of the above help establish your credibility and present you as an expert!

4. “Do I sound like a professional?”

Do you sound like you know what you’re talking about? When you write, write while reading it through your prospect’s eyes. In other words, ask yourself, “How does a statement like this reflect on me?” If you want people to see you as a leader, you first have to see yourself as one – and then present yourself as one.

Also, choose your words wisely and be careful with slang. Words hold great power, and slang may make you sound amateurish or immature. Be yourself. Let your personality shine through in your writing. But sound like the professional you’d like to be perceived as.

5. “Is my site neat, orderly, pleasant to the eye?”

Does it look like you took your time with it? Or does it look like it was scrambled together in haste? Now that’s not to say you should spend days or weeks on insignificant details or invest in expensive, sophisticated software. But study the websites of the pros and see how they use design, colors, spacing, headers, subheadings, photos, various fonts, paragraph breaks etc. for maximum visual impact. If your website is to attract customers, it needs to LOOK attractive!

6. “Is my copy well-written, legible, and free of grammatical errors?”

Make it part of your routine to study good copy. Study professional sales letters. Read books on copywriting. If writing doesn’t come easily to you, think about outsourcing it. Or pay a friend to write for you. In either case, always get someone to proofread your copy for you for flow, clarity and grammar. Poorly written material makes you come across as a poor leader. So spend the time that it takes to polish it properly – you’ll find that it’s more than worth it!

7. “Have I included testimonies and endorsements that help validate my claims?”

The testimonies others give about you are always a lot more credible than those you give about yourself. You obviously won’t have too many of these when you’re just starting out, but when they come -- and they will if you do your job properly -- make sure to incorporate them into your site. And if someone shows you their appreciation for what you have taught them, ask them if they could put it in writing so you can use their testimonial for your site. Don’t be shy! If they truly are grateful, they’ll only be happy to help you out!

8. “Do my photos convey the right message about me?”

Leave out the pictures of your products! Again, you’re not promoting your MLM products here! The pictures need to be of you, and should be of good quality. Ask yourself how you look in your photos. Do you look like a pro? Are you well dressed? Do you look happy, relaxed, sharp?

Also, do you have pictures that prove you are who you claim to be? In other words, if you say you’ve won the "MLM Distributor of the Year Award", do you have a photo of yourself on your site showing off your trophy? ;-)

Additionally, do you have photos of yourself with respected industry people? Now I’m not talking about posting the picture of yourself with Donald Trump that you were lucky enough to get snapped when you ran into him at Macy’s…I’m talking about pictures of yourself with leaders and marketing pros that you are in fact associated with. Having snapshots like that up on your site will help you establish credibility. (Which is why you ALWAYS want to bring your camera with you to your company’s events!)

Your success in your MLM business hinges entirely on your ability to build rapport with your prospects. Marketing expert Seth Godin describes this process as “turning strangers into friends and friends into customers.” It’s the core concept of attraction marketing, and really the only way to build a successful MLM business in the Internet age.

--LB