How to Build A
Network Marketing Website
Q: How can I build a network marketing website and still comply with my MLM company's policy about not using their name or trademarks? A: On one of my recent training webinars for my own downline I had a plethora of questions about what we can and can not say on a network marketing website in an effort to promote our opportunity or product. Rather than guess, I went direct to the compliance guy in corporate. The answers I received will help any network marketer stay compliant because all MLM companies are VERY protective of their trademarks and they all have similar, and VERY strict, guidelines as to what you can say. I have edited out all reference to my particular company in keeping with compliance policies. It also keeps this article, about building your own network marketing website, generic for you. So, BEFORE you try to build a network marketing website, pay attention to Corporate Guy's answers below. WEBSITES - The only approved web sites for marketing/selling our products, services, or opportunity are those provided for free by us. That means the DISTRIBUTORID sites or the four free sites we provide you as a distributor of our company. All other web sites are not approved by us.
This is standard policy across the industry; nearly all MLM's will provide their own approved REPLICATED websites. The trouble with this, for internet marketing purposes, is that replicated websites are not indexed by search engines. Duplicate content is a no-no
(except in some article marketing situations).
A corporate provided replicated website is great when you already HAVE a prospect. But it is absolutely useless for prospecting. - There are some distributors who have chosen to create non-approved web sites. They may do so as long as they following guidelines are adhered to:
We do not approve or recommend that a distributor use any system other than those approved by us. Any non-approved site would need meet the following criteria to avoid compliance issues: 1) Any non-approved system or site would not be allowed to mention our company in any way. 2) The system would not be able to use any of our company's unique terms, text from our web sites, images or graphics. 3) The non-approved site could not link or connect to our replicated and corporate websites in any way. 4) The non-approved site could not offer or explain our product packages or compensation plan. 5) Anything that would directly tie that site to our company could be cause for the company to begin negative actions upon the distributor responsible. Therefore, anyone attempting to create a non-approved presence on the web does so at their own risk.
Here is the best way I know of how to build a network marketing website that will not get you into trouble with your MLM Company.
DOMAIN NAMES- Any domain name may be used to redirect to an approved site as long as the domain name does not violate this rule… Distributors may not use or attempt to register any our Company's trade names, trademarks, service names, service marks, product names, the Company's name, or any derivative thereof, for any Internet domain name. For example sallyOURCOMPANYNAME.com, OURCOMPANYNAME.com, OURCOMPNYinc.com etc. Registered domain names that violate this policy must be released to OUR COMPANY Corporate.
This policy further applies to any purchased Ad Words for search engine placement or sponsored links on any web site. This also will apply to meta tags or non-purchased search engine optimization. We do not let foreign domains point to the approved sites at this time. For example superduperideaofyours.com.au / superduperideaofyours.co.nz / superduperideaofyours.co.uk / superduperideaofyours.ca would not be recommended, but superduperideaofyours.com would be fine.
Now this is a bit tricky and this may be more specific to the MLM I work with. I would recommend you check with your opportunity's corporate office BEFORE you buy a domain name for forwarding to a company replicated site. For my own team in my downline, superduperideaofyours.com forwarded to THECOMPANYSITE.com/yoursitepath IS OK as long as you do not post that link on any webpages! If you do that you fall foul of the rule above: "The non-approved site could not link or connect to our replicated and corporate websites in any way." I use a domain name that I give out to a prospect over the phone, in an email or mailed postcard purely because it is easier to say and spell over the phone than the longwinded corporate.com/mysitepath URL. BUT I do NOT post it on any network marketing website pages or blogs! Comprende? If you enter the coupon code: 7domain at checkout you can buy your domain name for only $7 here Here is the
simple way to learn internet marketing for your MLM opportunity
that will not get you into trouble with your MLM Company. BLOGS - Blogs are not against the rules. However, a blogs used as promotional sites are not allowed. Blogs should be used to explain and educate on the importance of using our types of products and services etc. But should not be used as an advertisement. Thus blogs should not have links to the replicated sites.
Ha, this is a bit of a curly one! Blogs and Websites can be seen to be very similar in some ways. The problem is that most people have no idea what a blog really is and why and when to use one. Here is a good overview:
What is blogging, exactly?
ADVERTISING (My company does not have any pre-approved advertisements at this time. All ad content will need to be produced prior to submission for advertisement approval.) If you come across a rogue distributor with a clearly incompliant network marketing website DO NOT COPY IT! Those sites you sometimes see that are not approved will in time be detected by the compliance team of your MLM Company and dealt with. If you did choose to follow suit you could quickly end up in a place you don't want to be. You could be at least reprimanded all the way up to terminated or worse - terminated AND sued! And even if you find a great example of a fully compliant network marketing website, DO NOT COPY IT. Duplicate content is no good at all and the owner of a site you try to copy will soon be talking to your host and getting your plagiarized content and or site removed.
DO IT RIGHT! Learn how to build a network marketing website properly.
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