How to Use the Internet as an Integral Part of Your Business

by Mark Rawlins

In the last seven years, I have watched as the Internet went through levels of acceptance in the network marketing industry. The first level was skepticism and ridicule; it was dismissed as a passing fad. The second level was blind acceptance and a rush to get onboard before the train left the station. Everyone wanted to have a personal web page even if they didn't know how they could use it in their business. The third level is just beginning. We are starting to understand the importance of the Internet, but making sure that we are get value for the money we spend.

About a year ago, I was talking to a friend of mine, a top distributor in a large network marketing company. He was frustrated because the web was not helping his business. He said "I know I need to use the web in my business, but I am just spending a lot of money and I don't see that it is doing any good". I ask him what sort of things he was using the web for and what areas of his businesses he had hoped would be improved. His answer was revealing, "I don't know what we are doing. I have a web guy that does all of that for me". When I asked how much time he spent with his "web guy", he said "he had to run his business, he didn't have time to spend with him".

I tell this story not because it is unique, but because it is all too common. Distributors are buying web pages, but not knowing what to do with them. Thinking that they would automatically get customers from "cyberspace", but not having any other ideas how to make it a part of their business. Companies are selling "web enabled" products to distributors, but not providing training or even a strategy on how this product becomes part of the distributor's business.

As Bob Dylan sang, "the times they are a changin'". Distributors are asking critical questions of how this web tool will help accomplish the core activities of a network marketing -- selling, recruiting, motivating, educating, training, and supporting the people in my organization. And just as importantly, how does it fit into the other tools of my business. Distributors are starting to find out what corporations found out a few years ago, your web strategy has to be a part of your business strategy.

So how do you go about doing that making sure that the web tools you buy are valuable to your business? In my experience there are 4 things that make all of the difference.

1. Investing time and energy
Someone in your organization or the company creates sales presentations, prospecting tools, and product promotion materials. It takes time and energy. These materials need to be on your Web sites and continually updated.

2. Training on how to use the web tools
Personal web pages can be an effective part of a recruiting system. However just like all such systems, people need to be trained on how to use them. Never assume that a web site can take the place of training nor can it be used effectively without it's own set of trainings.

3. The message is important, not the method
It doesn't matter how great your web site looks, or if the latest whiz bang technology is used to create it. If you do not use your web tools to get people to understand the message of your company, the web tools will not be effective. Remember web designers know the web, but you know your customers. A site needs to be understandable to your customers.

4. Focus on what the web is good at
Look at communicating with and training your downline, working with your warm market, working with your customers. All of these things are achievable, but other goals like recruiting your entire downline on the web are most likely going to create disappointment.

Obviously there are other issues, but I have found that once people understand the idea that their web strategy needs to be part of their business strategy. We are beginning that third level of acceptance of the Internet.

It does my heart good that more and more potential customers no longer make their decision primarily based on "what does your product do" instead more and more see the critical question as "how does your product help my business".