OF COURSE you need a domain!

By George Kosch
Posted Sunday, November 21, 2004

OF COURSE you need a domain! Read this and you'll KNOW why! by George Kosch, MSc, Worldprofit Webmaster

Another call came into my office this morning while I was filling in for a sales staff member. I have been running the Worldprofit tech department for so long I had forgotten just how bad these MLM/Affiliate/Network Marketing companies can make a distributor's life. Here is what they tell you.

"You MUST use the site that we have and are not allowed to use any of our materials on your own site, and that's final!"

I think this statement is fine if you want to take up residence on loser street. Get it? This company you are with is making you fail right from the get go. Here's how. You are assigned an Internet address or URL to their site that guarantees that anyone going there who orders is traced back to you, fine. But you spend all your time, perhaps even years, marketing their url only to find after some time that you want to start another business. Imagine your new business does the same thing. So you promote them. Are you starting to see the picture? If you are most people you won't get it yet.

How about we look at how a professional Internet businessperson would handle the MLM that won't let you have your own site.

First off, you purchase a domain with design and some tools like:

Sales Manager for automatic follow-up for leads Listserver for managing your own newsletter Design for a profession look to your website

Traffic (this is an option that Worldprofit only provides)

-->my plug for your business

What is the purpose of this domain? Well, you are going to generate leads, leads and more leads. You are going to now own what we like to call a generic business site. What are the benefits to you?

1. You own the site and use an email address that looks professional like:

dave@davesdomain.com

instead of dave@hotmail.com or some other free account

Using a free email account to do business is telling your prospects that you have no money. It simply looks unprofessional.

Free email is for people who are doing personal messaging to friends NOT for business communications!

2. You direct traffic to your URL not some company url.

What looks professional here?

(www.davesdomain.com) or

(www.somemlmthatwantsyourcash.com/distributoronemillion?link=100000345.345)

If you are in business for the long haul I think you can figure out the answer.

3. The autoresponse system is your system and not some freebie from somewhere on the net. Check out these examples.

A. Your own Sales Manager message looks like:

Hi John, thanks for requesting information on our opportunies.

Here is the information with our url and our professional looking email addresses

etc.

B. This is what a free autoresponse system looks like:

Hi John, this message is brought to you by

Joe Blows FREE autoresponse system. We are free and you should click on our link without even reading further. Here is our url (www.oururlforyourfreesystemlikethis.com)

We have other free items listed here too etc. ----end advertisement for autoresponse company----

Sorry John we forgot about you because the free company put their ad up first before we could tell you about our products. Oh, if you missed their ad just check the bottom of this message as they have added it again.

Are you sure you don't want to buy something from US? Please, because if you do we can afford our own domain and sales manager system...

Do you get the picture as it unfolds more and more. No domain=NO CREDIBILITY!

4. Listservers are going to make 99% of your sales. Listservers allow you to communication to past clients and subscribers ever single day. The cost for a listserver should be around $200 per year and allow you UNLIMITED postings. Again, the free listbot type systems will pepper your message with their ads leaving you with little chance of success. And, it makes you look cheap and unprofessional.

Owning your own listserver promotes your domain and YOUR ads, no ifs and or buts!!

But the company that I am with won't let me have my own site. Remember that statement? I bet it doesn't make much sense anymore does it? You should be telling that company:

"My domain generates leads and if I feel your products meet MY specifications I may tell me hundreds of leads about the site url you gave me, but first they will be directed to my company"

Nothing like being professional and having pride in your business first. At least you know for sure that you will be around in 10, 20 even 30 years, WILL THEY BE??

If you would like to find out about how to get the tools you need for success with your own domain just email:george@worldprofit.com with the subject: I want my own domain!

About the Author
George Kosch MSc. is Webmaster for Worldprofit.com, a renowned technology services consultant and educator. He has appeared as a speaker in several technology seminars and on Canadian television as an industry expert. For other helpfulinformation on how to grow your business, go to (http://www.worldprofit.com/autoresponse). Subscribe to Worldprofit's business-building newsletters at (http://www.worldprofit.com/ezines)