So, you are ready to start your network marketing business, and you want to build your business online. Great! The Internet offers almost boundless opportunity for finding and contacting excellent prospects for your new business. But, beware - beneath all that potential there are a few things you need to consider, to ensure that your new venture is successful.

Network Marketing - a People Business

No matter what anyone tells you, a successful and long-lasting network marketing income is not going to be built around anonymous online marketing. Putting up a website and then expecting people to just sign up and make money for you isn't realistic. Internet prospecting is just a tool that enables you to identify people who have an interest in a home business. It will still be up to you to personally contact these people and help them. You have to be willing to pick up the phone and talk to people. You may think, "but I hate selling". I hate selling too. I don't consider calling someone who has contacted ME to be selling - I think of it as providing information. I never "close" anyone on my business - my online tools provide the information, I fill in the gaps by talking to interested prospects, then let them make the decision. If you have to "sell" the business to someone, they won't likely pursue it for long. You don't want that.

The Reality of Online Advertising

I see it all the time - "blast your ad to 500,000 classified ad sites". So goes a typical pitch that many marketers use to sell their submission software and service. The reality is, blasting ads to FFA link sites and free classified ad sites rarely, if ever produces a real prospect for you. How many people really look at these sites, anyway? How many times have you personally looked for opportunities among hundreds of links plastered on a web page somewhere? Effective online promotion of your network marketing business will require spending some money to put ads where people will actually view them. One strategy I use is to purchase keywords in pay-per-click search engines - keywords directly related to my home business. I get many of my prospects this way. I also have small, inexpensive ads on several "work from home" business sites that receive a lot of traffic. With online advertising, you get what you pay for.

Online Sales Tools

Whatever network marketing company you join, if you are going to promote and build it online, you will need a web site. Some companies provide free sites to help you. Some even provide turn-key prospecting systems that collect information about your prospect and guide them through presentations that help them to make a positive decision to join your business. The company you choose should provide these tools for you, and they will if they are serious about supporting online marketing efforts.

Consistent Follow-Through and Commitment

Whatever network marketing company you join, remember that your success will be measured in large part by how much time you spend following up with prospects, and how well you do it. I've seen many people come into my business, set up their free web site, and then sit back and wait for something to happen. It won't - you have to take whatever tools you've been provided, and make something happen.

Why Do You Want to Build Your Business Online?

This is a big one. Think about why you want to build your business online. There are many great reasons, a few of which I outlined above. One BAD reason to desire an online network marketing business: you don't like to talk to people, or you want to do everything by email and never have to talk to anybody "live". You must enjoy working with people to be successful in this business. Your online tools can be of GREAT help to you in building your business, but that personal touch is still critical to your success.

The Best Thing

To me, the best thing about online marketing is that you get to talk to prospects who have contacted YOU and who are ready to talk about starting their business. This sure beats the old way, where you were prompted to contact every friend and relative and told to drag them into home meetings and such. Few of us have the time or desire to build a business in this way - which is what makes online networking so special! But always bear in mind - network marketing is still a people business, and you need to always approach it as such.