In addition, if you solicit new distributors, you are responsible for claims you make about a distributor's earning potential. Be sure to represent opportunity honestly and avoid making unrealistic promises. If those promises fall through, remember that you could be held liable.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests that you use common sense when evaluating a multi-level marketing opportunity and consider following tips before you make your decision:

1. Avoid any program that pays commissions for recruiting additional distributors. It may be an illegal pyramid.

2. Beware of programs that ask new distributors to purchase expensive inventory. These programs can collapse quickly--and also may be thinly-disguised pyramids.

3. Be cautious of programs that claim you will make money through continued growth of your "downline"-the commissions on sales made by new distributors you recruit--rather than through products you sell.

4. Beware of program that claim to sell miracle products or promise enormous earnings. Just because a promoter of a program makes a claim doesn't mean it's true! Ask promoter of program to substantiate any and all claims with cold, hard evidence.

5. Beware of shills--"decoy" references paid by a programs promoter to describe their fictional success in earning money through program.

6. Don't EVER pay or sign any contracts in an "opportunity meeting" or any other high-pressure situation. Insist on taking your time to carefully think over your decision to join. Talk it over with your spouse or partner, a knowledgeable friend, and an accountant or lawyer.

7. Do your due diligence! Check with Better Business Bureau and state Attorney General's office about any porgram you're considering--especially when claims about product or your potential earnings seem too good to be true.

The FTC works for consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

Content/Copy

Your text, information and page layout is called your copy. It is words on your page, but equally charts, graphs, pictures and layout of all these items. Remember that Internet copy is different than paper copy, and oftentimes a wall of words will overwhelm a visitor to your site. Keep your copy clear and concise, since visitors’ attention spans on web are notoriously short. Determine your site’s chief purpose, your thesis. Are you about building your brand, selling your product directly over Internet, or getting a buyer to visit your store? Keep your purpose in mind as you create your website copy. Tell it like it is.

Maintenance

Your company will be growing, so your website should as well! As you organize, allow for new categories, new products, and new links. You should perform regular maintenance to make sure your links are working, your contact information is correct, your forms are working, and that everything is up to date, including copyrights. You want to keep your content current.

You can also use tools that will track what is working best for your website, what is getting results, and what pages are being visited most. Good statistics about where your visitors enter your site and how they move through it can help you tweak your site to improve sales and to create more effective layout, copy and design. You never know where your company may go, and good maintenance of your website will keep it, and your customers, with you every step of way.

Marketing

You want other people to see this website you put so much hard work into, so you need to find marketing solutions to get it out there. These days one of best ways to reach your customers is via Search Engines, because that is where customers are looking for you.

A search engine is a site such as Google or Yahoo where one can go and type in any sort of keyword and be led to sites that feature whatever they are looking for, be it “mouse ears” to “oven racks.” In order to ensure that YOUR website is among top of list of results, you need to practice what is called “search engine optimization.” You see, search engines rank results they find, and if you sell staplers in Butte, you will want to be sure your site will rank well when someone types “Butte staplers” in search box. Search engines rank their results based on very specific information from copy and underlying code of your website. There are millions upon millions of websites that search engines have to sift through for each search, so “optimizing” your website will make is easier for a search engine to recognize that your site is relevant. If you have time and inclination to learn, you can optimize your website yourself. However, optimization is something many companies choose to outsource.

Remember your website is not like a printed document. It is not a one-dimensional, non-interactive page. Your website is a completely new kind of marketing medium and must be approached as such. From choosing right domain name to converting visitors into buyers, through creation and implementation of your navigation, copy and design, from choosing your host to search engine optimization and marketing, every aspect must be carefully considered. Best of luck!