Get Your Own Web Estate!

Web Estate…. you know, real estate on the web! 🙂

When you are looking to buy a house, there are several things that you consider and usually where it is located will make the difference.  I just had a training – sales and marketing with a social media spin with a group of Realtors the other day and made this point to them, since the price of a house has so much to do with … location, location, location!  But today, I want to talk to you about your website location, your web estate.

Your website’s location

With so many different website platforms out there and so many different companies (multi-level network marketing) that provide template sites, this was such a great topic to discuss. Like I just mentioned, where you buy your house makes the difference well so does where you place your website!

WordPress.com v WordPress.org

WordPress is one of the larger blogging and website platforms and it provides two options. One is fully-hosted (by them) so your website will have their name as part of the URL and the other, WordPress.org, you have your own domain and your own hosting. Think about it, who owns the website on each of these options? Why wouldn’t you want to own your domain/URL, your hosting and thus own 100% of your own website?

Template Cookie Cutter Sites

Okay, don’t get me wrong but MLM’s and Network Marketing businesses are great. It gives many folks the opportunity to have their own business without all of the overhead, not to mention many other benefits. However, they provide you with the website that looks like everyone else in that company with the option to add your photo, contact information, maybe your own social media, some extra content about you and then maybe some options of generic content. So, what’s the big deal then?

Having your own real estate is essential

It is imperative to have your own web estate, your own website for many reasons and if the above wasn’t enough, here are a few other reasons:

• Control – You control 100% of your website, which is actually the bottom line, but I’ll go ahead and add some more commentary, but most of it all leads back to this point.
• Blogging – You can have your own blog and blogging is a great opportunity to share your knowledge not only about the products or services but have the industry as a whole.
  • Don’t forget, having quality content on your site gives your site ranking authority and higher potential to be seen on search engines, which in turn enables you to be seen by potential consumers
• Stand out – It truly sets you apart. The template sites are all the same. Everyone has the same one with some options or has the ability to choose from a few templates. How is your consumer to differentiate you from another independent representative?
  • On that note, if you are planning on running this business full force and will be with it until you retire, why wouldn’t you want to invest in yourself?
  • Not to mention, to me, it seems as if you are potentially more serious that the next person.
• Branding – when you create your social media – the idea is to have them all mesh together with the same look and appeal so you create a similar look.
  • Would you be able to find your favorite soda, food, candy bar if they completely changed the wrapping at each location you went to? What???!!! NO!
  • Could you imagine that every week when you go to the grocery store that they rearranged it right before you came in each week? GASP.
  • Remember, your website is to be user friendly and you don’t want them to have to work to find you or to be sure they found the right person. If it is branded across all channels and marketing, then they will recognize you when they find you.
• Content – I know I mentioned blogs but wouldn’t you rather explain the products in your own words and your own voice? Maybe add a video on how to use the product with your personal success stories, testimonials or tips? This provides so much more value to the consumer and surely sets you apart.
• Resource Power House – Now that you have everything housed on your website, your products or services, your blog, your email marketing sign up, your tools and resources, your social media and etc, it becomes your customers one stop shop. You would direct them to your website for any of their needs that you can help them with. Solid!
• YOUR Customers – consider for a second if you were ever to leave that company, that MLM or real estate agency and your hub (your website) was one of those template sites? You are basically losing all of your power and influence. When your consumers go to find you, they find someone else’s website – the MLM or real estate agency that you had no control over.
  • When you have your own website, you can change you business and even change your domain name or add a redirect, your direction or focus and simply add products or remove them… the possibilities are limitless.

Bottom line….

So remind me… why is it that you don’t have your own website? If you are ready to move forward and need a little help, please contact me as I can assist with your website, search engine optimization, blogging or social media and be your one stop shop as your business marketing consultant.

~Kristen

Kristen Day

CEO/Founder of A Visual Business

Kristen is a small business owner and thus dedicated to other small business owners by helping them improve their online presence with search engine optimization, social media marketing, email marketing and pay per click advertising all of which are necessary 'evils' in the digital marketing sphere but enables small business owners the opportunity to compete with larger companies. When not in the digital arena, you can find her riding her Honda VTX1300 or drinking a margarita.