So you’ve decided it’s time to enter the field of Network Marketing. Congrats! You’re exactly where you should be. It takes a certain type of person to be able to successfully run a Network Marketing business – a person who is driven, tenacious, and willing to learn.
But before you begin building your business, you need to take a moment and consider what network marketing platform you should use. The answer will depend on your experience, familiarity, and the size of your team. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the most important factors to consider before you make a purchase decision. So without further ado, here are the top 5 best-known network marketing platforms.
1. Features
A feature-rich network marketing platform will make your life as a marketer easy. Every aspect of your business – from email marketing to online store – will be designed to make your life as a marketer easier. The more features a platform has, the more useful it will be to you as a marketer. You’ll find more information on the following points in the following paragraphs.
Customer Support
The level of support you get when you need it is vital. It should be available when you need it and should resolve your issue promptly. If your issue is not resolved promptly, then you should look for a different solution or vendor. We’re not saying that all customer support is bad, but sometimes the level of support is so low that you wonder whether it’s worth continuing with a product you don’t like.
Features
- Email marketing
- Online store
- Dashboard
- Marketing analytics
- Demographic targeting
- Multiple vendors
- Third-party integration
- Custom forms
- SEO tools
- Content creation tools
- Reporting tools
- Payment processing tools
- A/B testing tools
- VIP membership
The above points are just a small fraction of the things that you need to look out for when choosing a Network Marketing platform. There are so many features out there and it’s important to find one that supports your specific needs. Keep in mind that the more features a platform has, the more expensive it will be.
To give you a better idea of what to look out for, here’s a short list of the most important features that you need to look out for in a Network Marketing platform:
CRM
Customer Relationship Management is vital in any business, especially a Network Marketing business. It allows you to keep track of your leads, customers, and interactions with them. Without it, you’ll have a difficult time managing your business and maintaining good customer relations. It also allows you to segment your leads based on interest, activity, and country. We recommend one of the following solutions:
- HubSpot CRM
- Salesforce CRM
- Zoho CRM
- Gmail CRM
- Duo CRM
- Trello
- JIRA
- Clicktale
If you’re looking for a solution that’s free, you can’t go wrong with Google. With their robust suite of tools, you can accomplish almost any task. Just remember that if you’re planning on using Google for some aspect of your business, you’ll need to become a premium member for access to all of their tools.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most important aspects of any business, especially a Network Marketing business. The act of sending out regular emails to customers, potential customers, and other interested parties is called Email Marketing. Every business, no matter the size, should have a basic email marketing program in place. The purpose of email marketing is to promote your products and services and to build a relationship with potential and current customers. You can use email to send out regular updates on new products and discounts, as well as conduct special promotions for customers.
Content Creation
Creating content – whether that’s an email campaign, a blog post, or a sales page – is another important aspect of any business. But especially a Network Marketing business. If you’re looking for a way to attract and retain customers, then you should consider investing in content creation. The more content you have, the more likely you are to attract new customers and keep existing customers engaged.
Reporting
Reporting is vital in any business. Especially a Network Marketing business. Without proper reporting, it’s difficult to visualize how your business is doing and where you might need to improve. If you have a business manager or CFO who is responsible for financial reporting, that person will need access to reporting tools so he can prepare financial statements for the company.
Payment Processing
Last but not least, we have Payment Processing. When a customer makes a purchase, that business will need a way to process the payment. Without proper payment processing, it’s difficult to establish a credit card business because you’ll have no way of confirming a transaction. So you have two options here: either develop an in-house solution with one of the many gateway providers, or go with a hosted Payment Processing solution. We recommend the second option because it’s much more secure, as well as having all the functionality you need without the need to worry about servers and downtime.
In the end, features matter. A lot. You need to find a network marketing platform that has all the features you need and are looking for. But at the same time, keep in mind that features can vary greatly in price. Some solutions are completely free while others will cost you a small fortune. So think about what you need and how much you’re willing to spend.