Real Estate Web Design and Marketing Blog

Blogging Boot Camp - Your Incubator for Blogging Ideas

Each week during our Blogging Boot Camp we share creative blogging ideas, discuss how to implement blogging best practices and offer helpful tips to best use the WordPress blog editor with our real estate agent/broker students. The exchange is fun and the ideas that flow out of our time together are always very interesting. During our recent boot camp call (Thursday-week #7), we shared this idea we thought would benefit the “masses”. Just as a helpful reminder, when blogging, think globally but write locally.

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How you ask? Before I answer that question I have to ask you another question. Do you provide links to “great” websites like your local chamber of commerce, your local newspaper website or maybe the area convention and visitors bureau from your website? I know you were thinking those websites offer all kinds of great area facts and information (and they do). And the main reason you provide those links to these sites is because…….? We both know why. Chances are your site fails to provide any solid area information to your site visitors and you want your site visitors to be able to get to know your area. So is it a bad thing to provide your visitors these “community links” to this “valuable area information”? BTW - this is as close to a rant post as you’re going to read from me. Take heart - it’s a mild rant.

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The First Dakno Real Estate Marketing Podcast!

Sit back and enjoy this first installment in a series of podcast by Dakno Real Estate Marketing President and CEO Brad Carroll and myself, Bobby Carroll as we discuss incorporating user generated content in your online real estate marketing strategy. No doubt, in today’s real estate environment what you do with your online presence can make or break your ability to produce income. We invite you to listen and ask a question about anything you hear.

Help Us Name Our Dakno Real Estate Podcast!

As a part of this new venture, we encourage you to help us name this podcasting tool. The more creative the better. For your efforts, we will select the name that most appropriately describes what our podcast is all about. So that means you have to see ….er hear what it’s all about so you can name our podcast!

What do I Win If You Select My Entry?

Great question… if we select your submission we will provide you a choice of one of our eBooks. The chosen entry and winner can select from our Real Estate Website Success Guide or the SEO resource The Real Estate Website Accelerator. For more details on these excellent and much-needed real estate web 2.0 resources checkout our website for more details.

Have a listen and tell us what you think. The podcast links are below.

To your success!

Bobby

 

 Incorporating User Generated Content in Your Real Estate Marketing [32:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (88)

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It seems that when people talk about driving traffic to their website, they immediately focus on two methods - Pay Per Click, and Search Engine Optimization. While these both work, they are only two of a number of ways to drive people to your website.

The problem with Search Traffic

With both Pay Per Click and Search engine Optimization, you rely on people seeking you out. You simply wait around for someone to type the exact keyword that is going to show your website and hope that the user clicks on your link. To me, this seems like a pretty passive way to get traffic. Why not take a more active approach? Instead of waiting for the traffic to come to you, why not go to them?

Groups of Your Target Audience

Did you know that there are currently over 18K groups (groups not people) centered on Real Estate in Yahoo Groups. And this doesn’t even include Google Groups, MSN Groups, etc. Now remember, these groups are not too fond of people who go in and try to “hard sale” their services. Instead, they are looking for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). With this in mind, simply go in with the mindset of being the resource of information. They will quickly see you as a Trusted Advisor.

Linking Up with LinkedIn

Groups are not the only social hub for your target market. LinkedIn is another place to become a SME to your target audience. Even if you target audience is the luxury market. In fact, LinkedIn states that “Every one of the Fortune 500 companies has at least one executive on the LinkedIn network.”

But Social Networks is only for Teens!

I know what some people may thinking. “You Tube, Facebook and My Space are only for teens!” Right? Not really. Actually “Over 40 percent of luxury consumers visited a social networking site, such as Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, etc. in the past three months.” And since we are talking about the luxury market, there are even Social Networks for specifically for those jetsetters.

Get Creative – Land More Clients

The key is to get creative and use the power of social networks to catch your target audience early on in the game. For example, “Over 90 percent of luxury consumers used the Internet in support of their travel planning” (think 2^nd home or relocation). Now, imagine you are on these travel websites submitting reviews of the best 5 Star restaurants in the area. Oh, and you just happen to subtly work in your background and profession to validate yourself. “As a Realtor in CityName, I frequently take my clients to [Restaurant name]…” Suddenly, the luxury home owner looking to buy a vacation home now has a trusted resource who didn’t try to hard sell them but was the information resource.

Can Potential Clients See You on YouTube?

Vacation seekers and people looking for 2^nd homes and investment property frequently use sites like Flickr and YouTube to see images and video of the area before visiting. When they do a search on YouTube for keywords like Raleigh Real Estate, do they see your or your competition?

The only thing constant about the internet is that it’s always changing. With so much information available, people will continue to use their peers and social networks to not only find information, but trusted information. Will you actively pursue this gold mind of new business or continue to wait around for people to find you?

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With the holidays upon us, now would be an excellent time to review your marketing plan for this past year and set in motion your plan for 2008. Take advantage of this slow period to examine and assess your marketing efforts to date. Because of lack of focus or results, is your marketing plan overdue for an extreme makeover or a subtle tweak? Review the questions below:

1. Are You Guilty of Complete Omission of Any Branding Elements: Too many real estate professionals fail to understand the importance of core branding elements i.e. logo, tag-line, and unique positioning statement. Branding elements provide a visual identity which helps your target audience connect with your core values and your services. Your brand should help differentiate you in your market.
2. Marketing to an Undefined Market: Find your target audience and gear your marketing plan and message to that audience. Attempts to appeal to everyone will fail. Not having a clear marketing message that speaks to everyone will end up speaking to no one. Plus it confuses the consumer and will easily miss any chance of hitting your target market entirely.
3. Inconsistency in Your Brand and Marketing Efforts: You need to have the same look and feel of your brand image across all of your media including your online presence, mailers, listing presentations, property fliers and all other aspects of your marketing plan.
4. Lack of Marketing Diversification: Marketing in print or on the Internet alone will reach only a portion of your potential customers. Plan to market creatively through a cross-section of media channels so your potential customers become familiar with your brand and your services at different times and in different places.
5. Not Focusing on Repeat Business: Repeat business typically makes up 80 percent of customers in most businesses. Too often marketing campaigns are heavily focused on bringing in new customers and not building relationships with current ones.
6. Bad Timing: Time your marketing campaigns to coincide with traditional up-tempo seasonal sales (example: early spring through mid- summer) or an upcoming events (i.e. new company relocating hundreds of new employees to your area) that will attract new business. Advance preparation is critical to your success.
7. Don’t Over-hype Your Service: For the consumer, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Too much hype will turn people away. Keep your marketing message simple and direct.
8. Don’t Forget - Slow and Steady Wins the Race: If you blow your entire marketing budget on a particular campaign, then what will you do next? Marketing means building your brand image and reputation via multiple impressions over an extended period of time.
9. Failure to Capture Feedback: Create your personal focus groups for feedback on your campaign and test your marketing ideas. Don’t launch your campaign without obtaining feedback first.
10. Making a Change for the Sake of Change: Just because you are tired of your marketing plan doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Too many real estate professionals make changes because they think they have too. Often a tried and true formula will keep working. Remember- always measure for ROI and refine when change is driven by lack of success.

By addressing and avoiding these critical mistakes, you and your marketing plan will be positioned to enjoy greater success.

Happy marketing!

Bobby Carroll

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Not only do we design lead generating real estate web sites, we also coach our clients in the best way to convert website leads into sales. After all, what good good is a lead generating website if you can’t convert the leads. All too often I talk to Real Estate agents who think lead follow up is simply adding the person to an email drip campaign. I am amazed that many real estate agents never actually contact the person to start a dialog. Let me give you a perfect example…

Last week I checked in with a client who had been receiving great activity from their site. I was so impressed with her site. You see, we had just finished the new web design on her website and already the amount of leads was really picking up. I couldn’t wait to talk with her about all the leads her website had been receiving. Little did I know that the conversation was going to take an entirely different path. When my client answered, I mentioned the increase in “Real Estate Buyer’s Guide” leads received over the past 2 weeks. She said, “Yes, I want to ask you about that.” What she said next almost knocked me out of my chair. “I haven’t gotten around to updating my Buyer’s Guide so I have just been adding the names to my email drip list.” I couldn’t even believe it. Most of these leads had even given their phone numbers. It would have been a perfect opportunity to start a dialog with these leads about what specific information the real estate agent would like to include in the buying guide. Needless to say, I spent the next few days coaching my client on how to effectively respond to leads from her website. Below are a few tips that I shared with her.

Personalize the Impersonal

The Internet can be pretty impersonal. So it’s up to you, as a savvy real estate agent, to begin to break down those walls. It’s vital to correctly follow up with your website visitor to increase the personal interaction thus making it more likely to convert them into a sale:

Read the Lead

Did the lead include their phone number? If so, call them and establish first contact. Do not hesitate. Most internet leads end up doing business with the first Realtor who contacts them. But remember, the focus of the phone call is not about how you are the best at helping them buy or sell a house. Instead, keep it all about the lead. Show that you truly care about giving them the information that they are looking for. For example, “I saw that you requested a Relocation Guide. Before I send this out, is there anything specifically that I can include?” This not only shows that you are trying to best serve them; it also gives you more details about the persons specific real estate needs.

Be A Detective

Look for any clues that will allow you to better “connect” with the person. Always look at their email address and try to make a connection. If the email address is luv2run@aol.com then obviously this person enjoys running. When you reply to them, mention the email address and attempt to make a connection: I noticed by your email address that you enjoy running. May I interest you in learning a bit more about homes for sale in AnyTown community which is located next to the local greenway trail? You can also do this by searching for the domain name of the email address. If the email address is bill@JonesandBrownLaw.com then go to the Jones and Brown Law Firm website and check out the staff page. These clues will allow you to tailor your response to best personalize the email. Just don’t go overboard and make them think you are stalking them!

Follow Up

Good follow up is imperative. But don’t just trust yourself to remember to call or follow up. Instead ensure you have a documented follow up system that will automatically remind you to contact each lead. It’s also important to use multiple communication tools. Don’t just rely on email. Your response could be accidentally getting caught as Spam. Your chances of successfully starting a conversation with them will greatly increase if you use all of the communication methods available to you. And yes, that does include actually mailing a hand written letter.

Treat the lead like you would want to be treated

Think about what would motivate you if you were a website lead on a real estate website. Use this information to determine a strategy based on what would encourage you to work with a particular agent whose website you engaged with. Before your phone call follow up: Develop a call strategy. Write down talking points. Determine what you will say if you get voice mail.

Keep a Clean Lead Database

If you have contacted the person 3 times and they have yet to respond to your emails or phone calls, mark the lead as inactive, and set a reminder to follow up in 6 months. By keeping track of your leads and their status, you will be able to prioritize and focus on the good leads and leave the inactive leads to be followed up later on. Remember: Getting good leads from your Real Estate Website isn’t hard; the hardest part is converting the lead. Stay on top of your leads and if you are too busy, hire someone to do it for you.

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Let’s be honest. We have all wondered about it. “How does my real estate website stack up against my competition’s site?” The Real Estate Market is fiercely competitive and it’s vital to keep track of your competition. No, I am not suggesting that you become a Private Investigator. It’s actually much easier (although probably not as exciting). By making use of a few online tools, you can turn your computer into a virtual Sherlock Holmes. And yes, everything is perfectly legal and ethical. In fact, your competition may already be doing the exact same thing on you.

Get Emails Directly From Google

Google Alerts

Google Alerts allow you to receive a notification every time Google finds new information on a particular subject. Just sign in, setup the keyword and select how often you want to be notified. Google will then send you an email when it spiders new content related to your alert phrase.

Whois

DomainTools.com

DomainTools.com is so much more than a website that just tells you who owns the domain. It shows you meta information, Yahoo Directory and DMOZ listings, server information and a SEO Score. Simply enter in your competitor’s domain name for a full report.

Really Simply Spying

Okay, RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” but if used creatively, you can easily turn RSS feeds into “Really Simply Spying.” This is a powerful way to quickly and easily keep an eye on your competition. The real value is because of the automation. Your RSS feed will automatically update every time new results are found. Here are a few examples…

IceRocket.com

IceRocket.com is a popular blog search engine. It can be used to keep an eye on other bloggers that may be writing about, and linking to your competitor. Just search for a keyword (such as the Realtor’s name) and click the “Subscribe to RSS feed” link on the right side of the page. You now have an RSS feed of any activity your competitor receives in the blogosphere. **evil grin**

Google News

Search for a keyword in Google News. Then click on the RSS link on the left side of the search results page.

Blog Lines

Search for a keyword in Blog Lines. Then click the RSS link on the right side of the search results page.

Blogdigger

Search on Blogdigger and then click the RSS link on the right side of the search results.

Yahoo News

Jeremy Zawodny of Yahoo put together a great RSS builder tool for Yahoo News. Just enter your search phrase and click go. It automatically builds an RSS feed of the results.

Digg.com

Search on Digg for a keyword (such as your competitions name). On the search results page, click the small RSS icon on the right.

Just Open Up Your Browser

Conduct a Critical Review

I know it sounds simple, and you have probably visited your competitor websites many times. But this time, go back and look at it again from a different angle. Look at their title tags, anchor text, headlines, menu items (and order of menu items). What type of MLS Search do they use? How much information do they have about the community? Simply looking at your competitor’s website through a critical eye will usually reveal some interesting gems.

Watch Someone Surf their Site

Grab a friend and ask them to go to your competitor’s site. Try to give them as little instruction as possible. After all, you don’t want to influence their click habits. Look over their shoulder as they click through the site. Where did they click? What features were important? After they have clicked through the site, ask a few questions to get their opinion on the website. Granted this is not a formal study, but getting someone else’s perspective could be very valuable.

View Your Competitors Statistics

We all know that hard solid data such as unique visitors, page views and conversions are the ultimate standard for statistics. The problem is that I doubt your competitor is going to be willing to just hand over this information. The good news is that there are a few metrics that can give you some ballpark figures. Take these measurements with a grain of salt. They are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they are better than nothing.

After seeing the latest from TechChunch about Alexa, I only feel comfortable recommending you use www.compete.com. This is a great resource to see website traffic trends and to compare it against other websites. You can read more about how they gather that data by visiting their FAQ page.

Who is Giving Link Love?

Strategic linking is a big part of a successful online strategy. Because of this, it’s important to see who is giving your competitors “link love.” Here are a few ways to find out…

Google.com

Simply go to Google and enter in “link:anydomain.com” (without quotes) to see who is linking to your competitor’s website. While this doesn’t show you every link, it does show a few of the more important ones.

Yahoo Site Explorer

Yahoo Site Explorer is a great tool for finding out a more exhaustive list of pages that link to a particular website. Simply enter in the website address and then click on the “inlinks” link.

Let Technorati Keep an Eye On Things

Technorati lets you keep track of your competition via their free “Watchlist.” Just sign in, click on the watchlist page and enter in your competitor’s name.

Spying on Yourself

While it may be fun to spy on your competitor, it’s also important that you use these same tools for your own website. After all, the findings can be just as enlightening.

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