The Real Estate Web Marketing Checklist

I love Realtors!  And as a tech support representative for a web design and marketing company, you would assume a statement like that was steeped in affectation or sarcasm.

But I do honestly love working with Realtors. Yes, there are common traits that some of you possess that I do have to deal with on a daily basis (i.e. ADHD, extreme fear of computers and technology, lack of patience etc.) but for the most part, I find you all to be highly entertaining and personable human beings who have a real thirst for knowledge and a genuine appreciation for good customer service.

Yet, I can’t help but think of what it would be like to be in your shoes.  How would I use my web marketing knowledge to run online campaigns and attract new customers?

Here is my top 10 list of things that I would do if I were you.  

1.  I would make sure that I had a website that was optimized for lead generation with a clear call to action on each page so by the time I get my ads in place, my website is already setup up and ready to go. My website would be ready to notify me when new leads come in so I can follow-up right away.

2.  I would start a blog to target my ideal audience. My first post would be about why I chose to be a realtor and the reasons I do what I do other than just to make money. This information “About Me” helps to boost loyalty and trust.

3. I would start to collect information and write about my prime areas to build keyword rich content that will attract new visitors to my website.  This information would be in the form of community pages, blog posts along with lots of great photos of the area.

4. I would use social media channels like facebook, LinkedIn and twitter to build my target audience. Once my facebook business page was setup and optimized and my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts were setup, I would place links like the ones below on all of my correspondence (i.e. email signature, website homepage, newsletters etc.) These links would include their own Call To Action and provide compelling reasons why people should find me and follow me on these channels.

5. I would network with local businesses and setup affiliate links and pages within my website.  I would also regularly tweet and post messages on my blog and facebook page to bring more attention to these businesses and help to empower them and build their web presence.

6.  I would shoot interviews with local builders and business owners to increase their profile online and provide valuable video content people in my community

7. I would gather as many video and written testimonials as possible from the people I’ve helped and worked with, and then post this content to my website, blog & YouTube channel.  Then I would drive traffic to this content from my Twitter and facebook accounts.

8. I would plan open house tours to bring as many people in my community as possible together to show them what is available in my marketplace.

9. I would get a professional photographer to take my photo and make sure it was not from 1982.

10. I would stay focused on two things: Building my presence online by doing all of the above plus some local print advertising like Just Listed postcards and brochures to increase awareness offline & generating a steady stream of new leads to my website through PPC services like Google AdWords, Bing & Facebook.

I would not be threatened by what other agents in my market are doing, but rather be inspired and try to learn as much as possible from those who are clearly making it work.

And lastly, I would not focus on the “what” or the “how” of what I do, but the “why”.  And the why should always include a genuine passion for helping people achieve their goals and get the best deal possible when buying or selling their home.

But that’s just me.

Kristie Filion - AgentSecrets.com

Kristie Filion has been with SuccessWebsite for that past 10 years developing and designing web systems for Real Estate professionals. Helping clients generate high quality leads is her specialty.

http://activerain.com/blogs/kristierfilion

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Leverage Your Listings With Mobile Marketing

Case Study #1 – SMS Success (Bob Cenk)
Watch The Video Now

In this Success Story report, Kristie Filion looks at Property Listing Signs and SMS Sign Riders, and speaks to SuccessWebsite® member Bob Cenk about using them to create not only a dramatic increase in business, but a massive boost in exposure and influence in your marketplace. The report covers:
• Why it’s important to check out your competition

• What other agents using SMS are doing poorly, and how to take advantage

• The elements of a successful property sign and SMS rider

• SOLD riders and a brilliant new idea for using them

• Follow-up strategies to reduce hang ups and convert leads

• Using SMS to impress in listing presentations

Watch The Video Now

 


December 2010 Release… Improved Site Interactivity.

Our web development team has just released some new optional features for your SuccessWebsite.

The NEW Related Content Search Tool provides quick links to different reports articles based on the common words and phrases that appear throughout your website. For example, a prospect reading a report on how to obtain a mortgage might see an information symbol beside the word “mortgage” – moving their mouse pointer over this symbol will pop up a box listing your other reports about mortgages on the site.

This allows the site user even more ways to self direct their navigation. The related content is automatically ranked by relevancy based on the currently viewed content. Filtering can also be applied based on current buyer and/or seller preferences making it easier to interactively find exactly the best content for their situation. You can also cross link between multiple sites in the related content.

SuccessWebsite Related Content Tool

In addition we have increased both the content and interactivity of your website, further positioning you as the most knowledgeable and qualified expert in your sales area. Highlights include:

  • NEW Special Reports on a range of topics, including Investment Properties, Vacation Homes, and Renovating.
  • NEW Graphics on page headers and in special reports, conveying more information and visually distinguishing different pages.
  • NEW Audio Summaries of reports, presenting the information in a different form.

You can review these features here. This link will take you to an example of our NEW Real Estate Glossary page, where you can see the Related Content tool in action, and quickly navigate to reports to see the new graphics, audio and reports.

As always, we invite your feedback in the comments below.

Feedback from Today’s Coaching Call with Steve and Craig Proctor

Thanks to all who joined us for today’s coaching call. We hope you found it informative and inspiring.

We want your feedback! Remember, we are committed to your success – and that begins with an understanding of what you need and what’s working (or not working) for you.

Please submit your questions, comments, thoughts, success stories, and ideas, to the comments below.

The NEW Internet Search You MUST Know About!

Okay, you’ve been working diligently at optimizing your website on search engines like Google. (What’s that? You haven’t? Well then, you might want to look at some basic info on search engines, then come back and read this post.)

You’ll probably have realized two things by now:

  1. Unless your search keywords are localized (ie. “real estate Sarasota” versus just “real estate”), you’re probably competing with everybody on the Internet instead of just businesses in your area.  Not only that, but a lot of your site visitors will probably be from out of town.
  2. If your keywords aren’t focused (ie. “foreclosure properties” versus the more general “real estate”), you probably get a lot more “junk results” in your search.  Again, this is because you’re competing with all the other “real estate” people out there, as opposed to just the ones who specialize in “foreclosure properties”.

These are legitimate concerns, and things you must take into account when promoting your website online.  A prospect in your area is probably more useful to you, and easier to convert, than somebody in a different city, so it’s in your best interest to create optimized searches using local, focused keywords.

But… what if I told you there was also a way to improve your search results with general terms, and virtually guarantee those visitors are local to your area?

Plus!! This method also lets you provide more information about your business, including customer reviews, special offers, and local news, inside the search results, before they even get to your website!!

Continue reading The NEW Internet Search You MUST Know About!

iGoogle – Your Daily Hub

Here’s a quick tip that can help you organize your personal view of the Internet.

Every Internet user has their own list of favourite websites – for email, social networking, news, sports, video, etc.  To save time and typing, it’s a good idea to add these sites to the list of “bookmarks” or “favorites” in your web browser so you can get to them with one click.  But another way to help organize and view the information from your favourite sites is to set your browser homepage to point to iGoogle.

Continue reading iGoogle – Your Daily Hub

Internet Marketing Training Call with Stephen Raitt

Steve talks to Craig Proctor about the latest Internet marketing trends and points you to some invaluable marketing resources.

Topics covered:

  • Campaign microsites, and integrating them with your ad strategies
  • Where to start promoting your website
  • Tracking and optimizing your ad campaigns
  • The formula for success with your website
  • Essential Marketing Resources available online
  • Q&A with SuccessWebsite Members

Continue reading Internet Marketing Training Call with Stephen Raitt

Craig Proctor’s Internet Secret

How Craig Makes Over $2,000,000 In Commissions Each And Every Year Using The Internet!

Presented by Stephen Raitt – SuccessWebsite.com

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VIDEO: SuccessWebsite Testimonials

What agents like you are saying about the SuccessWebsite Solution.

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Please leave your comments on the video below.