By Judi Sohn
Facebook has to be the most talked about, and the most misunderstood, web service/platform right now. If you haven’t gotten drawn in by the hype, it may surprise you to learn that many people have already found Facebook to be an essential addition to their web working toolbox. Why? Because the Facebook social networking experience can be precisely what you want to make of it. Think of Facebook as a professional tool, and that’s what it is. It doesn’t matter how millions of high school and college students are using Facebook to get out of doing homework. You can make it into whatever you want, even your own personal media broadcasting channel.
Let’s look at 12 ways Facebook can benefit the web worker, particularly those who are home-based. The more connected you are to your co-workers and clients without being intrusive, the better your working relationship.
Note: you may need to have an existing Facebook profile to follow some of these links.
Think of it like personalizing your desk. You can’t help it. When you walk by someone’s desk, your eye is drawn to the pictures and the way they have personalized and organized their space. You pick up on clues to their lives without realizing it. Mary is a Mom whose desk is filled with pictures of two young children, and there are “To Mommy” pictures pinned to the side of her cubicle. You know what her weekends are probably like. John is still dating his high school sweetheart. He likes to scuba dive and he got some great shots of his last trip to Bonaire. You can see the paperback that Bill is reading on the corner of his desk. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to read that. Can I borrow it when you’re done?” Sally has a collection of labels from her favorite wine bottles. You know what to get her for her birthday.
Only display on your profile what you’d put on your desk. Just because Steve owns a picture his buddy took of him getting sick after an all-night party doesn’t mean he’s going to frame it and put it out for his co-workers to admire. Don’t add anything to your profile that you wouldn’t display for your supervisors, co-workers and clients to see as they’re walking by your work environment.
Look for old co-workers and current connections. I found more contacts on Facebook this way than I did on LinkedIn. Former colleagues have “Googled” me, and after a few emails to catch up we don’t communicate again. By adding these people to Facebook, I feel more connected to them without having to actively maintain a conversation via email. Look for business opportunities out of shared interests.
Add friends selectively. Contrary to popular belief, Facebook isn’t about “collecting” friends. There’s no reward for quantity, and you can have a rich experience on the platform with only a handful of connections. The quality of your Facebook experience will be based on the quality of the people in your network. Create a limited profile for those people that you are on the fence about whether to include. By default your limited profile contains everything in your full profile, so take the time to edit it down.
Add apps selectively. Right now, there are over 2000 apps you can add to your Facebook profile. The temptation may be to try them all. Don’t. Just because you can add Love Quotes to your profile, it doesn’t mean you should if you want Facebook to be a professional tool for you. Pick apps that won’t waste your time when you visit your Facebook home page, so avoid those that involve playing games. Read/Write Web offers a selection of top apps for work. Read the app description carefully and know exactly what you’re getting, and what the privacy settings are before you go. It helps to see how your contacts are using the app first. But never fear, worst comes to worst you can remove an app as easily as you added it.
Think of your apps in two ways…what do you want to see (that will appear on your Facebook home page) and what do I want the world to see (that will appear on your profile)? You might consider adding an app that you don’t display on your profile at all, but it uses the collective wisdom and usage patterns of your network to provide you with valuable information. Or, if you visit your Facebook home page often it can help keep you organized having nothing to do with your friends’ actions.
Edit your news feed preferences. You don’t necessarily have to know the moment someone adds a new picture, but you may want to know when they’ve made a new connection you may have in common. Click the “preferences” button on your Facebook home page and use the sliders to give preference to the type of information you want. The more you fine-tune this information, the less time you’ll waste sifting through useless updates.
Edit your profile and security settings. Give careful consideration to exactly who sees your profile and when. Don’t take the default settings which tend to expose more information than you may be comfortable. Take the time to go through each link in the Privacy area and make necessary adjustments. Maybe you don’t want people who are casually searching to know who your friends are or “poke” you. Maybe you don’t want a public profile (accessible to people who are not on Facebook). Facebook can come back to bite you as Miss New Jersey learned. This is especially true if your primary network is geography-based. It’s one thing to share your full profile with everyone who went to the same college or high school you did, it’s another to share your profile with everyone in the New York City metropolitan area.
Incorporate the tools you’re already using into your profile. Web workers like playing with all the latest toys. Do you blog? Do you Twitter, Pownce or Jaiku? Do you read feeds? There are Facebook apps available for all these services. If you have already use these tools professionally, why not add them to your Facebook profile? After you add the respective app, you simply do what you were already doing and let the app do the work. You can see the Twitter updates from your Facebook contacts without necessarily following their updates in Twitter itself. If your blog is on WordPress.com, you can add the WordPress app and your posts will automatically be pushed to your Facebook profile, along with recent comments. If you don’t host your blog with WordPress.com, you can easily use the built-in Notes application to post your blog feed as you publish. It will let your contacts know through your mini-feed when you’ve posted a new entry. Since your friends can edit their news feeds as easilly as you can, they can control how much of your life they really want to see.
The Google Reader Shared Items app publishes to your profile those items you’ve shared in Google Reader, as the name implies. Do you think your contacts would like to read that interesting post? Don’t disturb them by emailing them, click the “Share” button in Google Reader and now it’s right there on your profile with minimal added effort on your part. The “Top Shared” panel takes a del.icio.us/popular approach to showing the most shared posts across everyone who has installed the app.
Join Groups related to your business interests. Many groups on Facebook are nonsense, but there are quite a few that can provide useful information and professional connections. Don’t miss the already existing groups for our parent site, GigaOm and sister site NewTeeVee. Each group can feature a Wall (like a guestbook…a continuous scroll of messages) and threaded discussion lists. Rather than trying to search for groups, watch the groups that your friends are joining, as often you will find them of interest for yourself. After all, they’re in your contact list because you have something in common, right? You might even think about using Facebook to virally address a business cause, as some are doing in their effort to save Business 2.0 magazine from going under. I only wish there was a way to see updated discussion threads on one screen rather than clicking group to group.
Limit time wasted on Facebook. Facebook can suck you in easily. Remember, you have work to do. You won’t help your career if you fall behind on projects because you were too busy playing in iLike. If you find that you’re spending too much time reading Facebook message boards or reading about your friends’ favorite book selections then set limits for yourself. Facebook is a black hole. In order to get the most of Facebook, you have to be on the platform. Consider the Facebook toolbar for Firefox which will notify when you have a reason to go check the home page. You can also work with Facebook from your mobile phone, so think about babysitting your profile while you’re waiting in line or otherwise bored and not being productive anyway.
Be philanthropic. And look good to your friends while doing it. Can Facebook change the world? Probably not. But you can do your part and show it off. You can add the Causes app to specifically benefit nonprofit organizations. You can join groups that stand for actions you believe in. Use your Facebook profile to show the best side of you to your contacts, and if the environment or a cause benefits from your actions then all the better.
Ask Questions. Tap into collective intelligence with the My Questions app. Don’t know the best resource for a particular problem? Maybe your network can provide some insight. Many of us have used our blogs for this very purpose. Asking your question on Facebook instead filters out the general public, and doesn’t leave a trail for Google to follow.
Look for events. It’s not all concerts. There’s some opportunity for good, face-to-face business networking if you’re open to it. If you are already use the Upcoming.org site to find and track conferences and other events you can add that information to your profile. Or you can use Facebook’s built-in events application to see what conferences and events your connections may be attending. Last week I attended a wonderful NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Network) webinar that I only knew about thanks to Facebook. http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/07/24/12-ways-to-use-facebook-professionally/
Sunday, May 10, 2009
7 Ways To Use Twitter In Your Real Estate Business
By Mark Eckenrode
It used to be a bad thing when someone called you a “twit.” Now it means you’re a part of their community. In fact, head on over to Twitter and follow me, I’ll be happy to call you a twit
So, what the heck is Twitter? It’s a cool social media platform that’s a bit hard-to-explain. Basically it’s a social media micro-blogging platform. You have 140 characters to get your message across to the community (how’s that for tight copy?)
I was a hold out on it for a long time; thought it a waste and inconsequential but as I experimented with it I saw it for what it really is… transparent marketing.
The more transparent you are, the more appealing you become. The “why” is simple… we want to do business with folks that are genuine, appealing, and real… not some emotionless corporate entity. *blech* Let’s face it, this is why social marketing is so powerful.
That’s the transparent part, so what about the other business and marketing aspects? Here are 7 ways for you to start using Twitter for your real estate business:
1. Personal Branding. A great way to develop your personal brand of being an approachable expert.
2. Drive Traffic. Use Twitter to drive folks to your latest blog post, an interesting website, news story, home listing, open house or success story. (Yup, I’ve seen all of these on Twitter)3. Business Networking. Twitter is a social software based on connections so it’s pretty easy to meet and bring like-minded people together, especially those in the same industry. You can only email or teleconference so much, Twitter is an easy way to deepen relationships and gain referrals.
4. Friendsourcing. It’s social so, yeah, use it to make new friends outside of your industry. When you find someone who’s interesting, follow them and drop a “hey” their way.
5. Team management. You can also manage your team through twitter. Beats CC emails and SMS all day long. Everyone stays on the same page and can contrubute to the conversation as it progresses, in real-time.
6. ToDo List. I don’t do this so much but it’s easy to jot down an idea or task while you’re away from the computer. It even integrates with Remember The Milk and Nozbe.
7. Set Up Meetings. I’ve done this: when I’m setting up shop at a cafe I’ll message and let folks know I’ll be there to meet fellow twits. Informal and casual.
Hmmm… think you could send out a tweet that you’ll be at ABC Cafe giving first-time home buyer advice (or whatever)?
I’ll be covering more on Twitter as I delve deeper into it. Hopefully, though, you now have some ideas on what to do with this wonderfully simple yet powerful social media tool.
If you’re not on Twitter, go and set up your account. http://www.homestomper.com/7-ways-to-use-twitter-in-your-real-estate-business/
It used to be a bad thing when someone called you a “twit.” Now it means you’re a part of their community. In fact, head on over to Twitter and follow me, I’ll be happy to call you a twit
So, what the heck is Twitter? It’s a cool social media platform that’s a bit hard-to-explain. Basically it’s a social media micro-blogging platform. You have 140 characters to get your message across to the community (how’s that for tight copy?)
I was a hold out on it for a long time; thought it a waste and inconsequential but as I experimented with it I saw it for what it really is… transparent marketing.
The more transparent you are, the more appealing you become. The “why” is simple… we want to do business with folks that are genuine, appealing, and real… not some emotionless corporate entity. *blech* Let’s face it, this is why social marketing is so powerful.
That’s the transparent part, so what about the other business and marketing aspects? Here are 7 ways for you to start using Twitter for your real estate business:
1. Personal Branding. A great way to develop your personal brand of being an approachable expert.
2. Drive Traffic. Use Twitter to drive folks to your latest blog post, an interesting website, news story, home listing, open house or success story. (Yup, I’ve seen all of these on Twitter)3. Business Networking. Twitter is a social software based on connections so it’s pretty easy to meet and bring like-minded people together, especially those in the same industry. You can only email or teleconference so much, Twitter is an easy way to deepen relationships and gain referrals.
4. Friendsourcing. It’s social so, yeah, use it to make new friends outside of your industry. When you find someone who’s interesting, follow them and drop a “hey” their way.
5. Team management. You can also manage your team through twitter. Beats CC emails and SMS all day long. Everyone stays on the same page and can contrubute to the conversation as it progresses, in real-time.
6. ToDo List. I don’t do this so much but it’s easy to jot down an idea or task while you’re away from the computer. It even integrates with Remember The Milk and Nozbe.
7. Set Up Meetings. I’ve done this: when I’m setting up shop at a cafe I’ll message and let folks know I’ll be there to meet fellow twits. Informal and casual.
Hmmm… think you could send out a tweet that you’ll be at ABC Cafe giving first-time home buyer advice (or whatever)?
I’ll be covering more on Twitter as I delve deeper into it. Hopefully, though, you now have some ideas on what to do with this wonderfully simple yet powerful social media tool.
If you’re not on Twitter, go and set up your account. http://www.homestomper.com/7-ways-to-use-twitter-in-your-real-estate-business/
Top 10 Must Have's in Your Next IDX System!
By Tom Fernandez
According to NAR 87% of buyers used the internet when buying their home. Needless to say having a good IDX system for fast and easy home searching on your own site is crucial for generating leads. Taking that a step further are, what I believe, the top ten features and abilities that you should look for in your next IDX system.
1. Point & Click Ease of use
Regardless of who your target audience is, it's safe to assume that fast and easy access to the listings they want to see (likely not to be yours) is the primary reason why they went to your site in the first place. Bombarding your website visitors with a laundry list of search options & criteria with multiple drop downs, checkboxes and input fields is a bad idea - period. And those of you who are saying to yourself "it's working for me just fine", I say to you "consider yourself warned" because when your visitors find another local agent offering a fast and easy search option they'll bounce and likely not return. Invest in the most user-friendly, intuitive experience for your visitors that you can for the best results possible. Graphical representation of search options (as opposed to just small text) is proven to be significantly more effective. Maps, either graphical or the use of Google Maps which is now pretty common with many IDX providers is also very effective. Its not always easy to strike the right balance of technological wizardry, ease, intuitiveness, speed and empowerment when it comes to a property search experience and I know it varies a bit depending on your goals and target audience but it should be at the forefront of your mind in assessing your next IDX system.
2. Custom Search Creation (Cities, Communities, Neighborhoods, Address, Foreclosures, Price point)
This is huge for a few reasons. First off, nichefying (and if that's not a word it should be!) your site is extremely important for finding your voice as the authority - for whatever is your marketing. Its also key for an effective SEO strategy. So assuming you have identified your niche the next logical thing to do is to offer links directly to the active listings in your niche. Eight out of every ten agent sites I review fails to have a niche and/or fails to use the IDX system effectively. Remember, ease of use and intuitiveness help create a high quality experience that builds trust and credibility and that produces good internet lead generation results.
3. Customizable Registration / Lead Capture settings
Truly a philosophical question that quickly gets bottom-lined to quantity-vs- quality from a lead perspective. If you want to try and capture anything that has a pulse then require everyone to register before they can do anything but be prepared for a fair share of John Doe's and dork@yoursitesucks.com and a few profanity laced comments as well. If you're all about openness and are solely looking for high quality leads than require nothing to get search results and or to view listing details but expect fewer leads. Some IDX systems allow for hiding of certain listing details (like address, photos, etc.) and will dynamically display that information once a registration form is completed. Others will allow you to set a certain number of searches and/or listing detail views before requiring registration. I've yet to find one system that gives you both of those options yet. The point here is to be sure you have options and to put them to use. Try different settings and see if there's a measurable difference in lead quality / quantity from your own site. My recommendation is to configure the registration setting in a logical way that allows for some trust and credibility to be established and that's also competitive in your marketplace.
4. Search Engine Friendliness
The only reason this isn't #1 is that there are other ways to get traffic to your site, though page 1 organic placement is always preferred (at least in my book). Historically, iFramed IDX solutions (which we all know provide ZERO seo juice) have been the standard. Luckily, things have changed and there are more and more options available on the market for search engine indexable IDX solutions. Its worth noting that being able to have indexable MLS listing data can be achieved through a few different methods. Understanding how the listing data is rendered into your site is important because this may require using that IDX providers website platform or CMS which often has some downsides. RSS'ing listing data into your blog was made popular by Marry McKnight @ RSS Pieces but again this required usage of a proprietary blogging platform which is no longer supported by its original developer. The good news is that there is at least one open source website /blog solution that accepts RSS data feeds of MLS listing data. Frankly, this topic needs more time and attention than I originally planned so just know that this is absolutely critical for a long-term sustainable organic placement strategy.
5. Interactive Map Search
Searching for property by clicking on an interactive map (as opposed to clicking on an image of a map) with available listings represented as pin-cushions on the map is starting to become the norm now , and for good reason its easy, empowering and informative for your site visitors. It provides a geographical perspective for property searchers to see other listings in the area without having to re-query the database and you can see where each listing is relative to the other as well as where other landmarks, schools or roads, etc are in proximity to the subject listing. Some IDX systems allow for multiple custom maps to be created and linked to listings in a certain community or neighborhood which is great for executing a focused internet marketing strategy.
6. SMS Text / Email notifications
Pretty self explanatory here but incredibly important as your probability of creating a legitimate opportunity from an internet lead goes up significantly if you're able to contact that lead within the first 10 minutes of them registering on your site. Internet leads are like strawberries; they go bad quickly.
7. Contact Import, Email blasting & Drip Campaigns
Contacting and inviting the people you already know (in your center of influence) to visit your website is a must for many reasons. Your IDX system should help you execute that process easily and effectively. The ability to import a CSV file of your contacts or a more elegant option of having a bi-directional synchronization to your contact manager (ie.Top producer, Outlook, etc.) is key. Make sure this feature exists and take the time to understand how it works as some IDX systems accomplish this important task much better than others.
8. Listing Syndication
Listing Syndication (not to be confused with subscribers to your site/blog RSS feed), is the process of getting your listings information displayed on other high traffic real estate sites like Trulia, Googlebase, propsmart and others in an automated manner. Remember that these sites represent a huge amount of internet traffic that you can and should capitalize on to increase your listing exposure.
9. Lead sourcing (Capturing the referring url)
Intermediate to advanced internet marketers love this feature and not all IDX systems do it. Its a moderately well known fact that many IDX systems allow for multiple instances or usage of their system without additional licensing costs. And since nichefying your site is really just smart internet marketing, one can often have multiple niche sites. Knowing which leads came from which site is key for measuring ROI and ultimately managing your business. This could possibly be achieved through advanced implementation of Google Analytics into your IDX system (assuming its capable) but the sure-fire way is for this to be a native feature within the IDX itself.
10. Good Analytics
Knowledge is power and knowing what's going on throughout your entire site is key for many obvious reasons. Your next IDX system should track how many visitors have started a search, how many listings have been viewed and ultimately how many registrations (leads) have occurred within a specified timeframe. What many of them won't tell you (without some sort of upgrade) is how many unique visitors started searching on your site or how they found your site in the first place. The better IDX systems can accommodate Google Analytics code to be pasted into it thus extending Google's tracking code throughout the IDX search system all the way to a captured lead as opposed to stopping at the search page. This is important as many of the IDX systems in use today are simple iFrame solutions that aret connected to the CMS used to run your site so your existing Google analytics code most like isn't tracking any of these clicks.
Summary
Obviously I think these are all important enough to be considered must haves but the reality is that most IDX systems fall short of this list in some way. Finding a good IDX system and implementing it effectively is not an easy task and it's always best to aim high when comparing IDX systems. The good news is that many of the features listed above can be acquired in your next IDX system thus eliminating the need for potentially having to pay for custom development, additional 3rd party services or continuing duplicative and/or manual processes. Depending on your goals, current situation, budget and availability of IDX systems in your area you may find one that meets your needs even if it does fall short. If you're looking for some help in evaluating and implementing your next IDX system and/or planning an effective internet marketing strategy, contact us, we're happy to pitch in! http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Must-Haves-in-Your-Next-IDX-System!&id=2247657
Tom Fernandez is the lead IDX and Internet Marketing Consultant for Real Estate Agents and Brokers at Verity Consulting. He can be reached at http://www.veritycrm.com
According to NAR 87% of buyers used the internet when buying their home. Needless to say having a good IDX system for fast and easy home searching on your own site is crucial for generating leads. Taking that a step further are, what I believe, the top ten features and abilities that you should look for in your next IDX system.
1. Point & Click Ease of use
Regardless of who your target audience is, it's safe to assume that fast and easy access to the listings they want to see (likely not to be yours) is the primary reason why they went to your site in the first place. Bombarding your website visitors with a laundry list of search options & criteria with multiple drop downs, checkboxes and input fields is a bad idea - period. And those of you who are saying to yourself "it's working for me just fine", I say to you "consider yourself warned" because when your visitors find another local agent offering a fast and easy search option they'll bounce and likely not return. Invest in the most user-friendly, intuitive experience for your visitors that you can for the best results possible. Graphical representation of search options (as opposed to just small text) is proven to be significantly more effective. Maps, either graphical or the use of Google Maps which is now pretty common with many IDX providers is also very effective. Its not always easy to strike the right balance of technological wizardry, ease, intuitiveness, speed and empowerment when it comes to a property search experience and I know it varies a bit depending on your goals and target audience but it should be at the forefront of your mind in assessing your next IDX system.
2. Custom Search Creation (Cities, Communities, Neighborhoods, Address, Foreclosures, Price point)
This is huge for a few reasons. First off, nichefying (and if that's not a word it should be!) your site is extremely important for finding your voice as the authority - for whatever is your marketing. Its also key for an effective SEO strategy. So assuming you have identified your niche the next logical thing to do is to offer links directly to the active listings in your niche. Eight out of every ten agent sites I review fails to have a niche and/or fails to use the IDX system effectively. Remember, ease of use and intuitiveness help create a high quality experience that builds trust and credibility and that produces good internet lead generation results.
3. Customizable Registration / Lead Capture settings
Truly a philosophical question that quickly gets bottom-lined to quantity-vs- quality from a lead perspective. If you want to try and capture anything that has a pulse then require everyone to register before they can do anything but be prepared for a fair share of John Doe's and dork@yoursitesucks.com and a few profanity laced comments as well. If you're all about openness and are solely looking for high quality leads than require nothing to get search results and or to view listing details but expect fewer leads. Some IDX systems allow for hiding of certain listing details (like address, photos, etc.) and will dynamically display that information once a registration form is completed. Others will allow you to set a certain number of searches and/or listing detail views before requiring registration. I've yet to find one system that gives you both of those options yet. The point here is to be sure you have options and to put them to use. Try different settings and see if there's a measurable difference in lead quality / quantity from your own site. My recommendation is to configure the registration setting in a logical way that allows for some trust and credibility to be established and that's also competitive in your marketplace.
4. Search Engine Friendliness
The only reason this isn't #1 is that there are other ways to get traffic to your site, though page 1 organic placement is always preferred (at least in my book). Historically, iFramed IDX solutions (which we all know provide ZERO seo juice) have been the standard. Luckily, things have changed and there are more and more options available on the market for search engine indexable IDX solutions. Its worth noting that being able to have indexable MLS listing data can be achieved through a few different methods. Understanding how the listing data is rendered into your site is important because this may require using that IDX providers website platform or CMS which often has some downsides. RSS'ing listing data into your blog was made popular by Marry McKnight @ RSS Pieces but again this required usage of a proprietary blogging platform which is no longer supported by its original developer. The good news is that there is at least one open source website /blog solution that accepts RSS data feeds of MLS listing data. Frankly, this topic needs more time and attention than I originally planned so just know that this is absolutely critical for a long-term sustainable organic placement strategy.
5. Interactive Map Search
Searching for property by clicking on an interactive map (as opposed to clicking on an image of a map) with available listings represented as pin-cushions on the map is starting to become the norm now , and for good reason its easy, empowering and informative for your site visitors. It provides a geographical perspective for property searchers to see other listings in the area without having to re-query the database and you can see where each listing is relative to the other as well as where other landmarks, schools or roads, etc are in proximity to the subject listing. Some IDX systems allow for multiple custom maps to be created and linked to listings in a certain community or neighborhood which is great for executing a focused internet marketing strategy.
6. SMS Text / Email notifications
Pretty self explanatory here but incredibly important as your probability of creating a legitimate opportunity from an internet lead goes up significantly if you're able to contact that lead within the first 10 minutes of them registering on your site. Internet leads are like strawberries; they go bad quickly.
7. Contact Import, Email blasting & Drip Campaigns
Contacting and inviting the people you already know (in your center of influence) to visit your website is a must for many reasons. Your IDX system should help you execute that process easily and effectively. The ability to import a CSV file of your contacts or a more elegant option of having a bi-directional synchronization to your contact manager (ie.Top producer, Outlook, etc.) is key. Make sure this feature exists and take the time to understand how it works as some IDX systems accomplish this important task much better than others.
8. Listing Syndication
Listing Syndication (not to be confused with subscribers to your site/blog RSS feed), is the process of getting your listings information displayed on other high traffic real estate sites like Trulia, Googlebase, propsmart and others in an automated manner. Remember that these sites represent a huge amount of internet traffic that you can and should capitalize on to increase your listing exposure.
9. Lead sourcing (Capturing the referring url)
Intermediate to advanced internet marketers love this feature and not all IDX systems do it. Its a moderately well known fact that many IDX systems allow for multiple instances or usage of their system without additional licensing costs. And since nichefying your site is really just smart internet marketing, one can often have multiple niche sites. Knowing which leads came from which site is key for measuring ROI and ultimately managing your business. This could possibly be achieved through advanced implementation of Google Analytics into your IDX system (assuming its capable) but the sure-fire way is for this to be a native feature within the IDX itself.
10. Good Analytics
Knowledge is power and knowing what's going on throughout your entire site is key for many obvious reasons. Your next IDX system should track how many visitors have started a search, how many listings have been viewed and ultimately how many registrations (leads) have occurred within a specified timeframe. What many of them won't tell you (without some sort of upgrade) is how many unique visitors started searching on your site or how they found your site in the first place. The better IDX systems can accommodate Google Analytics code to be pasted into it thus extending Google's tracking code throughout the IDX search system all the way to a captured lead as opposed to stopping at the search page. This is important as many of the IDX systems in use today are simple iFrame solutions that aret connected to the CMS used to run your site so your existing Google analytics code most like isn't tracking any of these clicks.
Summary
Obviously I think these are all important enough to be considered must haves but the reality is that most IDX systems fall short of this list in some way. Finding a good IDX system and implementing it effectively is not an easy task and it's always best to aim high when comparing IDX systems. The good news is that many of the features listed above can be acquired in your next IDX system thus eliminating the need for potentially having to pay for custom development, additional 3rd party services or continuing duplicative and/or manual processes. Depending on your goals, current situation, budget and availability of IDX systems in your area you may find one that meets your needs even if it does fall short. If you're looking for some help in evaluating and implementing your next IDX system and/or planning an effective internet marketing strategy, contact us, we're happy to pitch in! http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Must-Haves-in-Your-Next-IDX-System!&id=2247657
Tom Fernandez is the lead IDX and Internet Marketing Consultant for Real Estate Agents and Brokers at Verity Consulting. He can be reached at http://www.veritycrm.com
Saturday, May 9, 2009
8 New ways to get leads
Commentary by Kelle Sparta
RISMEDIA, January 31, 2009-I decided that this week the best thing I could do for you would be to offer you new ways to acquire leads. From blogging to holding first-time home buyer seminars, here are eight ways to increase your business.
Blogging
If you’re blogging, then kudos for you. But are you getting the most you can out of your blogging? There are benefits to where you blog. Blogging on your own site is great for SEO, but it won’t necessarily get you the greatest number of qualified hits. The more you blog, the higher your rank and the more leads you can get. So if you’re a blogger, I might consider moving your blog to a high-traffic real estate blog. And if you’ve been meaning to get a blog started, now is the time!
BlitzTime
Have you ever tried to join a BNI (Business Networking International) group only to be told that the Realtor spot was already taken? This is a common occurrence in the BNI world. In fact, most BNI chapters that I know of were formed at the start with a Realtor, a mortgage officer and a financial planner because that’s the only way these three professions can usually get into a BNI group. Well, no more.
There’s a new way to network (and make a little extra cash) and it’s called BlitzTime. Using this tool, you get to contact people one-on-one and talk to them about your business. You can even identify who you’d prefer to talk to. Plus, you can run your own events specific to real estate that get potential clients to come in and chat with you. What’s even better, is that BlitzTime is now offering an affiliate program which will allow you to make a commission on each person who signs up to BlitzTime as a result of your invitation. So you can create a group and run events to bring in potential customers and cross-referrers-and make a commission on them joining the site.
Meetup Groups
There are many ways in which you can glean business from the social networking site, Meetup.com. You can create your own Meetup group around the subject of real estate-investing, first-time buyers, etc. Or, you can be more subtle and look for the groups that relate to the life transitions that usually result in real estate transactions. You can attend new parent groups or retirement planning groups, or wealth creation groups, or job search groups, etc. It’s all about being in front of the right person at the right time. Or, you could just go to groups that you like and meet people who may or may not be interested in buying and selling-at least you’re getting out and meeting new people and that’s the key to getting more business.
Craigslist
If you haven’t been posting your listings and advertising for buyers on Craigslist, then you’re missing the boat. Craigslist is like an online classified ad section of the newspaper. It’s one of the top ranked sites in the country and gets millions of page views per month. If you write a compelling ad (something that offers the target something of value to them), you could get multiple leads per week for $25. That’s a deal.
Commenting on Blogs
If you find a real estate blog that tends to get a lot of traffic from your local area, get out there and start commenting on it. Don’t use the comment as a direct marketing tool - it’s generally considered SPAM to post a promotional piece on your comments area (and it will likely get your comment deleted by the owner of the blog), but if you make a good point and catch readers’ eyes, they may click through to your site and end up being your prospect after all.
Twitter
Twitter is a microblogging platform. What does that mean? It means that you get to say what’s going on with you in 140 characters or less. It is often helpful to have conversations about real estate or post your listings on Twitter since Twitter users will often have keywords set aside using tools like Tweetlater to keep them informed of the goings on in the real estate world in their area. You may be surprised at how much traffic you get if you use this site well too. Remember, tweets are not advertising tools - they are ways to communicate with your community. Be sure to be a good Twitter citizen. And also remember to link your Twitter profile to your blog so that your posts get sent as tweets.
First-Time Home Buyer Seminars
Running seminars is one of the best ways to get a bunch of prospects into a room at the same time-and first-time buyers are the perfect market right now because they don’t have a home to sell first-plus they are anxious to get into the market while prices are low. You just have to convince them that they can get financing.
Integrating Your Tools
If you’ve been paying attention and doing the things listed above, then you’ll see that you can really leverage your other efforts to advertise your seminar. You can add the seminar as a calendar event for your real estate-related Meetup group. When you post it to your Meetup group, you can use the “Promote” section to take that listing and add it to your Facebook profile as well as posting it on Craigslist. You can do an online version of the seminar on BlitzTime (it even allows you to upload your PowerPoint slides so you can do the whole presentation). Once it hits your blog, since you’ve integrated that with your Twitter account, it will send out a notice to all of your followers on Twitter that you’re doing something cool. See-it’s all about integration of your marketing tools. It creates a holistic view and allows people to see your message multiple times.
Kelle Sparta, author of “The Consultative Real Estate Agent,” is one of the top innovators in the industry. Sparta has coached agents from around the country who have been producing as much as $45 million per year in gross volume. Now she brings her unique style of real estate to you. Her dynamic presentation skills, high energy approach, and brilliant new ideas are sure to be the highlight of your day. Sparta is the founder of Sparta Success Systems, a real estate training company that provides products, coaching and training to empower agents and brokers to create lives and businesses they can love. http://rismedia.com/2009-01-31/8-new-ways-to-get-leads/
RISMEDIA, January 31, 2009-I decided that this week the best thing I could do for you would be to offer you new ways to acquire leads. From blogging to holding first-time home buyer seminars, here are eight ways to increase your business.
Blogging
If you’re blogging, then kudos for you. But are you getting the most you can out of your blogging? There are benefits to where you blog. Blogging on your own site is great for SEO, but it won’t necessarily get you the greatest number of qualified hits. The more you blog, the higher your rank and the more leads you can get. So if you’re a blogger, I might consider moving your blog to a high-traffic real estate blog. And if you’ve been meaning to get a blog started, now is the time!
BlitzTime
Have you ever tried to join a BNI (Business Networking International) group only to be told that the Realtor spot was already taken? This is a common occurrence in the BNI world. In fact, most BNI chapters that I know of were formed at the start with a Realtor, a mortgage officer and a financial planner because that’s the only way these three professions can usually get into a BNI group. Well, no more.
There’s a new way to network (and make a little extra cash) and it’s called BlitzTime. Using this tool, you get to contact people one-on-one and talk to them about your business. You can even identify who you’d prefer to talk to. Plus, you can run your own events specific to real estate that get potential clients to come in and chat with you. What’s even better, is that BlitzTime is now offering an affiliate program which will allow you to make a commission on each person who signs up to BlitzTime as a result of your invitation. So you can create a group and run events to bring in potential customers and cross-referrers-and make a commission on them joining the site.
Meetup Groups
There are many ways in which you can glean business from the social networking site, Meetup.com. You can create your own Meetup group around the subject of real estate-investing, first-time buyers, etc. Or, you can be more subtle and look for the groups that relate to the life transitions that usually result in real estate transactions. You can attend new parent groups or retirement planning groups, or wealth creation groups, or job search groups, etc. It’s all about being in front of the right person at the right time. Or, you could just go to groups that you like and meet people who may or may not be interested in buying and selling-at least you’re getting out and meeting new people and that’s the key to getting more business.
Craigslist
If you haven’t been posting your listings and advertising for buyers on Craigslist, then you’re missing the boat. Craigslist is like an online classified ad section of the newspaper. It’s one of the top ranked sites in the country and gets millions of page views per month. If you write a compelling ad (something that offers the target something of value to them), you could get multiple leads per week for $25. That’s a deal.
Commenting on Blogs
If you find a real estate blog that tends to get a lot of traffic from your local area, get out there and start commenting on it. Don’t use the comment as a direct marketing tool - it’s generally considered SPAM to post a promotional piece on your comments area (and it will likely get your comment deleted by the owner of the blog), but if you make a good point and catch readers’ eyes, they may click through to your site and end up being your prospect after all.
Twitter is a microblogging platform. What does that mean? It means that you get to say what’s going on with you in 140 characters or less. It is often helpful to have conversations about real estate or post your listings on Twitter since Twitter users will often have keywords set aside using tools like Tweetlater to keep them informed of the goings on in the real estate world in their area. You may be surprised at how much traffic you get if you use this site well too. Remember, tweets are not advertising tools - they are ways to communicate with your community. Be sure to be a good Twitter citizen. And also remember to link your Twitter profile to your blog so that your posts get sent as tweets.
First-Time Home Buyer Seminars
Running seminars is one of the best ways to get a bunch of prospects into a room at the same time-and first-time buyers are the perfect market right now because they don’t have a home to sell first-plus they are anxious to get into the market while prices are low. You just have to convince them that they can get financing.
Integrating Your Tools
If you’ve been paying attention and doing the things listed above, then you’ll see that you can really leverage your other efforts to advertise your seminar. You can add the seminar as a calendar event for your real estate-related Meetup group. When you post it to your Meetup group, you can use the “Promote” section to take that listing and add it to your Facebook profile as well as posting it on Craigslist. You can do an online version of the seminar on BlitzTime (it even allows you to upload your PowerPoint slides so you can do the whole presentation). Once it hits your blog, since you’ve integrated that with your Twitter account, it will send out a notice to all of your followers on Twitter that you’re doing something cool. See-it’s all about integration of your marketing tools. It creates a holistic view and allows people to see your message multiple times.
Kelle Sparta, author of “The Consultative Real Estate Agent,” is one of the top innovators in the industry. Sparta has coached agents from around the country who have been producing as much as $45 million per year in gross volume. Now she brings her unique style of real estate to you. Her dynamic presentation skills, high energy approach, and brilliant new ideas are sure to be the highlight of your day. Sparta is the founder of Sparta Success Systems, a real estate training company that provides products, coaching and training to empower agents and brokers to create lives and businesses they can love. http://rismedia.com/2009-01-31/8-new-ways-to-get-leads/
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Citigroup Plans to Rescue 500,000 Home Owners
Citigroup Inc. announced Monday that it is putting a moratorium on most foreclosures as it reaches out to 500,000 home owners who are not currently behind on their mortgages but who are deemed to be a potential risk.The company will assign 600 salespeople to assist the targeted borrowers by adjusting their rates, reducing principal, or increasing the term of the loan.Citigroup reported losses in the last four quarters. Monday’s action is designed to stem the flow of red ink. "Typically the lender loses the most money when a house goes into foreclosure," says Barry Zigas, director of housing policy at the Consumer Federation of America. Source: The
Associated Press, Sara Lepro (11/10/08)
Associated Press, Sara Lepro (11/10/08)
McStain Neighborhoods goes virtual
Denver Business Journal
Denver-area home builder McStain Neighborhoods is shutting down its headquarters office in Louisville because of the soft housing market, and will have a “virtual office” instead, the company said Wednesday.
The builder, which specializes in environmentally friendly homes, expects to be out of its space at 400 Centennial Parkway in Louisville by the end of November. “There will be some real noticeable activity in the middle of next week, in terms of disassembling home studio and moving stuff out,” spokesman Steve Caulk said.
McStain co-founder Caroline Hoyt said in a statement that the change will make the builder “more nimble, efficient and in a position to give customers more attention and choice.”
The company’s office employees will become part of a new virtual office, with several small offices in and around the neighborhoods where McStain builds, according to the company. McStain has about 20 employees, down from a high a few years ago of 115, Caulk said.
Company president and CEO Eric Wittenberg resigned in August, after seven years with the company, to help control costs, according to Builder Magazine. Wittenberg told the magazine that it was “tough to put your own name on the cut list,” but it was the right thing to do for the company.
McStain founders Tom and Caroline Hoyt took on more day-to-day duties. The Hoyts founded McStain in Boulder in 1966.
In the past few years, McStain has cut its building significantly.
For 2007, McStain built 141 homes valued at a total of $51 million, according to the company. Those homes were priced at $361,957 on average.
In 2006, the builder constructed 303 homes valued at $100 million total, with an average for-sale price of $330,600.
McStain builds in neighborhoods such as Lowry and Stapleton in Denver, Indian Peaks in Lafayette, Hyland Village in Westminster and West Grange in Longmont.
Denver-area home builder McStain Neighborhoods is shutting down its headquarters office in Louisville because of the soft housing market, and will have a “virtual office” instead, the company said Wednesday.
The builder, which specializes in environmentally friendly homes, expects to be out of its space at 400 Centennial Parkway in Louisville by the end of November. “There will be some real noticeable activity in the middle of next week, in terms of disassembling home studio and moving stuff out,” spokesman Steve Caulk said.
McStain co-founder Caroline Hoyt said in a statement that the change will make the builder “more nimble, efficient and in a position to give customers more attention and choice.”
The company’s office employees will become part of a new virtual office, with several small offices in and around the neighborhoods where McStain builds, according to the company. McStain has about 20 employees, down from a high a few years ago of 115, Caulk said.
Company president and CEO Eric Wittenberg resigned in August, after seven years with the company, to help control costs, according to Builder Magazine. Wittenberg told the magazine that it was “tough to put your own name on the cut list,” but it was the right thing to do for the company.
McStain founders Tom and Caroline Hoyt took on more day-to-day duties. The Hoyts founded McStain in Boulder in 1966.
In the past few years, McStain has cut its building significantly.
For 2007, McStain built 141 homes valued at a total of $51 million, according to the company. Those homes were priced at $361,957 on average.
In 2006, the builder constructed 303 homes valued at $100 million total, with an average for-sale price of $330,600.
McStain builds in neighborhoods such as Lowry and Stapleton in Denver, Indian Peaks in Lafayette, Hyland Village in Westminster and West Grange in Longmont.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Blogging - The Killer Real Estate Business Tool
By Peyman Aleagha
RISMEDIA, Nov. 12, 2008-It’s a mistake to believe that a blog is not a website. It is just another way of organizing, updating and presenting content. A blog can be a part of your website, or it can stand alone and link to it. The key is to understand what a blog is all about, and how it changes the way in which your site visitors perceive you and interact with you.
What are you trying to accomplish with your Internet presence? Many would say that it is to showcase your services, expertise and listings. That’s correct, but it doesn’t go far enough, nor does it really address the importance of the Web to the average Realtor. So, what should we be trying to accomplish with our Web presence?
- We want to be considered the “go-to” expert on local area real estate.- We want our Internet presence to start a process that eventually creates a phone or in-person relationship with a visitor who wants to buy or sell real estate.- We want our site to help us in the generation of listings by impressing listing prospects.
When visitors first arrive at your site, they are rarely ready for the “go-to.” They want information about the area, real estate processes, and lots of listings to search (give them IDX). On these early visits, they do not want a phone call or e-mail unless they ask for it. You need to give them the information they want, and gradually build trust for a relationship.
So, what’s it going to take to get the first two goals realized? This is where the power of the blog comes in. What is so different about the weblog (blog) platform or structure that makes this possible?
The content is easily entered by the real estate agent without any HTML or special Web programming knowledge at all.
The setup and structure places the content properly, requiring no page design for each entry, article or “post” as they are called.
Search engines like regular fresh new content, which is the way blogs are posted. Search engines love the way blogs are structured and the way that they present fresh new content regularly.
Web visitors aren’t patient, and they are on a quest for information. So, several smaller posts about topics like “What’s a Title Binder” or “What’s Covered by Title Insurance” will be precisely on target for their search, and they’ll read it.
You can keep the information fresh when things change, so content is easy to keep updated.
The “Comments” function of a blog makes it easy for your site visitors to interact with you and other visitors.The RSS feed function puts out an update of your content as you place it-a type of press release. The world is informed every time you post new content.
Visitors who like what you write can subscribe to your RSS feed and receive every new item as it is released. This keeps them around until they are actually ready to contact you in a more direct and personal way.
Blogs and add-ons for features are set up to automatically work with social networking like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
The major difference with Internet marketing has to do with differences in the way Web consumers locate information and the ways in which they prefer to be contacted. Basically, they don’t want a phone call early in their real estate research process. They want to be anonymous, gathering information at their pace until they want to talk to a Realtor. Any effort to hold back information to force a phone or other direct contact is going to cost you prospects. Give them information they respect, and they’ll contact you.
The reason blogs work so well is that they pull the visitors into doing business with you instead of pushing them to contact you on your terms. They allow the prospect to learn about you, even the personality you show in your posts and content selection. They learn who you are and how much you know by keeping up with your content. They want to contact you at some point.
Blogs don’t change the basics. IDX should be in the site, and it’s just as easy to integrate into a blog as it is into any other site. IDX is what your visitors want when they first arrive in 90+% of cases. They may get there on a search for “YourTown real estate sold data,” but they will go from there to the listings search. They’ll also learn that you know what you’re talking about, because they found statistics about sold properties when they needed them.
Peyman Aleagha is the founder and President of RealtySoft.com. RealtySoft provides Realtors with Real Estate Web Design (http://www.realtysoft.com), Real Estate Print Marketing and Free IDX (http://www.realtysoft.com/freeidx.php) solutions.
For more information, visit www.RealtySoft.com.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
Related real estate business development articles on RISMedia.com:
RISMEDIA, Nov. 12, 2008-It’s a mistake to believe that a blog is not a website. It is just another way of organizing, updating and presenting content. A blog can be a part of your website, or it can stand alone and link to it. The key is to understand what a blog is all about, and how it changes the way in which your site visitors perceive you and interact with you.
What are you trying to accomplish with your Internet presence? Many would say that it is to showcase your services, expertise and listings. That’s correct, but it doesn’t go far enough, nor does it really address the importance of the Web to the average Realtor. So, what should we be trying to accomplish with our Web presence?
- We want to be considered the “go-to” expert on local area real estate.- We want our Internet presence to start a process that eventually creates a phone or in-person relationship with a visitor who wants to buy or sell real estate.- We want our site to help us in the generation of listings by impressing listing prospects.
When visitors first arrive at your site, they are rarely ready for the “go-to.” They want information about the area, real estate processes, and lots of listings to search (give them IDX). On these early visits, they do not want a phone call or e-mail unless they ask for it. You need to give them the information they want, and gradually build trust for a relationship.
So, what’s it going to take to get the first two goals realized? This is where the power of the blog comes in. What is so different about the weblog (blog) platform or structure that makes this possible?
The content is easily entered by the real estate agent without any HTML or special Web programming knowledge at all.
The setup and structure places the content properly, requiring no page design for each entry, article or “post” as they are called.
Search engines like regular fresh new content, which is the way blogs are posted. Search engines love the way blogs are structured and the way that they present fresh new content regularly.
Web visitors aren’t patient, and they are on a quest for information. So, several smaller posts about topics like “What’s a Title Binder” or “What’s Covered by Title Insurance” will be precisely on target for their search, and they’ll read it.
You can keep the information fresh when things change, so content is easy to keep updated.
The “Comments” function of a blog makes it easy for your site visitors to interact with you and other visitors.The RSS feed function puts out an update of your content as you place it-a type of press release. The world is informed every time you post new content.
Visitors who like what you write can subscribe to your RSS feed and receive every new item as it is released. This keeps them around until they are actually ready to contact you in a more direct and personal way.
Blogs and add-ons for features are set up to automatically work with social networking like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
The major difference with Internet marketing has to do with differences in the way Web consumers locate information and the ways in which they prefer to be contacted. Basically, they don’t want a phone call early in their real estate research process. They want to be anonymous, gathering information at their pace until they want to talk to a Realtor. Any effort to hold back information to force a phone or other direct contact is going to cost you prospects. Give them information they respect, and they’ll contact you.
The reason blogs work so well is that they pull the visitors into doing business with you instead of pushing them to contact you on your terms. They allow the prospect to learn about you, even the personality you show in your posts and content selection. They learn who you are and how much you know by keeping up with your content. They want to contact you at some point.
Blogs don’t change the basics. IDX should be in the site, and it’s just as easy to integrate into a blog as it is into any other site. IDX is what your visitors want when they first arrive in 90+% of cases. They may get there on a search for “YourTown real estate sold data,” but they will go from there to the listings search. They’ll also learn that you know what you’re talking about, because they found statistics about sold properties when they needed them.
Peyman Aleagha is the founder and President of RealtySoft.com. RealtySoft provides Realtors with Real Estate Web Design (http://www.realtysoft.com), Real Estate Print Marketing and Free IDX (http://www.realtysoft.com/freeidx.php) solutions.
For more information, visit www.RealtySoft.com.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
Related real estate business development articles on RISMedia.com:
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