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First and foremost, you need to have a web site today. Your clients expect it! And, you need to have the ability to add your listings to it immediately. If
you do not have a site, think about getting one as soon as possible.
And, just because you have one, don't think that you are going to get
business from it. Have you looked
at your site lately? Is everything
spelled correctly? Are your
listings priced right? Are they
current? You need to think of the Internet as one great big
magazine, or catalog. It 's just
another place to advertise. The
difference here is that the audience is the largest one you will ever reach. You
have the potential of having millions of people know who you are. Let's talk about the content of your site.
You need to have useful information for the consumer-if you don't
they are going to go to a site that does. Information
that is helpful is financing information, area demographics, school information,
cultural events, and other information on disclosures (such as lead based
paint). The reason that you want an
informational content is that search engines look at your site and other
directories on the Web and make decisions whether you will be in their search
engines. If your site is just one big advertisement about yourself
and no substantial information for consumers, they will not look favorably upon
your site and may not recognize it in search parameters.
You should also have a web site that you can easily add listings and make
changes immediately. This will help you in getting listings and servicing those
that you already have. If you have
the new listing up and running before anywhere else, such as the MLS, your
buyers can see the info when you are still processing the paperwork.
It's a great tool. Use it to your benefit.
It's also a great close at a listing presentation to already have it on
your site. The most used search engine currently is Yahoo with 150
million page views per day. Imagine
having just a fraction of that number coming to your web site each day-Wow!
Surveys show that people online tend to stay with the same search
engines. If they don't find what they are looking for, they are more
likely to refine their keyword phrase then they are to go to another search
engine. All of the major search
engines get a sufficient amount of action or visits to make it worth your while
to try to get a high ranking on as many as you can.
One way to keep your site moving up in the major search engines is to
have a company do that for you such as WorldSubmit.com. Once you have your site, you have to look at it
occasionally and make sure that the information on it is accurate. You should be reviewing the information at least once a week.
Especially if your listings have changes to them-this should be done
immediately! You can't just create a web site and then leave it alone and
hope that it brings in results. You
change your ads in the paper-you need to also change your web site.
You need to make changes so that people will visit it more often. If you are serious about making your site payoff for you,
you need to know how many visits you are getting to it.
Ask your web designer how you can get this information.
You can also tell what part of your site is most used.
This will also tell you if your ads are working or not. After your site is up and running, you should register your name and site with other frequented sites on the Internet, such as Realtor.com, Homeroute.com, Iown.com, and so on.
There are many free agent directors and links on the Internet.
You can see a list of them from my site at www.eproven.com and go to the
"hot links" button. If your company has a web site and gives you the
opportunity to put your picture on it, take it!
Your clients love seeing you on the Internet and remember, they expect it
of you, even if they do not know how to operate a computer.
You should have your picture and your name everywhere you can on the
Internet. Every place that you can
advertise yourself is just that much more opportunity for someone to find you. When choosing a web designer, look for someone who
understands real estate and will put good informational links on your site.
Don't let just anyone design it. Remember,
you have to provide as much information to the public as you can.
And, you need someone who is also going to register you with all the big
search engines. Most of the hits to your web site will come from your local
area. Because of this, you must
advertise it yourself-on your for sale signs, on your business cards, on your
property flyers, in your advertisements, on your voice mail, everywhere that you
have your name. Ask your clients
for their email addresses and send them your web address to check out the
information you have. Ask your
clients for feedback on your site. All
of this will help you get a better site and one that will bring you more
business. Welcome to the new world of real estate via the Internet!
Enjoy! |
