If you are new to blogging or find yourself struggling to come up with something interesting to write about, this blog is for you. I was doing some research for a blogging class that we teach and as I was surfing I could hear the same question that most new “Bloggers” ask, “What am I going to blog about?” Blogging is an outlet for some people, while others view it as a necessary evil. The truth is, finding interesting information to write about is not that hard. Google Reader is an extremely robust tool that allows you to search, categorize and utilize up to date articles being posted about areas that you are interested in. Here is how it works:
Google Reader is FREE and it works with most browsers. Better yet, you don’t have to install any software or toolbars. Google Reader constantly checks the web sites and blogs that you tell it to track and lets you know when new content is posted. This allows you to stay up to date with areas that you find interesting and provides plenty of ideas for your personal blog too. You can share interesting articles and blog posts by utilizing Google Reader’s built-in public page. With just one click you can share interesting articles with your social networks and potential customers, by sending them to relevant links. Some people have coined the product as, “a personalized inbox for the entire web.”
Looking for content is made easy with Google Reader’s integrated feed search. This helpful feature allows you to enter keywords on topics that you want to research. You can even add a customizable clip that displays your latest blog in your site’s sidebar. You can access your Google Reader account from any computer with online access, most mobile phone browsers and you can add a Google Reader gadget to your iGoogle account and see updates when they occur.
It takes less than two minutes to Register, Log In and start using Google Reader. This incredible organizational tool is both convenient and informative and will get you working smarter instead of harder.
I believe in competition. I believe that it makes people work harder to provide quality products and incredible services. That is why Listing Solutions is proud to be a Full Service Provider for Realtourvision, the World’s largest network of Virtual Tour Providers. Our amazing technology allows us to create a unique perspective of homes for sale in St Augustine.
There are a number of companies and a few new ones (your welcome for the plug Chris) that are selling “slideshows” under the guise of virtual tours. This method of marketing your property online does not allow the potential Home Buyer to see the actual layout of the home.
Listing Solutions’ virtual tours feature “Hot Spots.” These carefully placed icons appear on the virtual tour and when clicked on, take the viewer to what is behind the door. Kind of like Christmas! Our virtual tours are loaded with features that enable you to professionally market your property and promote yourself online. Contact us today and I will give you 31 Reasons Why Listing Solutions Should Be Part of Your Online Marketing Strategies.
Listing Solutions is laser focused on helping our clients achieve the success online needed to compete in today’s challenging market. We are one of St. Augustine web designs emerging companies and a Full Service Dealer with Realtourvision®, specializing in Jacksonville virtual tours. We are one of the premier virtual tour providers in St. Augustine. Our online real estate marketing skills allow us to help our clients dominate the search engines. We would love the opportunity to help you. Call us today!
It is our 2 Year Anniversary and we have a gift for you!
We are entering our 3rd year of service to the real estate community in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida. Our virtual tours and real estate photography have been instrumental in many Realtor’s® marketing campaigns and our new text messaging service, Text Connect, promises to be just as successful. Listing Solutions is pleased to announce the following sale in celebration of our anniversary:
Our virtual tours and real estate photography are chosen over the competition daily by business professionals who demand the very best exposure for their listings. We are a Full Service Provider with Realtourvision®, the World’s largest network of Virtual Tour Providers and an Approved Vendor with Realtor.com. Our online marketing strategies are guaranteed to get you the exposure needed to compete in today’s challenging market. With 86% of current Home Buyers utilizing the internet to assist in their search, don’t you owe it to yourself to explore our Results Driven online marketing tools? Take a look at some of our features that come standard with every virtual tour:
• Agent or Owner contact information as well as links to their E-mail and Web site. • Slide Show feature will showcase your listing within the virtual tour in a slide by slide presentation. • E-mail button allows viewers to E-mail a link of the virtual tour to family and friends. • Detailed information on public libraries as well as local and private schools is included with every virtual tour. • An overhead aerial and satellite view is placed on every virtual tour. • Detailed MLS information is included with every virtual tour. • Navigation buttons give viewers control over turning left, right, up, down, and zoom in or out. • Hit Counter - This button allows the Realtor or the home seller to run virtual tour hit traffic reports anytime!
I had the good fortune of being invited to the StomperNet Live 8 Event last weekend in Atlanta, Ga. (Thanks Mark). If you don’t know who StomperNet is, you should! These guys are simply put, The Master Minds of online marketing. I expected to pick up some good search engine optimization tips and from the minute I sat down, I was not disappointed. I can’t wait to start employing the techniques that I learned on my current and future projects. I have been compiling notes from the event all day.
I had a client tell me that someone told her that she should rely on social media and not have a web site. In order to be successful marketing yourself online you need to do a combination of the following:
1. Create and post your Blogs. You want to utilize keywords and phrases that you want to rank on within the content of your blogs. You should link keywords and phrases and direct them to different pages on your web site. By doing this, you are utilizing keywords, phrases and links to direct people to your web site. When they get to your web site, you can capture their information and convert them to a lead. You can allow them to learn more about you, earning you the right to ask for their business and you can have a Call to Action on your pages, giving them permission to make a decision to choose you. Blogs are your hooks in the water.
2. Utilize social networks to inform people of your blogs and other blogs that you find interesting. This allows you to start creating your “Expertise” in this field and generate conversations with people. As you build relationships through social networking, people become more comfortable with you. They must feel comfortable with you in order to business with you. Social Networks are hooks in the water too, but with YOUR personal “bait.”
3. Your Web Site is your online persona. With more and more buyers searching online and sellers demanding better results, you will have a difficult time competing without a web site. You want your Blog to be from your Web Site. This helps with ranking and at the end of the day ranking is what is going to get you business. Your web site is your store!
Blogs have a life span and you can not “OWN” a keyword or phrase through social networking. Those tools are used to build your web site’s organic ranking, allowing you to “OWN” that niche. I hope that this helps some of you and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
I recently attended a DotNetNuke convention in Tampa, Florida. The convention was held at Microsoft and promised to provide valuable information on new technology and techniques. I invited Dick Betts to come along and see first hand how dynamic and robust this platform is. Dick is a National Speaker and teaches classes for Realtors. I manage his Web Services Division and provide internet technology for him and his many clients. (I honestly could not tell you which one of us was "Oscar" and which one was "Felix" but, we were definitely the "Odd Couple")
As soon as we arrived in Tampa, we met up with some friends at PF Changs for a late dinner. Three of them are from Canada and focus their talents on the real estate industry there. It was interesting to hear the state of the real estate market in Canada and soon dinner turned in to beers back at the hotel. (Yeah, Geeks drink too!) We arrived at the Grand Hyatt, not your typical "Geek Pad", as you have to pay for the wireless connection. But, the beer was cold and it was nice catching up with friends that you only get to see once a year.
The next morning we got up and started preparing for our day of learning. I was so excited that I nearly forgot my "pocket protector" and where the hell did my "Spock ears" go? I searched everywhere for them, even the Moss Covered Three Handled Family Credenza. If Dick Betts thought he could steal my prized possession, he had another thing coming. I would not be upstaged by his trickery and decided on the "X-Ray vision glasses" that I purchased from the back of one of my Spiderman comics. "To Infinity And..." well, you get the picture.
We got there right as the Keynote Speaker was finishing up and I grabbed a cup of coffee. (Were you expecting Jolt or Vault?) I sat in on "Building Online Communities with DotNetNuke 5" and looked at Dick through my X-Ray Glasses. I still couldn't see the Spock ears but, I could read his thoughts through the amazing glasses..."I need more coffee"..."Where are the doughnuts?"..."I hope someone brought some breadcrumbs, because I am so lost." It was without a doubt the best $2.50 I have ever spent. They Worked!
When we were in the Search Engine Optimization class, I looked over and saw that Dick had started a game of "Tic Tac Toe" with one of the ladies from Canada. (Maybe he was going to fit in after all, I mean Tic Tac Toe is to Geeks what SuperBowl Sunday is to jocks.) I tried my best to study his technique, as I listened to the speaker explain new information and tips on making your web site search engine friendly. I secretly hoped that they would start playing "Hangman." I wanted to try out my new "Micro Thesaurus Casio G-Shock." No such luck.
We broke for lunch and I was a little disappointed that Dick was not willing to trade his Skittles for my chicken salad wrap. Oh well, it was time to see the Dynamic Registration Module. This module allows you to do many things but, creating and managing a database was by far the feature that I wanted to see. I have a lot of friends who are Realtors and I can definitely see the value of them having access to customers who come to their site. This module will allow you to stay in constant contact with your web site's visitors.
By the way Dick, I have heard the joke, "What do you get when you put 150 Geeks at an open bar?" I don't remember the punch line but, "Two More Hours Of Geek Talk" could use some work. How about, "You had to take away my calculator, because friends dont let friends DERIVE drunk." or "You had to explain to us that we can't set a laser printer to stun?" Now that would have been funnier.
The internet has changed the way that real estate is conducted in this country and promises to bring value to what Realtors do on a daily basis. "Geeks" can help you get your message out to arenas that were out of your reach until now. So, be nice to the "Geeks," we can be instrumental in helping you find your next buyer or seller. And remember, "computers can never replace human stupidity."
StAugustineFl.OurTown.comprovides a local events calendar that features concerts, community events and happenings around the nation’s oldest city. Unlike other community web sites, you and anyone in your neighborhood contribute to the news and information that is important to you. What is the most important part of any town? It is the people that live there and make it a community. Your interests, Your issues and Your points of view. StAugustineFl.OurTown.com lets people share, learn and meet with each other on a regular basis. As on Craig’s List, individual buyers and sellers are able to create classified ads for FREE. StAugustineFl.OurTown.com allows local buyers and sellers to access and search a detailed and easy to use Free Classified Ad System.
Take a look at some the features:
Local and Regional Weather
Calendars & Mapping Personalized for the Nation’s Oldest City
Hyper-Local News
Breaking News Headlines
FREE Local Classified Ads
Local Community Photos & Events
Local & Regional Sports
Community Forums & Polling
Local Commentary & Chat
So, what are you waiting for? Visit YOUR new web site today and make it your Home Page! StAugustineFl.OurTown.com is looking for contributing writers to share their events, stories and articles about this great community that we all love and live in. For information about advertising, contributing or opportunities, please call (904) 540-9962. The Local Editor can be reached via email at dhall@ourtown.com.
Listing Solutions is pleased to offer 50% OFF of set up fees for the entire month of August. Our Single Property Web Sites will get you the exposure needed to compete in today's challenging market. Each web site is optimized for the search enginges ensuring you the exposure needed. 80% of current buyers utilize the internet when searching for a home and 67% of current buyers come from outside the state of Florida. We understand that our value is created by the level of service and support that we offer to you and your company. Allow us the opportunity to serve you and we are sure that you will agree, Listing Solutions is the difference between for sale and sold.
Are you tired of throwing your marketing dollars away on print advertising? Statistics continue to show that 80% of today's home buyers utilize the internet when searching for their home.Listing Solutionsis proud to announce the Single Property Web Site. This web site is custom made for you with your logo, picture and contact information prominently displayed throughout the web site. The domain name is the actual property address. This allows you to drive traffic to your "single property web site" and your personal web site. The web site showcases still shot photography of your home, as well as, a virtual tour. Need to get specific information out there about your beautiful home? No problem.Listing Solutionswill custom create ways for you to get exactly what you want conveyed to your target audience. Affordable and effective, the single property web site will help you close more listing presentations. Sellers are impressed and you differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. Allow us the opportunity to show you how these can benefit you and your seller and get you to the closing table more often. Call Us Today To Order Your Single Property Web Site!
I have noticed a trend among Realtors over the last six months and I would appreciate your "professional" opinions. I am the Marketing Director for a web design and virtual tour company in St. Augustine, Florida and I have noticed that more Realtors are inquiring about our services. It is no secret that is a buyer's market and with 80% of those buyers utilizing the internet, your internet presence is extremely important. About 67% of the current home buyers in the state of Florida come from outside of the state. This is an impossible market to penetrate utilizing local advertising and a yard sign. So, my question is this: "Are you marketing your listings or yourself?" I have seen virtual tours that are full screen and virtual tours that are not. The tours that are full screen do a great job of showing the home. However, you don't see information regarding the Realtor, Listing Company or property information easily. The tours that are not full screen show more detailed information regarding the three areas mentioned above, but the tour is obviously smaller. What is more important to you? After all, the decisions that we make as virtual tour providers are based off of your wants and needs. Would you rather have your image and contact information visible during the tour? Would you rather see the home in a full screen window? Everyone has their own opinion and there is no right or wrong answer. I enjoy reading all of your blogs and would really appreciate your opinion on this subject.
There is no question that recent gas prices have cut in to all of our earnings. As I write this blog, gas prices are at $3.64 per gallon. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is an expense that none of us could have prepared for but, here we are. Wouldn't it be great if your client purchased the first house that they saw? Wouldn't it be great if customers called you and said, "I have narrowed my search down to a couple of homes?" It can happen more often than you think.
80% of current buyers utilize the internet when searching for a home. Why not order a virtual tour today? On a typical day, more than five million people are taking virtual tours in cyberspace, up from roughly two million in 2004. Nearly 90% of internet searchers used a real estate professional, compared to 79% of non-internet users. The statistics definitely support the fact that the internet has and continues to change the way real estate is bought and sold in the United States. A virtual tour allows your customer to sell themselves on the house, before you spend endless hours and precious money on gas.
Listing Solutions is, a Certified Full Service Dealer with the world's largest network of virtual tour providers, Realtourvision. We can get you the internet exposure that you need, to compete and be successful in today's challenging market. Some of our most popular products include: 2D & 3D floor plans, single property websites, printable property flyers and elevated photography.
We know that our value is created by the level of service and support that we offer to you and your company. Complete customer satisfaction is our goal and your continued success is our main priority. Allow us the opportunity to serve you on your next virtual tour and show you a difference...the Listing Solutions difference.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
If you are new to blogging or find yourself struggling to come up with something interesting to write about, this blog is for you. I was doing some research for a blogging class that we teach and as I was surfing I could hear the same question that most new “Bloggers” ask, “What am I going to blog about?” Blogging is an outlet for some people, while others view it as a necessary evil. The truth is, finding interesting information to write about is not that hard. 
Looking for content is made easy with Google Reader’s integrated feed search. This helpful feature allows you to enter keywords on topics that you want to research. You can even add a customizable clip that displays your latest blog in your site’s sidebar. You can access your Google Reader account from any computer with online access, most mobile phone browsers and you can add a Google Reader gadget to your iGoogle account and see updates when they occur.
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