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If I Were You......

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with SuccessWebsite.com


Best ways to market your real estate websiteI love Realtors!  And as a tech support and marketing specialist for a web design 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. 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 notify me instantly when new leads came in so I could follow-up with a phone call 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 service areas to build keyword rich content that would 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 for 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 as possible in my community 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

SuccessWebsite The Ultimate System For Real Estate Professionals

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

The SuccessWebsite Online Marketing System is designed to help Real Estate Professionals stay on the cutting edge of technology and generate a steady flow of high quality leads.

We teach and train our clients on how to setup and use social media channels like facebook and twitter, leverage their listings with mobile marketing and optimize their website to target the right audience with quality, keyword- rich content.

SuccessWebsite is also a Google AdWords certified company and can setup and optimize pay per click campaigns for Google, Bing and facebook.

Contact me today and mention this post to receive a special website offer available only to ActiveRain members.

Nina Rogoff
Boston, MA
Wix Websites for Real Estate Agents

Kristie, this is a GREAT list! #9 made me laugh! I'm doing some of this, but definitely have to get some help on the website. I'd welcome your critique if you have thoughts about www.ninarogoff.com. I'm going to reblog this as I think so many people will benefit from your Top 10! Thank you!

Sep 25, 2011 01:14 PM
Kristie Filion
SuccessWebsite.com - Toronto, ON
Digital Marketing Specialist

Hi Nina. Thanks for the feedback and the re-blog. I'm fairly new to Activerain and am loving the way everyone interacts on this site.

I took a look at your website and noticed something right off the bat - no forms!  There is no call to action and there are no forms to capture the data. I see websites like this all the time and would be more than happy to talk to you about your options. Send me an email and we can setup a call.

Sep 25, 2011 01:26 PM
Stephen Proski
Real Estate Kailua Kona, Hawaii - Kailua-Kona, HI
Real Estate Kailua Kona Hawaii

Kristie  I am in the process of doing a complete make over on my website and I really appreciate you posting such great recommendations for anyone having a website in our business. 

Sep 25, 2011 01:45 PM
Nina Rogoff
Boston, MA
Wix Websites for Real Estate Agents

Thanks, Kristie! I will email you tonight!

Sep 25, 2011 02:34 PM
Jane & Garry Smith
Coldwell Banker Realty - Portland, ME
ABR, GRI, Realtors - Portland, ME - (207) 253-3195
Great post and I am going to bookmark it and then review all 10 steps with my web designer. Thank you for putting things into a clear and detailed list!
Sep 26, 2011 12:43 AM
Susan& Charlie Ahern
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Coronado, CA
Owner & Broker, Coronado Real Estate 4 Sale 619-92

Great list. Very comprehensive and helpful.

 

What do I need to do differently on our website

www.coronadoREconsultants.com

Thanks again for the advice for us- great RE professionals.  Ha ha.

Sep 26, 2011 03:14 AM
Kristie Filion
SuccessWebsite.com - Toronto, ON
Digital Marketing Specialist

Hi Susan,

I took a look at your website and have a few suggestions to increase lead generation.

1. Your homepage should immediately tell your visitors what your site is about and the area that you service.  Your header "Coronado Real Estate, Inc." is more of a logo than a description.  Instead of "home" I would use a title like "This is your one stop shop for Coronado CA Real Estate Information"

2. The visitor's eye tends to scan across the top of your page and then down the right hand side. Having your main nav. menu on the left hand side is a bit limiting

3. It is helpful to the visitor to have clear instructions on where things are.  Having a Buyers and Sellers section is a good way to organize your content

4. More campaign pages that are designed to compel and capture leads (i.e. Stop Renting, Free List of Homes, VIP Buyer Program, What the Home Down The Street Sold For....). All pages should have a strong Call To Action with a form.


Those are just a few suggestions.  Send me an email and we'll setup a call to discuss further.


Kristie

 

Sep 26, 2011 03:32 AM
Mark Welsh
Kirkland, WA

I think that this is really great advise, some maybe common sense, and very important to any agent that needs to have business.  I agree that providing the consumer an engaging experience on the site will help them return.

Sep 26, 2011 03:34 AM
Terri Buseman
RE/MAX Premier Properties - Chicago, IL
Downtown Chicago

Kristie,

I loved this extremly importatnt post.  Thanks for writng it.

Sep 26, 2011 04:33 AM
Team Lesti
Windermere Napa Valley Properties - Napa, CA
Napa Valley Real Estate Experts

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful post.  Makes me want to print it out and copy you! haha, I'm serious. :)

Sep 26, 2011 06:38 AM
Jenifer Lower
Bozeman Montana Real Estate .net - Bozeman, MT
Your Dream. Our Passion.

Great ideas!  Thanks for sharing the insight from an outside perspective.

Sep 26, 2011 08:03 AM
Margaret Woda
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD
Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

A great list, Kristie. Today's new agents have so many opportunities!

Sep 26, 2011 10:06 AM
Steve Warrene
Your Town Realty - Lower Burrell, PA
Pittsburgh Realtor North and East Pgh.

Kristie, Thank you for the information.  I am looking to build a website and this was great info. 

Sep 26, 2011 10:54 AM
Elizabeth Byrne
Keller Williams Realty - Arlington, VA
Arlington Virginia Real Estate

Kristie, thank you so much for great tips. You are right - many of us, Realtors, have a fear of technology (I DO!) and would rather not get involved with computers. However, we have to face reality and make the best of it. Thank you again for a great info. 

Sep 26, 2011 12:07 PM
David Stevens
Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty, Victoria BC Canada - Victoria, BC
Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty

Hi Kristie - excellent post - all very important points to keep in mind!

Cheers!

 

Sep 26, 2011 01:28 PM
Kristie Filion
SuccessWebsite.com - Toronto, ON
Digital Marketing Specialist

Thanks to all who have left comments. I'm very excited about how I can contribute to the Activerain community and continue to provide you all with great content to help you market your businesses online. 

Yes, computers can be a bit scary and the idea of doing a complete overhaul on your website a daunting task to say the least.  Sometimes, it's better to leave that part to the experts and make sure you've got a system that works.

Sep 26, 2011 01:34 PM
Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

This is a really great post with a lot of motivational ideas. And it gives one a lot to plan and do.

Sep 26, 2011 07:26 PM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Kristie,

This is a nice post for agents, Congratulations on you balanced viewpoint.  All the best, A

Sep 27, 2011 08:58 AM