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What Makes the Phone Ring?

By
Real Estate Agent with Fredericksburg Realty, Inc.

A few minutes ago I was reading my friend Margaret Rome's blog about advertising.  Margaret proposed that a mixture of printed advertising and was the perfect mix for her.  Am sure that she is correct because she is one of the top marketers I have seen.

Nonetheless, in my seventeen years of practicing real estate sales in Fredericksburg Virginia, I have often been stymied when trying to determine the source of a call or email to me asking for assistance in real estate matters.  Sure it is easy when a former client calls; it is equally as easy to determine the source when someone says "Jim Benson told me you did a great job selling his home for him and I would like you to help us sell ours."

However when you get an email from someone who came to you because of your Real Pro website or from a search on the Internet, it becomes a bit more difficult.

Did they go to your website because of an Internet search?  If so, what search engine did they use?  What search term(s) did they use (and this my friends is the key)?  Can they remember the search term(s)they used?

Did they see an add in a newspaper like the For Sale By Owner ad you placed that led them to a website?

Some suggest that remaining anonymous in advertising (stealth sites) is the key.  Then, how do you measure your success?

Any ideas?

Anonymous
Gwyneth Iredale

You can check your website stats in your Real Pro System Back office to see the referring domain. This may be a bit helpful in seeing where the online traffic is coming from - search engines, websites, etc.

It's that old adage - "I know half my advertising is working, but which half?" So some of our clients literally will split their print ads in half and promote both their agent-branded website on one half and the buyer's or seller's stealth site on the other half.

Gwyneth

Real Pro Systems

866 278-2832 (toll free)

May 21, 2007 12:18 PM
#1
Ed DeChristopher
Fredericksburg Realty, Inc. - Fredericksburg, VA
CRS Fredericksburg VA
Thanks for the info Gwyneth.  Search terms are also very valuable but I have found that it is difficult, if not impossible, to find out what terms an individual was using when they arrived at your site.
May 21, 2007 10:21 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Ed, I missed this post and want to thank you for the mention. Something that I am doing must be right because I never seem to have a shortage of clients. I probably could cut back a bit on print advertising but which ones? My systems are working. You know the old saying..."if it ain't broke..."

 

Do you think that the people who buy Nike can tell you where they saw the "swoosh"?

May 26, 2007 04:18 AM
Anonymous
Gwyneth Iredale

Hi, Ed.
I was suggesting the referring domains might be of help to see if the lead came from a search engine. I'm not sure how we could capture the search terms but you make a good point, which I will pass along to our development team.

Some of our clients use our ProLeads program to receive leads in their market.

Regards,
Gwyneth Iredale
Real Pro Systems
541 686-0015

 

Jun 04, 2007 07:00 AM
#4