First of all, if you don't have a website, get one!
(If you have one already, skip the next paragraph.)
What are you waiting for? All your marketing dollars are not being used to their fullest without a website for your potential customers to visit and contact you. If you're an agent, your broker site is not good enough. You need a personal site so you know that when you give out the address, you will be the person they contact. We know that over 80% of real estate buyers use the internet to research their purchase before talking to an agent, by not having a website you may be limiting yourself to only 20% of the market!
If you are buying print advertising, but not web advertising you need to get your priorities straight!
Web advertising is cheaper, easier to track your return on investment, and it's where your customers are. As mentioned previously, over 80% of real estate buyers go to the web before talking to an agent. If you own a website but you are not taking advantage of web advertising you are not reaping the full benefit of having a website. (note: I am not saying to stop all print advertising, only that web advertisement should be part of your budget)
Fish where the fish are.
As a web markeintg specialist I can tell you where real estate buyers are looking. They're looking at REALTOR.com, your local Newspapaper's Real Estate website, google, yahoo, bing, and some are on trulia, that is primarily where you need to advertise.
Banner Ads 101
I recently spoke to an agent who asked me why they weren't getting any results form their website marketing. They had set their own banner ad up on their local paper's real estate section. It had no animation and mainly featured their website address in large bold letters. They had almost no clicks in the past 3 months.
- Don't rely on cheap static banner ads. I once saw a 400% increase in clicks on banner ads simply by replacing them with animated versions.
- You need a credibility statement. Just putting your face and real estate title isn't going to make you appeal anymore than the 500 other agents on the same website. "Over 25 Years Experience" or "Specializing in Condo Real Estate" are good examples. If you can just make yourself slightly more appealing than the next guy, it makes a difference.
- Finally, you need a call to action. Tell the viewer what they'll get if they "CLICK HERE NOW". "To talk to a local expert today, CLICK HERE" or "Get a free Market Analysis CLICK HERE" are some examples.
Other places to advertise.
Google, Yahoo, and Bing all have pay-per-click advertising that is very economical. You are only charged when someone actually clicks to visit your website, and you can set your own budget. However you do have to create your own ad text, and select your target keyword phrases which can be tricky and make all the difference in the effectiveness of your campaign.
Smart Media Can Help
We are real estate marketing veterans. We can simplify the process for you, eliminate the learning curve, and give you peace of mind that everything was done right. We can also review your traffic reports to make sure your marketing dollars are being spent in the correct location.
If you are adventerous or a little more on the techy-side and want to create your own web marketing campaign, please consider Smart Media for your animated banner design.
Visit our website for more information about Smart Media: www.SmartMediaRealEstate.com
Thank you!
Comments(1)