Last week we talked about IDX account activation (also called authentication), and how lead capture settings can impact activation rates among your web site visitors. We concluded that no matter what your settings, many visitors will not take that extra step to activate their account. Therefore, it is important to regularly follow up with visitors who are "Not Authenticated."
It's important to remember that visitors who have not activated their account cannot receive emails from WolfNet IDX systems, including SearchSaver listing notifications. Thus, you will need to identify these users and contact them separately, either by phone if they have provided a number, or via email through a separate email client. We recommend regularly running a report to identify all "Not Authenticated" visitors by doing the following:
1. Log in to your BackOffice at www.mlsfinder.com/admin and navigate to the Reports section.
2. Select "Only users that are: Not Authenticated," and click Find Users. You will see all results have a red envelope, citing they have yet to authenticate.
3. Select "Export These Users," and choose either an Excel worksheet or a .txt file if you prefer.
4. Sort by the "user_phone" column; this will bring to the top all visitors who provided a phone number, though be aware that some numbers may not be accurate, as they are dependent on the visitor providing valid contact information..
5. Sort again by "user_email_address." Every registered visitor will have an email address, as it is a required field. Some may be invalid, especially if you have strict registration requirements.
If you decide to telephone the visitors who have provided a legitimate number, highlight the benefits of activating their account. In particular, they can receive email updates when new or updated listings match their search criteria. You should also be prepared to explain how to activate their account, as follows:
1. Have the visitor visit your WolfNet IDX solution on your web site and log in with their login credentials created during the registration process.
2. Next, have the visitor navigate to SearchSaver; at the top of the page will appear the message header "Please Activate Your Account." The message below will indicate the date of the original authentication email sent when the visitor first registered, the "from" address of the original email (which the visitor should white list if using a junk mail or SPAM filter), and a link to request the activation message be resent. Thus the visitor may elect to locate the original email, or have a new one sent.
3. Make sure the visitor clicks on the link in the activation email; the visitor will then be automatically activated.
For the remaining visitors, summarize these instructions in an email, and offer to assist them or answer any questions they may have.
We recommend going through this process on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly depending on your traffic. And any time you follow up with a new lead by phone or email, remind them of the benefits of an activated account, and to check their email for the welcome message sent upon registration. The more proactive you are about prompt follow-up and guiding your registered visitors through this process, the more business you can generate from your IDX solution.
The Tip of the Week blog posts every Friday morning. Each Post is labeled "Easy," "Intermediate," or "Expert" based on the concept being discussed. Blog posted originally on Thursday at http://blog.wolfnet.com
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