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My 6th Anniversary on Active Rain

By
Home Builder with The Flooring Girl

Yes, today marks 6 years in the Rain for me.  I stumbled upon this place on July 3rd, 2010 back when I couldn't even pay my bills.  I was stuck at home and couldn't call any customers as it was a holiday weekend.  I needed to figure out how to make some changes in my business model.

 

So, I spent 3 days at home reading and learning everything I could about how to use Active Rain, how to blog and what the heck SEO meant.  I was lucky as a stumbled across a blog post from a local realtor who wrote about her success in blogging and what she had learned about SEO from Nestor & Katerina Gasset

 

From there, I read and learned and tried and read and learned and experimented and read and read and learned and adapted and kept repeating.  I did this all summer long.  And, it started to work.  At first, it showed up as more clicks to my website, then more leads, then more sales.  By the end of September  (and that original 30 in 30 day challenge), I was hooked and sort of knew what I was doing (but not exactly).

 

I had a big "a ha" moment in early October and started creating more detailed posts in October.  So every day between mid Oct and Jan 2nd, I kept writing and implementing.  I did a lot of work in December (one of our slowest months, but it was hard to tell if this was really going to make a difference, because no one calls us in December, so I went on faith.

 

And, voila!  Somewhere around Jan 7th, my asst who answers the phones called me and said, "What the heck did you do?"  I was stunned as I had no idea what she was talking about.  She said that all these people were calling and found my website and wanted to set up appointments.  I was stunned (in a good way).

 

From there, I blogged and read and learned more and got better and better.  I became a sponge for learning to blog and improve SEO.

 

We got busier and busier.  By the middle of the year, I was getting around 3 appts/week from blogging.  I shut off my paid lead source as we were getting so busy.  I was getting more appts and paying less for marketing.

 

At my 1 year mark, I created my wordpress site - The Flooring Girl.  I took some of the money I had made and reinvested in this site.  I paid someone to do this (and glad I did as I never would have been able to do myself).  It saved me a lot of time, so I could spend time closing customers and writing content.

 

Was it smooth sailing from there?  NO!!!!!

 

I got discouraged as my site wasn't doing much.  I felt frustrated that I had wasted my time (and a bit of money).  I would come back to AR as this community was so much more fun with all the interaction and encouragement.  I would write here and link back to my articles (and write a bit on my boring site).  Then, in November, as usual, my market slowed down.  So I spent November and December writing on my site.  I think I did about 1 strong post per week.  It was frustrating as traffic goes down in Nov/December, so I couldn't see the impact of my blogging.  Again, I went on faith and instinct.

 

And then, Jan 7th rolled around again and the traffic started to go up and started to look more substantial.  So I wrote some more (1-2 times per week).  And it grew some more.  I think I was at 1000 visitors by end of January and then it kept growing each month.  Then, I wrote more and it grew more.

 

At this point, my site is 5 years old and generates 65,000 unique visitors per month and generates LOTS of good leads, and in fact many of my customers that find me on my site are my best and most loyal customers.  When I realized that those who went to my sited BEFORE they met with me, regardless of where they first found me (e.g. referral from friend, realtor, biz partner, angie's list, etc) had a stronger close rate, I started directing people to my site.  I would include links to blog posts on my newsletters, we would send confimation emails before the appt to included relevant links to key posts.

 

So where am I now?  Well now, I get around 65,000 unique visitors/month on my site.  A few years ago, we got so many calls that I set up a google voice line to divert out of state callers away from my assistant so that she could keep up with the local callers.  I keeping adding and improving things.  I'm even starting to monetize the site a bit.

 

Advice to those who are new and/or just want to improve:

  • Jump in - read, comment, write
  • Check out Bob Stewart's webinars on activerainuniversity.com.  They are excellent.  Blogging itself doesn't do much.  But, blogging well does!
  • After you've gotten your feet wet here, get your own site (not one owned by your franchise/company).  I had/have one from my franchise, but I was able to do so much more with my own site, and the cost is minimal, especially when you compare it to the extra business you can get.

 

Thank you to all that were here with me from the start and the encouragement you gave me.  Thank you fo all of you that I have met and learned from along the way.

 

So that's it for today.  I'm going to go to the pool soon (and tomorrow too).

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Comments (65)

Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Ha[[y Anniversary Debbie. I may not get to your blog as much as I like, and I must say you have the best information on flooring on your blog as well as your great website.

Happy July 4th Happy July 4th, Debbie.

Jul 03, 2016 11:44 PM
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

To know more intimate details about Debbie Gartner is a good thing. Thank you

Jul 03, 2016 11:55 PM
Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp
SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties - Bourbonnais, IL
The Home Inspector With a Heart!

I think much of what I know about flooring is from you. Great story.

 

Jul 04, 2016 12:53 AM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Congratulations on your successes!  You are a true AR Success Story!  

Jul 04, 2016 06:36 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

All - Thank you for all your commensts and support.  As it was July 4th weekend, and I was taking some time off, I didn't have a chance to respond to most of the comments, but I have read all of them.  I will try to respond soon.

Jul 04, 2016 10:51 PM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

Happy AR Anniversary. Your walk may help others know how to get the most out of their AR blog. You have set a great example.

Jul 04, 2016 11:16 PM
Nicole Doty - Gilbert Real Estate Expert
Zion Realty - Gilbert, AZ
Broker/Owner of Zion Realty ZionRealtyAZ.com

I've only been here for about a year and a half. I can only hope that I have a fraction of the success you and others have attained in their blogging careers!

Jul 05, 2016 12:40 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hi Debbie -- this should be a must read for every new ActiveRain member or those who wonder "is it worth it?".  Your very well-written post details the efforts you have put place to "make it happen".  Congratulations on your success and thank you once again for sharing your knowledge in some many different ways.  

Jul 05, 2016 03:10 AM
Paul McFadden
Responsive Pest Control - Seattle, WA
Pest Control, Seattle, WA.

Wow! Congratulations Debbie. It's always nice to hear about success stories here!

Jul 05, 2016 04:14 AM
Sal Poliandro - Helping People Win
RE/MAX Properties - Ridgewood, NJ
Broker Associate

Hi Debbie, 

    Great post! I remember meeting you somewhere near Westchester for an active rain meet up. Let me know if you are putting something together. Would be great to meet a bunch of local rainers. 

Jul 05, 2016 10:49 PM
Harry F. D'Elia III
WEDO Real Estate and Beyond, LLC - Phoenix, AZ
Investor , Mentor, GRI, Radio, CIPS, REOs, ABR

Congrats and thanks for sharing your lessons today. Many more years on ActiveRain.

Jul 05, 2016 11:07 PM
Will Nesbitt
Nesbitt Realty at Condo Alexandria - Alexandria, VA
Nesbitt Realty is a family-run brokerage.

(914) 937-2950 Debbie GartnerHome Builder with Floor Coverings International in White Plains, NY.

Jul 06, 2016 03:16 AM
Sheila Newton Team Anderson & Greenville SC
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - C. Dan Joyner - Anderson, SC
Selling the Upstate since 1989

Congrats on your anniversary!! You are truly an asset to AR!.. you have never been afraid to try new things and that is awesome!!

Jul 06, 2016 11:48 AM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Happy Anniversary Debbie, you have made quite a splash here in the rain and I am so very glad to have met you both here in the rain and in person.

Jul 07, 2016 04:44 PM
Matthew Johnson
Webmatic247.com - Chester, VA
Security Guard Marketing

And yet another Awesome Post Debbie!

Happy Aniversary

Jul 07, 2016 10:07 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Congratulations on your feature recognition and your blogging success.

Jul 07, 2016 10:45 PM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

Congratulations on your anniversary and certainly on your achievements. It does work!

Jul 08, 2016 02:04 AM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

Congratulations on your anniversary! A lot of great posts, network connections and many happy clients! 

Jul 14, 2016 06:38 PM
Tammy Adams ~ Realtor / Podcaster
Maricopa Real Estate Co - Maricopa, AZ
A Maricopa Agent who Works, Lives & Loves Maricopa

Happy Activerain Anniversary!  Keep sharing your successes (and failures) as it helps us all!

Jul 20, 2016 03:54 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Tammy - Thx so much.

Jul 20, 2016 08:14 PM