Net Success is not just about using or designing your website; I opened this forum initially, as the moderator, with the hope of exchanging ideas and methods that REALTORS have used or would like to implement - as to sharing internet success-based ideas.

These days the talk on Net Success is all about web sites, when Rich and others so diligently moderate other portions of the forum where web site related discussions are likely more appropriately positioned.

On this forum, let's get back to basics; let's talk about what we did and would like to do to cause these web site leads generated to turn into "real estate" related business.

I posted some ideas again a few weeks ago, and would like to hear from others - how they incorporate their Net Success into their real estate business. For example: how did you marry the Net into your farming? how do you "promote" your web site? have you personally had (or not) super success with your incorporating of the use of the Net into your real estate business?

Most REALTORS want to be in the real estate business; for those whose hobby is building web sites for themselves or others, please post to the other forums, so we can get back to generating real estate business - how to sell houses and help people buy them - on the Net. Thanks. ~ Carolyne

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Carolyne - Brampton real estate = http://www.carolyne.com
"Where'd I put my stuff ?" Search Key words - Tech Organizer
C . . . I Am Organized = http://www.MyBackUpBook.com/
You can't practice time management till you get organized
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Carolyne

Sounds like a great idea !!! Maybe I can start….

I have been a Realtor 13 years – active on the web (self built site) for 5+.

Not to be glib. But I believe too many realtors fall into the Web Trap - Pouring hours or $$$ into the computer without understanding what it can / should do for them. They don’t consider the web a tool, another means of reaching the people. A way of increasing their chances for success.

But a tool will only do the work if it’s used properly. And it won’t always be the same formula. Do you chase buyers – sellers – local – out of town – upper end – lower end ?

I work a small market – population 18,000 - about 1 hour outside of a major center. My market is a mix of the typical local resales and also baby boomers looking to get out of the big city to a smaller / quieter place. No major industry coming in, no strong immigrant market.

The primary target of my web site is people moving into the area into higher priced homes. And I believe most of my buyers shop the area at some time. They look in the area they want to buy. As opposed to looking in their city for a home in my town.

I place no importance / spend no effort on SEO for my local site. In 2004 I spent less than 20 hours maintaining the site. (Except updating property listings, which I consider a Vendor service – not a Buyer Service). I was able to achieve sales level in the top 10% of my company – with 30 % of my G.C.I. directly from new clients harvested from the web, and a further 10% generated from referrals from past web clients (another tool).

I believe less is more. I try to focus my marketing to drive the right people to the site – then offer them a sincere – prompt – professional and local service. In my market - 6-8 good buyer leads a month – (conversion rate about 50%) – and I’ve got a very profitable business and a fantastic ROI – (both time and money).

I think the best decision I’ve made was in getting a URL that was easy to remember.

Then including it in everything I send out together with my 800# (another tool).

hope this wasn't too long .....

Thanks for the post, Dave

I hope others will read it and respond. No, it's not too long, btw. This is how folks learn - by discussion. Sometimes a few words, other times longer posts. It provides one more learning curve form of sharing. If you haven't done so already, read my prior posts - similar to what you just said, but expanded.

Btw - you can add your contact information at the end of your post. One of the chief reasons for developing the Net Success forum was so agents could share and "NETWORK". To network we all need to know how to reach one another, perhaps check out each other's web sites and get to know who services what areas. I like to see agents who use their real names. Don't be a "secret agent". We're in the people business. That's really what the real estate business is.

This forum is a great tool if used this way. I "met" some of the other moderators and members back as far as 1997, on other forums. We still stay in touch periodically, and do real estate referrals, as the need arises. Some have become close NetFriends. If and when we travel, we are invited to stay with them. Lasting friendships have been made, and help is at the end of our fingertips if we have a question. It can be a wonderful form of association, built on trust and guidance.


~ ~ ~ Carolyne - Brampton real estate = http://www.carolyne.com
"Where'd I put my stuff ?" Search Key words - Tech Organizer
C . . . I Am Organized = http://www.MyBackUpBook.com/

I understand if the original thought behind this section was to discuss hints and tips, but overall category is "Successful Web Presence". By asking about sites, most agents are trying to establish a presence and learn about the various web building tools available to them.

Which category are we all supposed to use? Real estate? Computers and Technology? Doesn't seem like that's the case.

I do think we can have more discussions about success on the net, but agents often put those types of things in the real estate category. The discussions there are about drip email campaigns, prospecting, farming, lead generations, etc. Use of the internet often comes up in those threads and people don't put them separately in the net because it isn't a separate concept in their minds.

Carolyne,

Most of my business is web generated and has been for years. Although I do advertise my url on my car, sign riders, business cards, print pieces, etc., my buyers and sellers largely find me on their own on the net and they seek me out.

Having had a presence on the internet since 1997, I've lived through many changes in the way the web works. In the beginning it was easy since I was the only individual agent with a site in my area. I used to get phone calls from people searching for homes who told me that wherever they looked they found me, so they decided they'd better use me. In the early days my site was only generating buyer leads.

Interestingly, over time I've begun to attract a lot of sellers through my sites and have listed many properties this way. As time goes on it gets more and more difficult to remain ahead of the pack online since the competition grows at an alarming rate.

I'm always looking at my site through the consumer's eyes and trying to add content that they will find useful. In answer to your question about the measure of success I'd attribute to the internet, in my case it's spectacular. Before Google's Florida Update about 80% of my business came from the net. Since then it's been lower, but not by a lot.

Geri

Hi Geri,

Glad to hear about your success. Thanks for sharing. We all need to learn from each other, as to what works best, where and how we implement our "presence" on line. Marketing your url is the ultimate use of it. Directing traffic to your site by letting the public know that it exists, by means other than on line SEO is vital to success on the Net.

~ ~ ~ Carolyne - Brampton real estate = http://www.carolyne.com

C . . . I Am Organized = http://www.TechOrganizer.com/
The CIAM should come packed with every computer sold. Do you know anyone who needs to get organized?
Make them a gift by sharing MyBackUpBook.com

I'm focusing my website and system as a way of automating tasks and doing some of the $8/hr mundane stuff automatically.

As far as SEO goes, if your site is built for the 21st century and seperates content from structure you will be miles ahead of everyone else. I am currently redoing my site to be able to be read on all kinds of devices and make sense to everyone all while loading fast and being easy for the search engine to spider. These things lead to people finding your site, which leads to contacts, which leads to sales.

-J

Can you elaborate on separation of content and structure and give me an example. Thank you so much!

A simply view.

For the purpose of explantation. There are two aspects to a web site, (1) web site layout which is how your web site will look and where and how your content will be displayed, (2) your content.

Lets take what is between your body tags which is where your content will be displayed.

Here is a typical separation. The layout and all the styles on how the headings, navigation and content, etc are in a separate css file, sometimes named style.css. This is correct semantic markup. Tables are only used for tabular data and not design. Notice it is human readable which makes it easy for SEs to spider and to be read on other web devices such as PDAs and cell phones. Thus separation of layout and content.

This may not fit in this discussion but---

Let's not loose sight of the fact that E-mail is a web function also and is a very effective tool for both capturing clients and follow-up. At least this is true in my Niche of REO Marketing.

As someone who comes from the technology side of things, I am looking for opportunities to apply technology to make peoples lives easier, solve problems and create opportunities.

Too often, the use of the web is caught up in "Bells and Whistles" that add complexity to the site but do not necessarily add value.

Let's keep the discussion to the topic. Invitations for others to critique your services have 2 unique forums designed for that purpose