You've outlined your marketing budget for 1999. How does Internet marketing fit in?

Here’s one way to find out.

First, list this year’s main ad budget categories. These might include: Newspaper ads, door hangers, direct mail to farm lists, business cards, letterhead, brochures, signs, flyers, photos, etc. Each category should have sub-heads, so under "Newspaper," you might have, Los Angeles Times, The Register, Home Town Newspaper, etc., then under those you might have Business Card-sized ad; listing ads, classified ads, etc.

Alongside each subhead you make two columns. In the first one, you write the dollar total of what you spent this year. In the second column you write what you think you ought to spend next year. When you are done, you have a basis for planning your promotional budget for 1999 - except for that new category - "Internet marketing."

You arrive at your Internet ad budget by first factoring in the "essentials" that you need in order to avoid losing share of market to the growing number of Realtors® getting into web marketing.

If you don’t yet have a web site, get one made. Budget at least $1,000. Sorry, that’s what it takes for even a minimally-effective site. Then add monthly charges from an ISP for hosting the site at about $40/month or $480/year. Budget an additional $500 for changes you’ll want your web site designer to make during the year.

You’ll need "bridge site ads" to drive consumers to your site. Bridge site ads are your links in big real estate home/agent search sites. When a consumer clicks on your link in a bridge site, they go to your web site. Here are the essential bridge sites to be in:

(Prices are approximations): Your link and photo in NAR’s Realtor.com site: $250. Why? Because Realtor.com likely gets used by more consumers nationwide to find homes and agents than any other site on the Web. If you’re not there, you’ll certainly lose sales to other agents in your town who do have a link there.

Homeseekers.com: $180. Why? Same as above. And, they update listings twice daily.

You’ll even get a full page site for your money which, in effect, gives you a second web site to help you get found. Homeseekers just bought Genstar Media, a popular web site design firm (http://www.genstarmedia.com.) They’re publicly traded, too (HMSK) and I regularly buy their stock.

Ired.com: (International Real Estate Directory) This monster site, with agents listed by county/city, offers a free basic link, and enhanced ones for only $100/year. Go for enhanced and stand out above other agents in your area. Smart consumers seek agents though the local Board of Realtors. Be there waiting. $39/year for an "e-card," (mini-web page) linked to your web site.

Listinglink.com. Basic presence costs about $140/year for a "bronze" page that gives you an additional web site besides your main one. Just go to it and fill in your details.

HomeAdvisor.com. The AgentFirst program on HomeAdvisor offers free agent contact information with listings. Also see the new Partner's Center which offers marketing assistance to agents and brokers. At the writing, the initial word is that costs for agent presence per-city may be somewhat high. But, given Microsoft’s ad budget, HomeAdvisor may quickly become a consumer favorite, thus worth the cost.

Other major home/agent search sites include Homescout.com, Cyberhomes.com, Homesite.com, followed by dozens of lesser ones. Some offer free links that you should get to direct people to your main site, plus enhanced links (at reasonable prices) that place your name atop those of other agents serving your city or region.

Very Important: Have a link or banner ad in the real estate section of your local community web site such as http://www.sanclemente.com. Consumers search for homes and agents by city, so be sure you are one of the agents there to gain an edge on your peers.

The sites highlighted above are only the basic ones that you ought to be in if you want to compete with web-savvy Realtors. If you’re one of the ones who got a site just so you can say that you have one, ignore everything said above. But recognize what you’re doing with your decision.

Right now, only 20% of Americans regularly use the web. But the number of regular users will skyrocket in the next few years. Unless you plan on retiring very soon, you’ll need to "get with it" regarding web marketing or keep losing share of market to peers.

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