Ninety-two million Americans and Canadians, or 40 percent of the
population over the age of 16, report they use the Web according
to the 1999 Commerce Net/Nielsen
Media Research study. Over 550,000 new consumers, are "getting on the net"
each month. That is over 18,000 per day!
I am willing to bet that almost every single one of those people
will use the Internet to search for their next home, their next
real estate agent, and buyer and seller information. Real estate
agents are recognizing that in order to prosper in the future,
they must become familiar with the Internet now! Agents also now
recognize that having their own web site is becoming a necessity
if they are to stay abreast with the competition and not become
marginalized.
Some agents enjoy great success from their web site and others
do not. What do the successful agents do differently? Agents
everywhere are searching for the magic formula for Internet success! Is
there a magic formula? There sure is! As with all formulas, there are
many ingredients that have to be included. If you leave out just
one, the formula doesn't work the way it should.
Most real estate web sites proclaim "Here's who we are and what
we sell." It is clear that such sites are written from the
agents's point of view. The most effective web sites design
from the buyer of the agent's services point of view!
A buyer-oriented site takes into consideration all buyer needs,
actions, and motivations. The site must first and foremost be
informative, easy to navigate, interactive, and friendly.
In order to tap into the buyer's perspective you must identify
the most important key words and phrases used by buyers
of your services. Then develop titles and write descriptions
that include these keywords and highlight the features and
benefits of your services.
Destination web pages that provide the information and services
to fill the prospect's needs must be created. Ask yourself -
"Who are my clients? What do they want/need to know?" The
answers will determine the content of your site.
Most importantly, you must obtain high search engine listings
for these important key words and phrases. This can only be done
by incorporating certain elements and content into your site at
the time the site is produced. Merely submitting your site to
search engines does not result in good placement.
A prospect almost always starts their buying process at the
search engines. Legitimate prospects, those looking to buy or
sell, type in a text version of their problem on one of the
various search engines. For every search your prospective
customer does while in this buying mode, a link to your web site should
appear on the first page or two of the various search engines.
This link to your web site MUST appear in the first couple of
pages of search engine results or a prospective customer will
rarely find you! The more search engines your site places well
in, the easier it is for prospective customers to find you.
Not so long ago, merely having a web site and submitting it to
the search engines was enough to cause an agent's site to be
visited by potential customers. Not anymore!
With the plethora of web sites vieing for search engine position,
and prospects' attention, it is no wonder more and more agents
are seeking professional web services and signing up for web
products that have proven to be effective, like the
House and Home Real Estate
Pages, rather than opting for free web pages and do-it-yourself web design.
Failing to use an experienced web page provider can leave an
agent in the same boat as a hapless FSBO - without the knowledge and
expertise to benefit from their expense and labors. Agents can
gain some of that knowledge and expertise and find more great tips
for designing a promoting their web site at the Agents Online Real Estate Idea Center,
which has eleven searcheable real estate forums full of the thoughts and
experiences of agents who have enjoyed success on
the Internet.
Follow all the ingredients of the Magic Formula For Net Success,
and reap the rewards of having an presence on the internet!
Related Articles:
How to Make Search Engines Find Your Web Page
The Internet Makes a Good Agent Better
Successful Farming: From Snail Mail to E-mail
Do You Want Traffic or Qualified Leads on Your Web Site?
Technology Integral to REALTOR® Success, Studies Show
Published: July 7, 1999
Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws -- http://www.loc.gov/copyright.
Related Articles:
How to Build Online Top of Mind Awareness
Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Doug Towes only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.
Copyright © 1999
Realty Times®. All Rights Reserved.
