This will be the first part in a series on how to enhance your business using Google’s many tools and gadgets. Today we are going to talk about adding your business to Google Maps.
http://maps.google.com is a program that allows users to search for business listings, get driving directions, add real estate for sale (which will be the focus of our next article), and much, much more. The ease and handiness of Google maps allows you to type in a simple search term such as “traverse city virtual tour company”, and Google will bring up a list of companies with their information and their exact location on the map.
To optimize your business using Google the first thing you will want to do is to verify your site with Google. You can do so by logging in to your Google account via: Google Webmaster.
Make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to provide details about your business to Google and potential customers for that matter. This consists of:
Required Information - All your basic information such as your company name and description, address and phone number. Users (aka: potential clients) will be able to view this, so check for errors and make sure to peak their interest! For the best SEO be sure your company name and company description contains priority keywords that you want your business to be found under.
Hours & Payment - Add hours of operation and forms of payment you accept.
Photos - A newer feature recently added by Google. This allows businesses to upload 10 photos to their profile. Showcase those panoramas!
Custom Attributes - Be as descriptive as you want. You can add all kinds of custom attributes to your business. I suggest an “areas served” and a “schedule a tour” section.
Reviews - Now anyone can log in and post a review next to a business listing, but Google also incorporates reviews from a variety of other online sites.
Coupons - Google Maps also has the ability for your business to feature coupons. What better way to showcase your virtual tour company?
Google Maps demonstrates how the presence of local search is continuing to expand online, offering user’s instant access to business contact information, maps, directions, reviews, photos, and so much more than traditional directories have been able to offer. Even if you do not have a website or work out of your home your virtual tour company can still take advantage of this fantastic way to optimize your business.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Clarifying Homeowners expectations
Excerpt from Steve Harney’s, paper on Broker Agents News
The challenge for realtors is the homeowner's perception of what their home should sell for. As recent as June 2007, a survey by the Boston Consulting Group found that fifty-five percent of American homeowners believe their home is worth more today than it was one year ago. In reality, in virtually all locations, home values have gone down.
Unfortunately, some real estate agents, who see their income decline as the number of home sales go down, are now operating in a state of fear. As a result, when they meet with prospective clients, they may be concerned they won't get the listing (and thus not get a commission), so they tell clients what they want to hear - namely that their home will sell for top dollar in record time. Then when the house doesn't sell and the client agrees to lower the price, the client/professional relationship becomes strained. Clients can't help but feel their agent gave them inaccurate information. 2
To truly shine as a real estate agent today, you simply need to educate yourself on the realities of the market and then tell each client the truth. Help clients understand where the pricing used to be, where it is today, where it will likely be three months from now, and most importantly, why it is that way. Only then will clients be able to make a realistic pricing decision that will enable you to help get their home sold.
1. Increased inventory
As owners se the market declining they started placing their properties to sell. This allows buyers to have a better negotiating opportunity, and tends to lower prices.
2. Increased mortgage rates
In the last months mortgage rates has increased and this disqualifies customers. Also some mortgage companies have closed their doors.
3. Increased mortgage restrictions
Now buyers need not only a down-payment but a very good credit to qualify. This again reduces the number of possible customers that can buy your house.
4 Increased vacancy rates
A lot of people bought homes in the supposition that the increased value of the home will allow them to make an easy profit in very little time with the turn around of the market a lot of this house are being sold at a loss affecting the other properties in the neighborhood.
5 Increased foreclosures
If one house forecloses in a neighborhood process go down 5% if 8 houses foreclose prices go down 20%. We are expecting a big number of houses foreclosing in the following years. If you have any doubts go to Broker Agent Foreclosures and check foreclosures in your area.
The New Era of Real Estate Sales
If someone wants to sell their home for a decent price, they have to list now - not three months from now and certainly not a year from now.
So when you conduct your next listing presentation, be sure to educate yourself on these five factors, and then explain how these factors impact your clients' selling decision. Let clients know the realities of the market and what their home will likely sell for given these five considerations.
1. Harney, Steve, Managing Homeowner's Expectations Broker Agent News E-Letter - Updated for Sept. 30, 2007
The challenge for realtors is the homeowner's perception of what their home should sell for. As recent as June 2007, a survey by the Boston Consulting Group found that fifty-five percent of American homeowners believe their home is worth more today than it was one year ago. In reality, in virtually all locations, home values have gone down.
Unfortunately, some real estate agents, who see their income decline as the number of home sales go down, are now operating in a state of fear. As a result, when they meet with prospective clients, they may be concerned they won't get the listing (and thus not get a commission), so they tell clients what they want to hear - namely that their home will sell for top dollar in record time. Then when the house doesn't sell and the client agrees to lower the price, the client/professional relationship becomes strained. Clients can't help but feel their agent gave them inaccurate information. 2
To truly shine as a real estate agent today, you simply need to educate yourself on the realities of the market and then tell each client the truth. Help clients understand where the pricing used to be, where it is today, where it will likely be three months from now, and most importantly, why it is that way. Only then will clients be able to make a realistic pricing decision that will enable you to help get their home sold.
1. Increased inventory
As owners se the market declining they started placing their properties to sell. This allows buyers to have a better negotiating opportunity, and tends to lower prices.
2. Increased mortgage rates
In the last months mortgage rates has increased and this disqualifies customers. Also some mortgage companies have closed their doors.
3. Increased mortgage restrictions
Now buyers need not only a down-payment but a very good credit to qualify. This again reduces the number of possible customers that can buy your house.
4 Increased vacancy rates
A lot of people bought homes in the supposition that the increased value of the home will allow them to make an easy profit in very little time with the turn around of the market a lot of this house are being sold at a loss affecting the other properties in the neighborhood.
5 Increased foreclosures
If one house forecloses in a neighborhood process go down 5% if 8 houses foreclose prices go down 20%. We are expecting a big number of houses foreclosing in the following years. If you have any doubts go to Broker Agent Foreclosures and check foreclosures in your area.
The New Era of Real Estate Sales
If someone wants to sell their home for a decent price, they have to list now - not three months from now and certainly not a year from now.
So when you conduct your next listing presentation, be sure to educate yourself on these five factors, and then explain how these factors impact your clients' selling decision. Let clients know the realities of the market and what their home will likely sell for given these five considerations.
1. Harney, Steve, Managing Homeowner's Expectations Broker Agent News E-Letter - Updated for Sept. 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Your cheapest and more effective marketing tool
The importance of becoming a good listener
1. Good listeners use their thought speed to advantage. They constantly apply their spare thinking to what is being said:
a. Are the speaker’s facts accurate?
b. Do they come from an unprejudiced source?
c. What are the speaker’s motives?
d. What has the speaker left out?
e. Is the speaker dealing in facts or inferences?
f. Am I getting the full picture or only what will prove the speaker’s point?
2. Good listeners try to find something interesting in what is being said, something that can be used to help create a new idea or solution or be used in some other way.
a. What is the speaker saying that I need to know?
b. Is that really a practical idea?
c. Is the speaker reporting anything I don’t know?
3. Good listeners avoid getting too excited about a speaker’s point until they are certain they have heard it through and understand it.
4. Good listeners concentrate and instinctively fight distraction. They close a door, turn off the radio and interrupt only when it is necessary to clear up one point before proceeding to another.
5. Good listeners focus their attention on a central idea or theme. This helps them to remember the facts cited.
6. Good listeners restate and summarize the speaker’s point of view. They also look into the speaker’s face and maintain eye contact.
7. Good listeners enable the speaker to express what the speaker has in mind and thus make the speaker more able to give listeners the information they need.
1. Good listeners use their thought speed to advantage. They constantly apply their spare thinking to what is being said:
a. Are the speaker’s facts accurate?
b. Do they come from an unprejudiced source?
c. What are the speaker’s motives?
d. What has the speaker left out?
e. Is the speaker dealing in facts or inferences?
f. Am I getting the full picture or only what will prove the speaker’s point?
2. Good listeners try to find something interesting in what is being said, something that can be used to help create a new idea or solution or be used in some other way.
a. What is the speaker saying that I need to know?
b. Is that really a practical idea?
c. Is the speaker reporting anything I don’t know?
3. Good listeners avoid getting too excited about a speaker’s point until they are certain they have heard it through and understand it.
4. Good listeners concentrate and instinctively fight distraction. They close a door, turn off the radio and interrupt only when it is necessary to clear up one point before proceeding to another.
5. Good listeners focus their attention on a central idea or theme. This helps them to remember the facts cited.
6. Good listeners restate and summarize the speaker’s point of view. They also look into the speaker’s face and maintain eye contact.
7. Good listeners enable the speaker to express what the speaker has in mind and thus make the speaker more able to give listeners the information they need.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Importance of Search Engine Optimization
Post quest technologies recently published this article that I am just making available to you.
So, would you like to know more about search engine optimization (SEO)?
Not sure? Not sure you should even care?
Well, let me ask you this: when someone searches for homes in your area on the Internet, would you like your website to be the first result to show up? In a nutshell, would you like to drive more traffic to your website?
If so, then this post is for you. Furthermore…
In a recent post I wrote an extensive article about creating a real estate marketing plan and…just recently realized that I failed to mention SEO in the web marketing portion.
Here’s why SEO is important to you and your website and SHOULD NOT be a strategy left out of your marketing plan:
In 2005 the NAR reports that nearly eight out of ten home buyers start their home search online. More importantly, as noted in an earlier study, 76% percent of people used the first agent they contacted.
That means if you can be the top agent on Google for home searches in your area, then you’ll hog all the business. Which means a lot in our 2007 belt tightening market.
Before you get started, however, the first thing you need to decide is whether you or somebody else is going to optimize your site.
You might be the type who likes to tinker with your website or you might be someone who doesn’t. If you don’t, then choose a seo company or consultant. (I don’t have any recommendations at the moment, so you’re on your own.)
After that, get to work…and keep some of these the following ideas in mind as you pursue your seo marketing strategy.
Eye tracking studies have shown that searchers scan a search results page from top to bottom and left to right, looking for a relevant result. Placement at or near the top of the rankings therefore increases the number of searchers who will visit a site. Cool, not-to-be-missed heat map stuff.
However, more search engine referrals does not guarantee more sales. SEO is not necessarily an appropriate strategy for every website, and other Internet marketing strategies can be much more effective, depending on the site operator’s goals. You make the decision, but my feeling is that every agent website should be optimized. This article is just to make you aware of those OTHER things, like viral marketing, out there to drive traffic to your site.
A successful Internet marketing campaign may drive organic search results to pages, but it also may involve the use of paid advertising on search engines and other pages, building high quality web pages to engage and persuade, addressing technical issues that may keep search engines from crawling and indexing those sites, setting up analytics programs to enable site owners to measure their successes, and, most importantly, improving a site’s conversion rate.
SEO also should, obviously, generate a return on investment. However, search engines are not paid for organic search traffic, their algorithms change, and there are no guarantees of continued referrals. Due to this lack of guarantees and certainty, a business that relies heavily on search engine traffic can suffer major losses if the search engines stop sending visitors. That’s why SEO should be one strategy among many that drives traffic to your site.
In addition to paid search listings, websites also often receive search traffic from free, so-called organic listings. These visitors are obviously no problem, except that you can’t count on them as a sustainable strategy, since organic listings can change without notice.
According to notable technologist Jakob Nielsen, website operators should liberate themselves from dependence on search engine traffic because of this fact. That is, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
And remember this: three or four months down the road, when you’ve got some mileage on your seo strategy, let me know how you are doing. Okay?
Here’s to your SEO success!
ref: Postquest technologies
So, would you like to know more about search engine optimization (SEO)?
Not sure? Not sure you should even care?
Well, let me ask you this: when someone searches for homes in your area on the Internet, would you like your website to be the first result to show up? In a nutshell, would you like to drive more traffic to your website?
If so, then this post is for you. Furthermore…
In a recent post I wrote an extensive article about creating a real estate marketing plan and…just recently realized that I failed to mention SEO in the web marketing portion.
Here’s why SEO is important to you and your website and SHOULD NOT be a strategy left out of your marketing plan:
In 2005 the NAR reports that nearly eight out of ten home buyers start their home search online. More importantly, as noted in an earlier study, 76% percent of people used the first agent they contacted.
That means if you can be the top agent on Google for home searches in your area, then you’ll hog all the business. Which means a lot in our 2007 belt tightening market.
Before you get started, however, the first thing you need to decide is whether you or somebody else is going to optimize your site.
You might be the type who likes to tinker with your website or you might be someone who doesn’t. If you don’t, then choose a seo company or consultant. (I don’t have any recommendations at the moment, so you’re on your own.)
After that, get to work…and keep some of these the following ideas in mind as you pursue your seo marketing strategy.
Eye tracking studies have shown that searchers scan a search results page from top to bottom and left to right, looking for a relevant result. Placement at or near the top of the rankings therefore increases the number of searchers who will visit a site. Cool, not-to-be-missed heat map stuff.
However, more search engine referrals does not guarantee more sales. SEO is not necessarily an appropriate strategy for every website, and other Internet marketing strategies can be much more effective, depending on the site operator’s goals. You make the decision, but my feeling is that every agent website should be optimized. This article is just to make you aware of those OTHER things, like viral marketing, out there to drive traffic to your site.
A successful Internet marketing campaign may drive organic search results to pages, but it also may involve the use of paid advertising on search engines and other pages, building high quality web pages to engage and persuade, addressing technical issues that may keep search engines from crawling and indexing those sites, setting up analytics programs to enable site owners to measure their successes, and, most importantly, improving a site’s conversion rate.
SEO also should, obviously, generate a return on investment. However, search engines are not paid for organic search traffic, their algorithms change, and there are no guarantees of continued referrals. Due to this lack of guarantees and certainty, a business that relies heavily on search engine traffic can suffer major losses if the search engines stop sending visitors. That’s why SEO should be one strategy among many that drives traffic to your site.
In addition to paid search listings, websites also often receive search traffic from free, so-called organic listings. These visitors are obviously no problem, except that you can’t count on them as a sustainable strategy, since organic listings can change without notice.
According to notable technologist Jakob Nielsen, website operators should liberate themselves from dependence on search engine traffic because of this fact. That is, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
And remember this: three or four months down the road, when you’ve got some mileage on your seo strategy, let me know how you are doing. Okay?
Here’s to your SEO success!
ref: Postquest technologies
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
How to promote yourself?
Viral marketing is a marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily.[2] Viral promotions may take the form of funny video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, images, or even text messages.
It is claimed that a satisfied customer tells an average of three people about a product or service he/she likes, and eleven people about a product or service which he/she did not like.[3] Viral marketing is based on this natural human behaviour.
This is a great, low-cost way to spread an idea, your name, your brand because if you have the right ingredients your idea can take off and spread like wild fire…without you even breaking a sweat.
One of the most popular campaigns we picked was created on a $1000 budget. A few others were created by in-house shops or single-man operations. That’s not to say you shouldn’t hire an experienced viral agency to help (many of the best are represented here too.) But, if you can’t afford it and you are a *very* clever and/or lucky marketer, viral can still be do-it-yourself tactic.
Now…for that list. Real estate agents of all stripes–prepare to be inspired!
1. Known as “Real Estate’s Greatest Sales Legend,” the slimy Ted Truit and his interactive website (quiz and all!) created a firestorm of response from Virginia REALTORS, and birthed an effective image campaign for VAR.
So try to demonstrate why you are totally different from your competition. One way is to use your business card placing as many testimonials from previous clients as possible on the other side.
It is claimed that a satisfied customer tells an average of three people about a product or service he/she likes, and eleven people about a product or service which he/she did not like.[3] Viral marketing is based on this natural human behaviour.
This is a great, low-cost way to spread an idea, your name, your brand because if you have the right ingredients your idea can take off and spread like wild fire…without you even breaking a sweat.
One of the most popular campaigns we picked was created on a $1000 budget. A few others were created by in-house shops or single-man operations. That’s not to say you shouldn’t hire an experienced viral agency to help (many of the best are represented here too.) But, if you can’t afford it and you are a *very* clever and/or lucky marketer, viral can still be do-it-yourself tactic.
Now…for that list. Real estate agents of all stripes–prepare to be inspired!
1. Known as “Real Estate’s Greatest Sales Legend,” the slimy Ted Truit and his interactive website (quiz and all!) created a firestorm of response from Virginia REALTORS, and birthed an effective image campaign for VAR.
So try to demonstrate why you are totally different from your competition. One way is to use your business card placing as many testimonials from previous clients as possible on the other side.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Disclaimer
This blog is provided by the Virtual Florida Tours to provide visitors and clients with information about real estate marketing that can foster professional and/or personal development.
Virtual Florida Tours disclaims responsibility for any of the content or opinions expressed on this blog, including, but not limited to content or opinions regarding any products or service mentioned on the blog.
Virtual Florida Tours disclaims liability for any damages or losses, direct or indirect, that may result from use of or reliance on information contained in the blog.
This blog may contain links to other Web sites operated by third parties. These links are provided as a convenience to access the information contained therein. Virtual Florida Tours has not reviewed all of the information on other sites and disclaims any responsibility for the content of any other sites or the products or services that may be offered on or through those sites. Inclusion of a link to another site does not indicate any endorsement or approval of the site or its content.
Virtual Florida Tours reserves the right to edit, remove or deny access to individuals or content that it determines to be unacceptable, including, but not limited to, any abusive, profane, rude, defamatory, or anonymous comments.
Blogarama
Virtual Florida Tours disclaims responsibility for any of the content or opinions expressed on this blog, including, but not limited to content or opinions regarding any products or service mentioned on the blog.
Virtual Florida Tours disclaims liability for any damages or losses, direct or indirect, that may result from use of or reliance on information contained in the blog.
This blog may contain links to other Web sites operated by third parties. These links are provided as a convenience to access the information contained therein. Virtual Florida Tours has not reviewed all of the information on other sites and disclaims any responsibility for the content of any other sites or the products or services that may be offered on or through those sites. Inclusion of a link to another site does not indicate any endorsement or approval of the site or its content.
Virtual Florida Tours reserves the right to edit, remove or deny access to individuals or content that it determines to be unacceptable, including, but not limited to, any abusive, profane, rude, defamatory, or anonymous comments.
Blogarama
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
How to make your online presence more effective?
Due to the trend of consumers starting all their research for houses on the Internet it is a must to have an effective Internet presence.
You should make emphasis on the specific information of your neighborhood, the real state trends, developments and HOA. Include any information that makes your neighborhood unique. DO NOT try to match regional or national websites this is tempting but it is a bad idea. Focus on being local that is your advantage.
Focus in no more that three key areas and do them well. If you do sellers your webpage should include information on recent sales, remodeling tips and home valuation services. Make your site the best place for consumers in you target area. Make emphasis on these three areas in the front page of your website and how exceptional quality of information they will find there.
DO NOT hide information remember consumers are in oyur site seeking for information they are not there to know you. Share the data and you will give them a sense of reciprocity this will make the consumer more willing to engage you and trust your motives, therefore they will be more willingly to share their information when asked.
In order to keep them coming you have to offer newsletters, saved MLS searches, and quarterly home valuations or they will not come back. Remember to build trust. Don’t overwhelm visitors with your personal information or sales statistics. ALWAYS explain why you are requesting personal information and state upfront you will respect their privacy.
Periodically remove your real estate hat and think like a consumer. Go to your website and experience it as a consumer will do. What will a seller be looking for? What about a buyer or someone looking to relocate? Since your site can not be everything for everyone. Be sure that it appeals your market area.
Consumers use the internet because it is more privet, efficient, eliminates unwanted marketing, and provides the needed local information. If you want to attract consumers to your website or email newsletter, you must match their needs.
Points to remember: The site must be kept simple, the key data should be emphasized, you should specifically explain your privacy protections and local information should be easily accessible to your audience. Try this and you will have online success.
You should make emphasis on the specific information of your neighborhood, the real state trends, developments and HOA. Include any information that makes your neighborhood unique. DO NOT try to match regional or national websites this is tempting but it is a bad idea. Focus on being local that is your advantage.
Focus in no more that three key areas and do them well. If you do sellers your webpage should include information on recent sales, remodeling tips and home valuation services. Make your site the best place for consumers in you target area. Make emphasis on these three areas in the front page of your website and how exceptional quality of information they will find there.
DO NOT hide information remember consumers are in oyur site seeking for information they are not there to know you. Share the data and you will give them a sense of reciprocity this will make the consumer more willing to engage you and trust your motives, therefore they will be more willingly to share their information when asked.
In order to keep them coming you have to offer newsletters, saved MLS searches, and quarterly home valuations or they will not come back. Remember to build trust. Don’t overwhelm visitors with your personal information or sales statistics. ALWAYS explain why you are requesting personal information and state upfront you will respect their privacy.
Periodically remove your real estate hat and think like a consumer. Go to your website and experience it as a consumer will do. What will a seller be looking for? What about a buyer or someone looking to relocate? Since your site can not be everything for everyone. Be sure that it appeals your market area.
Consumers use the internet because it is more privet, efficient, eliminates unwanted marketing, and provides the needed local information. If you want to attract consumers to your website or email newsletter, you must match their needs.
Points to remember: The site must be kept simple, the key data should be emphasized, you should specifically explain your privacy protections and local information should be easily accessible to your audience. Try this and you will have online success.
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