Friday, May 1, 2009

What would you do with 500 - 1000 fresh page views per day?

Realtors need to embrace technology. We need to be abreast of new improvements that let us reach out to find Buyers for Listings, Sellers to List and Realtors to network for future referral business.

Websites provide an incredible marketing opportunity to showcase your talents and skills.
You can acquire a templated website or custom design a functional showcase for yourself. Both have benefits. Both have limitations.

My personal website journey began some six years ago when I acquired a point2agent site and added a templated site and waited for the Buyers and Sellers to find me. I received hundred of calls from SEO optimizations companies that would rank me First on Google for the paltry sum of $800 to $1,500 per month.

If their efforts ceased, what would happen to my website traffic?

Like a car on cruise control, (where there is no renewing content) You simply run out of gas and slow peacefully to a dead stop.

Everything that I have done online has been for free. It takes time and energy to SEO optimize a website and I can share a number of simple points with you here.

First, You need to create content in your website that is not advertorial about YOU. The website is not about you. The website is the market you serve and the services you provide. If you are looking for a car online you will not see the saleman's cheery smile on every page of content. The car will not flash, shimmer, dance before your eyes. It will be displayed from every conceivable angle to highlite the car's features.

We need to apply this lesson to real estate. Showcase the home. Feature the property, Highlite the exteriors. Display the benefits.

Advertise your items for sale. There are dozens if not hundreds of FREE, Yes FREE websites online that need and crave content for their own readership. Syndicate your ads to a number of different websites to gain readership that would not necessarily cross your path. Advertise yourself and your services on these sites and how you are a benefit to the owner.

Blogging- well Blogging is Blogging. there is a whole world that can gain you readership and credibility in a community by blogging about 1,000's of different blogging ideas. I'll leave that to you. Google free blogging ideas. You willl be innundated with things to draw concepts and ideas. Whether your choice is to blog about family and events or real estate matters exclusively is a personal choice. Everything is for good.

Directories and Links Back Links to your site. It is imperative, and normal that in the course of posting content, that you hyperlink to sites that are the source of your authority. (Remember footnotes on an essay?) This now extends further into Listing yourself on every directory that permits free postings. They KEY is free. The backlink directory can also become your own national referral network.

Make use of Google analytics to view and monitor the sources of traffic. What keywords are they searching for? Which websites directed them to you. Thats where you need to develop content and fine tune your webpages and landing pages.

Read and Google all the information you need to educate and increase your level of awareness about the tasks to drive your website successfully. If have never driven a car you understand the concept of driving but in reality you have no experience if no one tells you need to start the car first.

Many companies are offering the holy grail of traffic. Traffic without content does not convert. Conversion is measured tangibly by the number of people who sign in for something on your website or start an email dialogue with you. Do you wish to have 20 - 40 new prospects cross your (email) desk every month? Do you want the phone to ring with Buyers and Sellers who do not want to be bothered emailing you and want an immediate voice response.

Oh My Gosh, An agent who actually wants Prospects to call them. What a marvelous concept.

When you started in real estate you needed to learn new skills. On the MLS you needed to learn new systems. With website you need to learn how to code and load pages. Develop a focus or theme for your online presence. Participate with Active Rain, follow me on Twitter, Maybe you would like to video broadcast yourself on Youtube and reach a new audience.

I welcome your comments and experiences. What is your unique service proposition? Mine is online.

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