Internet Marketing

You don’t have to be tech-savvy to publish your own email newsletter. There are many email service providers like Aweber.com that do virtually everything but create the content for you. You simply need to write good content, add it to the template, and click “send.” The software does everything for you – from making sure everyone who receives your newsletter opted-in to receive it, to handling any unsubscribe requests, to tracking how many people opened your newsletter. read full entry

If you want your real estate website to rank well in search engines, you must have great website content. One of the best ways to drive traffic to your site is to write articles about the home buying and selling process, your local real estate market, and other related topics.

Writing articles doesn’t have to be difficult or painful. Even if you hate writing, you can create great website content with the following article writing template. read full entry

You probably realize that if you hope to turn your website into a lead generating machine, you’ll need to focus on two things: (1) getting high-quality, targeted traffic to your website and (2) getting those visitors who are interested in your services to raise their hands in some way (such as calling you, filling out a web form, or joining your mailing list) to let you know they are interested. Here are nine ways you can get more traffic to your website. read full entry

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), over 80% of residential real estate sales start online. Yet an NAR report from May 2009 states that the typical NAR member “received four inquiries over the past year from a personal Web site, which accounted for 3 percent of their business.”

Why is there such a discrepancy with how prospects search for real estate information and real estate agents getting so few leads and inquiries from their websites? Clearly, the typical real estate website is not effective. Here are three steps you can take to transition your website into a lead capturing marketing tool. read full entry

From the comments:

I have a website that I have spent long hours making it and adding information to it. I also get a stream of about 2,500 visitors a month, but I don’t have anyone emailing me about any questions or just anything. So far I have had two contacts. Tell me what else do I need or do to improve. Thank you.

Sargon, it sounds like you are doing a number of things right.

• You’re providing lots of good information.
• You give away free reports to attract buyers and sellers.
• You offer several ways for people to contact you.
• You’re looking for ways to convert visitors to leads.

You’ve realized that traffic is virtually useless unless you can convert those visitors into leads, which means you’re off to a great start. So how can you start generating more leads from your website? read full entry

One of the best ways to differentiate yourself from other agents is to offer more value for your commission than what other agents are providing. One easy way to do this is to create a website for your client’s home with its own unique domain name. These types of websites are quick and easy to set up – and because you can add virtually unlimited information to the page, you can use the website as a marketing hub for the home. read full entry

This is the feature article in this week’s RealtyBiz Agent Success Newsletter.

Online advertising is becoming more popular among small businesses that want their site to display on the first page of search results for specific keywords. Pay-per-click advertising is a great way for businesses to do just that. PPC advertising allows websites to list their sites in search engines almost immediately by setting up an advertising campaign that displays your ads on the major search engines. read full entry

This is the feature article in this week’s RealtyBiz Agent Success Newsletter.

Have you ever wondered why only a handful of real estate sites generate tons of leads while the vast majority of sites hardly ever do? The secret to their success isn’t rocket science – it’s what they focus on.

Most agents decide they need a website because their competitors have one. So what’s the first thing they focus on? What the site should look like.

Not surprisingly, agents want their sites to look attractive and professional, with lots of bells and whistles, animations, and graphics. Next, they realize they need some content for the site, so they add information about their credentials, services, listing information, and processes. read full entry

This is a bonus sixth step in the continuing series on how new agents can successfully break into the real estate market. (FYI disclosure: I use a few affiliate links throughout this article.)

I’ll close this series by going back to Mike’s original question. As a new agent, if I had $2500, how would I spend it? read full entry

In previous posts, I’ve talked about mistakes real estate agents make with their websites and how to make your site more useful to visitors. In this post, I’ll discuss how to make your site more personal.

People do business with those they know, like and trust. They want to know who you are – not just that you have local real estate knowledge and experience but that you’re an honest, trustworthy person who will help them complete one of the most confusing and stressful transactions of their lives. Here’s how you can connect with prospects through your site. read full entry