RISMEDIA, July 9, 2010—Web marketing continues to be a hot-button topic. There’s no doubt that given the attention being paid to this topic, this is the year to refocus, reinvent and retool your business. Those who do will no doubt succeed.
Here are five questions to focus on. Follow these tips and you will be able to seize the incredible opportunity to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.
1. What is the biggest mistake that Realtors make when it comes to Web marketing strategy? Your website should reach out and connect with the mindset of today’s home buyers and home sellers. It’s important to understand that it’s not just about doing general marketing (running an ad, farming with a postcard or having a simple website). It’s about having a targeted niche in real estate and then having your market message support that niche. Buyers and sellers do not want to work with a “Jack of all trades;” they want to work with someone who is highly experienced for what they need. Just like if you have a heart condition. A family physician is great, but if you need heart surgery you are going to go to the best surgeon.
2. How can I raise my lead generation and conversion rate? It’s not about having a website; it’s about having a strategy that connects with the type of consumer you want to work with. The three strongest elements in your overall Web strategy are:
-A personally branded IDX solution (advanced to capture leads and target market)
-An e-mail follow-up campaign to incubate the buyer during their home search process
-A marriage between all your offline marketing to your Web marketing so there is consistency between the two. This system will provide amazing results.
3. How can I improve my site’s search-engine ranking?
Step 1: Make sure you have a website that has the core components for natural search engine optimization. Your site needs to have the ability to hold unique title tags and descriptions for each individual page. It should also have a site map.
Step 2: Make sure you can add unlimited pages to support a niche and target market you are going after and have a built-in blog so that when you blog, you have new content being added to the structure of the site.
4. How often should my website be updated? You should revisit your website’s focus every six months. The core (main content pages) content is the foundation and by adding additional content and weaving in unique offerings (like the recent home buyer tax credit) it allows your site to stay cutting edge.
5. What is the one part of my strategy I should be sure to do every month? Add at least one content page about a town, a featured community or property types that exist in your market. On the page, include a search to see properties through your IDX so that the consumer sees exactly what they want.
Tricia Andreassen is the CEO/Founder of Pro Step Marketing, a leader in brand and Web strategy for the real estate industry. As an industry expert, speaker and author, she has over 19 years’ experience in helping Realtors grow their business.
For more information, visit www.prostepmarketing.com.
