Illusion Technologies: Web Site Developers

Ten Unobvious Ideas To Pull Visitors To Your Real Estate Agent
Web Site
By Catherine Franz

The number one key to getting business in the real estate home
sales market is to be the people’s first contact. The National
Association of Realtor’s last three surveys between 1999 to 2003
said, 66% of buyers stayed with the first real estate agent they
contacted yet only 6% of this number came from web sites. This
number is rising as people become more comfortable finding their
information on the Internet. There are three ways to show your
uniqueness on the Internet: words, pictures, and interactive
activities.

What is pulling prospects to visit your web site? You have
the obvious -- strategic alliances with lenders, title reps,
home inspectors, appraisers and attorneys. Here are ten ideas
that aren't obvious.

1. Use balloons at the open house. Print an action slogan on
the balloon along with your URL -- web site address. An action
slogan is very important, otherwise people will not know what
the URL is for. When attending an outdoor event, like a fair,
carry them, place them on your children’s arm so you can find
them, and hand them out. Take the balloons to the kids baseball
games or other sports. If traveling with balloons is difficult,
call the show’s event office and find out if there is going to
be someone there with the equipment for balloon blowing. When
you get there, give them a few dollars to blow a few up for you.

You can order all sizes and balloon shapes:
http://www.gopromos.com/store/category.asp?CL=101A1276A1292

2. On brochures add an action request, such as "Search all
area homes for sale anytime." Or change "anytime" to "24/7".
If you don't have this on your brochures, go to an office supply
store and pick up some colorful Avery labels, or maybe you have
some hanging around the office, and create them yourself. Also
add your URL to that action request. Go ahead and use the
stickers for a lock box action request, "If this house doesn't
fit your needs, visit [URL] for a complete search of other homes
in this area".

3. Home-For-Sale Signage. Does your for sale front lawn or
directional signs for the open house have your web site address
on them? If not, add them with along with an action request for
all those not quite ready that are driving by, or for those that
don't have the time to stop at that particular time.

4. Community bulletin boards. Grocery stores, libraries,
community centers. Post your business cards at minimum. Create
tear off tabs small flyers that fit within their requirements
with an action request and your URL.

5. "Honk, if you want to sell your home" can be a bumper
sticker or a clear sign for the side or rear top portion of the
back window.

6. Glow in the dark banners, stickers and auto stickers. Home
signage like: Visit [URL] for complete information on this
property. Make it a glow in the dark for night time visual
effectiveness.

7. What about the times that you don't have office duty? What
about setting up a table for 3-4 hours outside the grocery
stores. Add a nice table cloth, the balloons, and a large sign,
"Ask me anything about buying a home." Or, "Ask us anything
about selling a home." Switch approaches every few hours to see
which one fits best. I don't suggest to place both out there
unless there are two of you. Create tee- shirts with the same
action request along with the URL. Use a table covering that is
the same color as the tee-shirt to help support your message and
attractiveness.

8. Transit ads. What type of transportation is available in
the areas you focus in? Is there massive transit like buses or
metro? Don't forget taxi cabs, inside and out, as well as the
taxi stands. Find out where their direct phone lines are.
Sometimes, yet rare, you can place an Avery sticker next to.
One sign works with well if you have this ability on your web
site: "Take a virtual tour of our latest properties [URL]."

9. This one is something I dreamed up and it really works.
Rig a button that people can press on the side of your car
window that gives off a recording of the latest houses you
available for sale. Then park in obvious places for people to
see the button. Add a sign on the inside of the window giving
them permission to press the button. Caution, this doesn't work
with some car alarm systems.

10. Merchants. Where do you get your dry cleaning done? Hair
cuts, massages, or other frequented stores. Do you have some
favorite restaurants? Can you stock a business card holder by
the cash register? As a previous owner of restaurants, the one
I like best is when the real estate agent paid for part of or
the whole cost of the menus. In exchange we allowed them to
create some marketing information on the menus.

Testing is always important when trying new things. In
selling real estate, uniqueness is the key. As said in the
latest National Association of Realtors 2003 survey, most people
perceive all real estate agents as being the same. But you know
you aren't. Yet, how are you showing it? Be comfortable with
being uncomfortable. Create play and fun and stretch with your
marketing. Let it be as unique as you are and then smile all
the way to the bank.

About the Author: Catherine Franz, business coach. Previously
a real estate agent and exec with National Association of
Realtors. Additional articles and ideas about marketing to
attract business: http://www.abundancecenter.com Blog:
http://abundance.blogs.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com