Archive for August, 2006
Another Domain Registrar Issue
· CommentsAs you know, we host a reseller domain for GoDaddy at www.GIWIDomains.com. Here’s another good reason to join us at that site.
I just changed the DNS Servers on a client’s domain name to point to a new real estate website host. The domain name was registered through Network Solutions.
I was shocked to find that as soon as I made the change to the DNS Servers, the domain name showed as “not found” when I typed it into my browser’s address line. I called the registrar to resolve this situation, only to find that once a change in the DNS Server information is made, the domain name becomes inactive until the propogation on the Internet is completed.
There are now two problems: First, if any search engine tries to crawl my client’s site while the domain name is inactive, it won’t find the website. This could have an impact on the existing ranking for the site/domain name. Second, if a visitor tries to reach the website, it will look like the site is no longer active. And, there’s nothing I can do about it. If I tried to change the DNS Servers back, the same delay would be in effect.
When you register your domain names with GoDaddy, you won’t run into this situation. When you change the DNS Server information through a GoDaddy account, the domain name will find the old website up until the moment the propagation is complete on an Internet server, and then the domain name will find the new website. So, there’s no interruption in access to a website that represents your business.
Don’t forget that if you transfer your domain name registration to GoDaddy at www.GIWIDomains.com, a free year of registration will be added to your current registration period. Might be worth the trouble!
It’s critical. Before talking about why it’s critical, let’s define the term so we’re all on the same page. The term sales funnel is used to describe the process of converting leads and prospects into clients. The concept of a funnel is useful because the mental image relates to the process of having:
- a large group at the top (your target market)
- filtering down to a smaller group that become leads (someone who completes a form on your website, or someone new you’ve met)
- filtering down to an even smaller group that become prospects (people who are actively considering using your services to buy or sell)
- filtering down to the final group that become clients
Managing a sales funnel is more important in some industries than it is in others. For example, if you were selling pretzels from a street cart, in simple terms, you’d only need to worry about two levels of the sales funnel. First, you’d need to place your cart on a street with a lot of foot traffic – that would handle the exposure to your target market. Then, people would either become clients or not. Pretty simple.
Managing a sales funnel is much more important in an industry where the sales cycle takes a lot longer than 5 minutes! In real estate, the sales cycle can last for months because not everyone in your target market is planning to buy or sell a home. In fact, it may be months before the timing is right to move someone from a lead to a prospect, or from a prospect to a client. Therefore, how you manage that transition is critical.
Every real estate marketing plan should include a process for staying in touch with your target market, leads and prospects. You want to be the first person that comes to mind when anyone in those groups thinks about real estate. And, don’t forget to stay in touch with your clients. It is always easier and less expensive to obtain repeat business, either directly from a client or a client referral, than it is to acquire a new client.
If you don’t have a good strategy for managing your sales funnel, now’s the time to establish one!
Yes, there are a lot of factors that impact your success as a real estate agent. There’s one thing, though, that a lot of agents don’t pay enough attention to. And, oddly enough, the coursework you complete to get your license doesn’t really focus on what is probably the most important factor leading to your success.
And, that is, how do you define what you do?
Are you selling houses? Helping clients? Making money? With any luck, you’re doing all three of those things.
But, the most critical thing to focus on is the fact that you are running a business. Yup, you are the CEO of a real estate consulting firm. Not your broker’s firm, but your very own company.
So, the question is, are you a hands-on CEO, or are you letting a lot of the business management tasks fall by the wayside? In the heat of battle, it can be very easy to forget your CEO role. When you got your license, how many business management courses were a required part of the curriculum? How many continuing education credits focus on managing cash flow, marketing, advertising, or any of the other issues that a company must address?
The fact that you are running your own business means that you need to establish an infrastructure that will support your success. What company can you think of that doesn’t have a name? a brand? a logo? a marketing plan? an effective Internet presence?
The longest silences ever heard are those that happen right after an agent is asked: “What is your marketing budget?”. You need enthusiasm, real estate knowledge, people skills and negotiating skills, among other things. But, before any of that is going to be helpful, you need clients. And, to get clients, you have to know what your company is all about and how best to promote it to your target market.
So, if you’re spending all your time chasing leads, think about what you’re going to do after you catch one. And, think about how much of your time you could spend doing revenue-generating tasks if you had a plan in place to generate leads for you.
Run your real estate consulting practice like the company it is, and you’ll find the road to success a lot smoother!
Got a Minute to Help a Soldier?
· CommentsJust came across this website, LetsSayThanks.com. You can send a free postcard to a US soldier overseas thanking them for their service. And, it’s free.
The postcards are designed by children ages 6-14. So, if you have a child, or work with children, consider creating and submitting designs to give the children a fun project. Xerox Corporation is printing and mailing the cards.
It only takes a minute to send a card – choose a design, choose one of the prepared messages, or write one of your own, click Submit, and you’re done! You aren’t required to provide any personal contact information.
A letter from home when you’re far away can be a big morale booster. Send a card today – and tell your friends!
There are various schools of thought on the topic of how personal your brand should be. Some experts in the field think strictly personal branding is passe. Others think home buyers and sellers select their agents mostly because of the agent’s personality.
My view is that you should create a brand that can outlast you in the marketplace. If you structure your brand all around yourself, you’re locking yourself into being around to represent the brand forever.
Most agents I know plan to retire at some point. And, many of them want the option of gaining something back from the real estate business they’ve built with a lot of hard work over a number of years. It’s a bit difficult to turn a personally-branded real estate practice over to someone else when you’re ready to hit the links full-time.
The other factor to consider is that prospects are looking for WIIFM – the old “what’s in it for me”. Just because you’re a swell person, that doesn’t mean that you’re a good REALTOR®.
So, my advice is to structure your brand to highlight the competitive advantages that you bring to the marketplace. And, to make a very direct connection between the services you offer and the benefit those services bring to your prospects.
If you can combine part of your personality with your brand, that’s a good idea, as long as you aren’t the focal point. Here’s an example. One of my clients has identified a niche in the EMS/Firefighter/Law Enforcement/Health Care Provider population. He himself is a Paramedic/Firefighter.
The brand we developed for him is: First Response Real Estate Services. Take a look at the description of his First Response Real Estate Services brand, and you’ll discover how the connection is made between who he is and how that benefits his target market prospects.
