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AcknowledgmentsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of time and resources made by everyone who touched Internet Lead Generation. These busy people—agents as well as leadership—gave generously to provide insights, data, and stories to this course.

Par ticular thanks goes to those who added their exper tise to the course when it was in the developmental stages by par ticipating in a focus group at Family Reunion 2010: Brad Korn, Cary Sylvester, Frederick Herot (NAR), Joelle Senter, John Prescott, Julie Nelson, Kari Trecker, Kevin Kaley, Laurie Sparrowhawk, Mariana Wagner, Matt Rains, Michael Tritthar t, Mike Malinowski, Scott Anthony, Stefanie Evolo, and Sue Adler. We also greatly appreciated the tremendous suppor t we received from the trainers in our ear ly adopter program, who piloted the course in their local markets and provided valuable feedback quickly: David Patterson, Deborah Blue, Jim Walberg, Mariana Wagner, Mary-Anne Gillespie, and Mindy Sullivan.

Keller Williams employees from many depar tments came together to bring their exper tise to the final product. Thanks to Alexis MacIntyre, Cary Sylvester, Cavin Weber, Colin Chisholm, Graham Cohen, Jay Papasan, Jeffrey Ryder, Joelle Senter, Laurie Sparrowhawk, Mary Keith Trawick, Scott Anthony, and Susan Cook. A special thanks to Gary Keller for vision that star ted it all, and Bryon Ellington who created the original opus that stood us in such great stead. It’s an honor and a pleasure to spend every day working with such talented people!

The world of the Internet is a fast-shifting kaleidoscope. All businesses today are impacted by its changing patterns, and few more so than real estate. The Web is more than a backdrop against which our business is done—it is melding into the fiber of real estate. The people who contributed here are among the many whose businesses are being transformed. We appreciate how they have been our scouts for an exploration of this territor y. While you are taking this class, they are living and discovering the next frontier : Andrew Monaghan, Andy Kaufman, Antoinette Perez, Ben Kinney, Benjamin Bach, Brandon Green, Brian Gubernick, Casey and Raine Baird, Chrissy Neumann, Christine Lee, Craig Newmark, Dave Therrien, Gene and Rebekah Rivers, Jeremy Katz, Jim Knowlton, Jonathan Osman, Julie Anne, Justin Baker, Keith Riddle, Kenny Klaus, Liz Landry, Lowell J. Figur, Matt Browne, Matt Dimmick, Matt Mulder, and Rober t Ear l.

Notices

While Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (KWRI) has taken due care in the preparation of all course materials, we do not guarantee its accuracy now or in the future. KWRI makes no warranties either expressed or implied with regard to the information and programs presented in the course, or in this manual, and reserves the right to make changes from time to time.

This manual and any course it’s used as a part of may contain hypothetical exercises that are designed to help you understand how Keller Williams calculates profit sharing contributions and distributions under the MORE System, how Keller Williams determines agents compensation under the Keller Williams Compensation System, and how other aspects of a Keller Williams Market Center’s financial results are determined and evaluated. Any exercises are entirely hypothetical. They are not intended to enable you to determine how much money you are likely to make as a Keller Williams Licensee or to predict the amount or range of sales or profits your Market Center is likely to achieve. Keller Williams therefore cautions you not to assume that the results of the exercises bear any relation to the financial performance you can expect as a Keller Williams Licensee and not to consider or rely on the results of the exercises in deciding whether to invest in a Keller Williams Market Center. If any part of this notice is unclear, please contact Keller Williams’ legal department.

Materials based on the Recruit-Select-Train-Manage-Motivate™ (RSTMM™) system and the Winning Through Selection™ course have been licensed to Keller Williams Realty, Inc by Corporate Consulting. KWRI has the exclusive right within the real estate industry to market and present material from RSTMM™, Winning Through Selection™, and any derivatives owned by or created in cooperation with Corporate Consulting.

Material excerpted from The Millionaire Real Estate Agent appears courtesy of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Millionaire Real Estate Agent is copyright © 2003–2004 Rellek Publishing Partners LTD. All rights reserved.

Copyright notice

All other materials are copyright © 2010 Keller Williams Realty, Inc. All rights reserved. v3.2

No part of this publication and its associated materials may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Table of ContentsAcknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Introduction 1

Ground Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What You Will Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

How You Will Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Why You Are Here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 1: The Internet in Real Estate 7

Internet Lead Generation: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Myths and Truths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Your Audience: The Human Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Your 80/20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chapter Aha’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 2: Create and Maintain Your Web Presence 31

What Makes a Website Great . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Profile Page, eAgentC Template, or Premium Template? . . . . . . . . . . 34

The 4 Elements of a Great Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

1. Branding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

2. Functionality: Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

3. Stickiness: Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

4. Calls to Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Target Marketing with Multiple Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Maintaining Your Web Presence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

My Work Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Chapter Aha’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Chapter 3: Create a Lead Generation Campaign 71

It’s Not about the Website, It’s about How Many People Visit the Website 72

The Internet Lead Generation Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Offline Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Online Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

1. Search Engine Marketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

2. Third-Par ty Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Measuring Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

My Work Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Chapter Aha’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Chapter 4: Lead Capture, Connect, Cultivate, and Convert 111

The 4 Cs of Follow-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

1. Lead Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

2. Lead Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

3. Lead Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

4. Lead Cultivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

My Work Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Chapter Aha’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Chapter 5: Putting It All Together 155

My Final Work Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Appendix 159

Chapter 2: Budget Planner and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162



Introduction

In this chapter ...

[1] Ground Rules [2] What You Will Learn [3] How You Will Learn [4] Why You Are Here

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2 introduction

Ground Rules1. Arrive to class on time and return promptly from breaks.

2. Move quickly when you are instructed to form small groups or partner with someone to role-play.

3. Limit side conversations.

4. Turn cell phones and pagers to vibrate or OFF.

5. Feel free to stand and walk around if you find yourself getting tired.

6. Accept the reality of time and participation.

7. Stay into curiosity and adopt an “acceptance posture.”

8. Help each other learn because none of us is as smart as all of us working together to improve our skills and knowledge.

9. Consider everything we discuss confidential. What is discussed and role-played behind closed doors stays behind closed doors.

10. Have fun!

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3introduction

What You Will LearnRead, underline, and share ...

What purpose does your website serve you today? Is it a vehicle that enables you to offer real estate consumers what they want in exchange for what you want—namely their contact information? Or is it little more than an online calling card, filled with default content?

If your website falls into the second category, your Internet presence may actually be working against you. Our research reveals that many agents have websites that resemble empty storefronts where no one is working. A confusing, unintuitive website; or worse, a website with no customized content or up-to-date contact information will frustrate your clients and may even lose business for you.

If your website falls into the first category, however, you are in good company amongst other professional sites where consumers can find what they are looking for quickly and easily—websites where real tools and resources, credibility, and professionalism beam from every page. These websites keep consumers coming back, affording you the opportunity to capture their contact information, make contact, and offer your services.

If the Internet is where all the eyeballs are, undoubtedly it is where you want to shine. This course is all about how to get in the path of the millions of real estate consumers online—how to 1) attract them, 2) capture them, and 3) convert them to buyers and sellers under contract. As Gary Keller, chairman of the board and founder of Keller Williams Realty International, said when asked to comment on the evolution of Internet lead generation, “Nothing has changed. The three fundamentals remain the same.”

A focus on these three fundamentals will be the cornerstone of the workable action plan we’ll build together in this course. With these firmly in place, you’ll be ready to turn your attention to the other crucial aspect of your online business: social media. Take Internet Lead Generation Part II: Your Social Media Business Strategy to round out a complete online plan.

1. Create andMaintain an

Internet Presence

2. Lead Generate for

Traf�c

3. Capture,Connect,

Cultivate, andClose Leads

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4 introduction

How You Will Learn

Knowledge and Skills

1. The Internet Lead Generation course will enrich your understanding of the key elements in an online marketing strategy. Take advantage of all these resources:

• Modelsandsystems that are tested and proven ways to accomplish Big Goals.

• Stories,lessonslearned,advice,andresearch from top agents and industry professionals who offer invaluable insights.

• Yourclassmatesandinstructor.Don’t underestimate the value of what you can learn from your peers as they ask great questions, share their experiences, and participate in exercises with you.

2. While in class, your learning experience will be enhanced by the following:

• Workplan:Establish the necessary steps to take your Internet lead generation to the next level.

• Budgetplan: Set the parameters of how much time and money you will devote to this aspect of your business.

• Resources:In your appendix, you will find a comprehensive list of tools and resources that KWRI provides.

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5introduction

Accountability Methods

1. Accountability is, in the KW experience, the most crucial part of goal achievement. Throughout this course, you will construct a personalized Internet lead generation work plan for the strategies and systems you will follow to achieve your goals.

2. Select an accountability partner or program to help you measure, evaluate, and make adjustments to your Internet lead generation (avoid your friends—they may not be tough enough). Look to the following resources for an accountability relationship:

• MAPS Institute individual and group coaching (mapsinstitute.com)

• Market Center Productivity Coach

• Team Leader

• ALC member

• Other agents

Skills Knowledge

Accountability

Mastery

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6 introduction

Why You Are HereTo move you from where you are now to where you want to be, commit to developing a work plan and leveraging your resources to create your Internet Lead Generation Online Marketing Strategy in this class!

Before we delve into the tools and resources that will enable you to build your online business, take a moment to set a goal for the outcome you aim to achieve. It’s perfectly alright to update your goal if anything you learn in this class changes your thinking.

1. Evaluate where your online business currently stands. (It’s okay to guesstimate!) What percent of your business do you currently generate from online leads? Fill in the box above.

2. Approximately how much income does this deliver to your bottom line?

3. How much income would you like to add to your bottom line from your online business in the next twelve months?

4. Now create a specific goal for your online business. What percentage of your business would you have to generate online to achieve that increased income? (It’s okay to guesstimate!)

5. What do you need to bridge the gap? ____________________________

Time:5minutes

Resources

Wo

rk Plan St

rate

gy

Current: Business Generated Online

1) ___________%

2) $___________

Goal: Business Generated Online

3) $___________

4) ___________%

“Setting concrete

goals down on

paper will have

a far greater

impact on results

than any vague

intention to

‘improve’ or ‘grow

your business.’” Dianna KokoszkaPresidentMAPS Coaching

Chapter 1: The Internet in Real Estate

In this chapter ...

[1] Internet Lead Generation: Myths and Truths [2] Your Audience: The Human Race [3] Your 80/20

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8 your online marketing strategy

Internet Lead Generation: Myths and TruthsTechnology in the twenty-first century is fast moving and ever changing. With information coming at you from all sides, it’s all too easy to make decisions about your Internet strategy based on hearsay or your own preconceptions of what does or doesn’t work. Don’t get stalled on the path to success by some of the common myths surrounding Internet lead generation today.

Throughout our discussions with top tech agents, we discovered how they had overcome these myths, or never even allowed them to surface in the first place.

The 6 Internet Myths Between You and Success

1 I’m not a “techie.”

2 My website doesn’t need me.

3 My website should reflect what I like.

4 I should cast as wide a net as possible.

5 I can respond to Internet inquiries on my schedule.

6 Internet lead generation is expensive.

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9chapter 1: the internet in real estate

Myth 1

1. Myth:I’m not a “techie.”

Truth:Why should you be?

Just as you don’t have to be a mechanic to drive a car, you don’t need to be a “techie” to have a website. If you can send email, use Facebook, or surf the Web, you are tech-savvy enough to have a website, so don’t let technological terminology or web wizard “tech talk” distract you.

The word technology scares people, or even worse, it bores them. Instead of immersing yourself in all things tech, focus on the leverage the Internet provides for something you already have: your marketing. Michael Tritthart; Keller Williams University (KWU) Master Faculty member based in Plano, Texas, who teaches technology courses all over the country; knows that for agents, their websites are nothing more than the marketing they have always done, displayed on a different platform. “Your website is really your marketing,” he says. “There’s actually no difference between them. If you know how to market, you know how to set up a website.” Michael believes that if agents can think of their websites the same way they think of their marketing—as a tool for conveying messages and information that builds relationships with prospects and leads—they usually find their website turns out to be fairly close to what they wanted.

Joelle Senter, director of IT Product Development at Keller Williams Realty International, knows that building an online presence in real estate doesn’t require anyone to become an “uber techie geek” in fact; it’s quite the opposite. “The Internet is merely a gateway to showcase your marketing skills and extensive real estate knowledge to help you become a celebrity brand name within your niche(s).”

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Myth 2

2. Myth:My website doesn’t need me.

Truth:You have to be in it to win with it.

To reap the benefits of Internet lead generation, you have to be actively engaged. Joelle Senter has considerable experience in working with agents on their websites. One of the most common questions she hears from agents is, “Can’t I just set up a website and then forget about it?” Her answer is simple: “No, you cannot.” “A website is a journey, not a destination,” explains Joelle. “It is an ongoing lead generation tool. Following the Keller Williams model of spending 3 hours a day on lead generation, you need to ask yourself, where does your website fit in?”

Mariana Wagner, top tech agent from Colorado Springs, Colorado, coloradospringsrealestateconnection.com, states, “What matters most is being out there actively, providing value with the goal of getting an appointment. It’s a matter of putting your mind to it. Working the Internet is like working a farm—it takes time, some investment, and dedication—and if you persist, you can be seen as the expert in a few months’ time.”

The big mistake is building an Internet palace and expecting riches while you let it crumble from neglect. The creation of a site is merely the opening chapter to the story that will follow: how you actively work your site to attract and convert prospects.

“A little less

conversation, a

little more action

please.” ElvisSinger/Songwriter

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Myth 3

3. Myth:My website should reflect what I like.

Truth:Your website must reflect what buyers and sellers like.

Ask yourself this question, “If I was a buyer, what would I like to see out there?” That’s the very same question Christine Lee, top agent in Jacksonville, Florida, asks herself every couple of months when she sets aside time to tweak her website, christineleeteam.com. “I spend some time looking on other agents’ sites, and then retune my website so I am providing the up-to-the-minute resources I think buyers are looking for.”

Matt Rains, real estate agent and tech guru for fourteen Atlanta-area Market Centers, retechblog.com, actually tested local consumers, giving them an imaginary budget to spend and asking them to find a home that fit their budget, starting with a Google search. The consumers in his test struggled with agent sites, prompting Matt to conclude that giving the people what they want is all about making sites so simple that a 5-year-old could find and use the search button.

Matt puts it this way, “Consumers today use the Internet to shop for a home like they would shop for a car. They look at types of vehicles, then brand, then model, then color, then interior finish, etc. They do not want to contact the car dealer until they know what they are buying or what they think they are buying. They do the same with homes. By the time they contact an agent, they probably want to be shown a specific home or homes by address.”

For today’s consumer, especially Gen X and Y, it’s all about simplicity, not going into information overload on your site.

“It should be easy and it should be fun,” according to Jeremy Katz, broker and real estate consultant on the Christian Peters Team in San Diego, California, sdreos.com. “Consumers want to design their own self-service and engage when they want to. For example, Trulia.com, Zillow.com, and Realtor.com don’t look like one another, but they are all function focused and based on ease of use and simplicity.”

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Myth 4

4. Myth:I should cast as wide a net as possible.

Truth:Less is more—be local.

When most agents refer to competing on the Internet, they are generally referring to whether or not they appear on Google’s first page of search results. Odds are that if you simply type in your name or the name of your real estate business, you will show up on the first page. Unfortunately, consumers are not typing in the name of a real estate agent when they look for real estate; they are typing in terms like “homes for sale in Buford, Georgia” or “Las Vegas foreclosures.” Because massive amounts of consumers are interested in these broad terms, massive amounts of agents are competing for them—so in all likelihood, you will not appear on the first page.

Your opportunity to compete is when consumers get hyperlocal and search for niche markets like “homes in Barton Hills” or “ranch homes in Barton Hills” or even “ranch homes in Barton Hills within walking distance of Zilker Elementary.” There will be fewer of them, and as a result, there will be less competition from other agents for their attention.

Hyperlocalism—defined as specializing in specific geographic or demographic areas, e.g., downtown condos or first-time buyers—is the new trend in Internet real estate marketing. Two drivers make hyperlocalism important to your online strategy:

1. How search engines categorize or “index” Webpages

2. How agents differentiate themselves from their competitors

“Google has refined what it looks for in indexing Internet content,” says Graham Cohen, manager of Technical Support for Keller Williams Realty International. Newer search technology has driven the engine’s appetite for more specific content in order to separate and categorize billions of pages of data.

The key word is niche. Agents want to be known as the experts in their field—especially to their target audiences. Google and its search competitors look for what amounts to niche information to categorize search results. The two factors are working together to make hyperlocalism a very good thing for agents looking to stand out.

“The more

clearly relevant

our websites are

and the more

specific they are

to our niche, the

more likely we

are to be found

for queries on a

search engine.” Graham CohenTech SupportKeller Williams Realty InternationalAustin, Texas

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When a consumer enters a search for a keyword phrase that appears on your webpage, the search engine will list your webpage in the search results. The matching webpage won’t always be your homepage—it will be whatever page on your site is the best match. That’s not what matters; what matters is you’ve made it to the top of the search engine!

For Benjamin Bach, a young commercial investment agent with a highly visible Web presence in Kitchener, Canada, kitchener-waterloo-real-estate-investments.com, this is the beauty of the Internet—it gives him a chance to join in the game with all the other players. Benjamin leverages online channels to share super-specific information on his website and videoblogs, and as a result, shows up on the first page of Google. “I am not the most knowledgeable guy in town when it comes to investing. But thanks to my ranking on Google, I have visibility right alongside people who have been investing in real estate since before I was born!”

With your website, you have an unparalleled opportunity to get into the game and compete, often for very little money, with the 63 percent of all Realtors who have a website, rather than languish with the 37 percent who have not yet established their online presence.

37%Realtorswithoutwebsites

63%Realtors

withwebsites

National Association of Realtors (NAR) Member Profile, 2010

Think of the Internet as a giant platform where you can establish an inexpensive—yet highly visible—presence to showcase your expertise, as well as compete for business in your neighborhood, town, or demographic and psychographic groups.

“Your ability

to compete

depends on how

you do it. You

can definitely

succeed if

you keep it

very local.

Hyperlocalism is

the key.” Brandon GreenAgent Washington DC

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Myth 5

5. Myth:I can respond to Internet inquiries on my schedule.

Truth:Speed is of the essence.

Picture your Market Center lobby. Imagine that a well-qualified prospect is sitting there leafing through a homes magazine, waiting to meet with you. How long would you leave them sitting there? Five minutes, maybe ten? Anything longer and you know they would in all likelihood walk out and take their business elsewhere. So why are agents leaving Internet leads to languish for hours, if not days, when we know that consumers have become accustomed to searching the Internet for things they want now? Because interest and need drop off quickly; if you don’t respond fast, you’re not hitting the consumer at their highest point of interest. An immediate call made when the consumer is likely to still be in front of the computer screen and near a phone is much more likely to generate a response than a call made days later when the prospect has already moved on and may not even remember submitting a form.

Let’s define fast: According to an MIT study conducted in 2009, leads that were called within 5 minutes of a form being submitted were 100 times more likely to result in contact, and 21 times more likely to result in qualification, than leads that were called just 50 minutes later.

Juxtapose that staggering fact with these NAR findings: Almost half of all Internet leads go unanswered, and the majority of the rest are called one or two days later.

Given these statistics, agents must have a system in place that will enable them to respond in the shortest time possible—either through buyers agents or in-house staff often referred to as Internal Sales Agents (ISAs)—who are on call to respond within minutes of receiving a lead and who are trained to follow appointment-setting and qualifying scripts.

Keith Riddle, an agent in Spokane, Washington, who generates half of his business online at keithriddle.pointtoagent.com, rated “response time” and “receptiveness to user” as his Internet lead generation first priorities.

“If you aren’t

fast you aren’t

playing the

game.” Jeremy KatzAgentSan Diego, California

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Myth 6

6.Myth:Internet lead generation is expensive.

Truth:Success is not about how much you spend.

Data from the 2009 NAR Member Profile clearly indicates that spending is not a clear indicator of success. In fact, agents who spent heavily per month on maintaining their Internet presence did not close a significantly higher percentage of business generated from Internet leads than agents who spent more sparingly.

Percentage of closed business from Internet leads

Business generated from REALTOR website by amount spent to maintain,

NAR Member Profile, 2009

The chart reflects what percentage of responding agents (vertical axis) said Internet business represents a given percentage of their total business (horizontal axis). The responses are categorized by level of expenditure on Internet marketing.

The data suggests that some spending is better than none. However, spending above the $100-to-$500-a-month range brought little advantage in closed business. Given that expense is not necessarily the determining factor for success, perhaps a more useful measurement is return—both return on investment (ROI) and return on time (ROT). Most agents do see significant

Perc

enta

ge o

f res

pond

ents

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returns on their investments from their Internet presence. But it is difficult to say how much, because they use both online and offline marketing to drive traffic to their sites, so some of the leads they close that come from their websites are driven there from printed marketing materials and some by search engine marketing. Ultimately, their sites were simply a tool for capturing the leads. So determining your returns for your website is like trying to determine what your returns are for your cell phone—the returns come from the activities you do to make the phone ring, not the phone itself.

The most useful way to quantify the ROI from your Internet presence is to quantify the amount of expenses you incur from creating and maintaining it and the amount of increase in your overall business. For example, if you spend $3,000 on your Internet presence, what’s the minimum increase in total GCI you’d need to see to feel that your purchase was a good business decision?

According to The Millionaire Real Estate Agent’s Budget Model guidelines, the total lead generation portion of your business budget (all lead generation, Internet and otherwise) should not exceed 10 percent of your GCI.

Michael Tritthart says, “You can get a great start with a KW template site and a free blog site. I tell agents to start by committing no more than 5 percent of their total expense budget to the Internet.”

Don’t underestimate keeping an eye on your ROT as well, since time is money when it comes to your business.

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Your Audience: The Human RaceIt’s time we stop categorizing buyers or sellers according to whether or not they use the Internet to meet their real estate needs. Internet leads are really all the leads there are today.

Statistics from the 2009 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers are conclusive:

• A staggering 9 in 10 home buyers used the Internet to search for homes—a 30 percent increase over the past six years.

• For more than one-third of home buyers, the very first step in the home- buying process was to look online for properties. (37 percent)

• Among buyers who report using the Internet, 76 percent report using it frequently, up 7 percent from 2008.

“There are so

few leads that

do not come

through the

Internet in some

meaningful way

that’s it really

not worth having

a game plan for

them.” Gene RiversThe Rivers Team Tallahassee, Florida

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These statistics should not surprise anyone in the real estate industry who also happens to be living on Earth in the twenty-first century, for very few aspects of our lives have not been touched by the World Wide Web.

The question is not if consumers are using the Internet; it is how they are using it and what they are doing as a result. Armed with that knowledge, the savvy real estate agent can do the following:

• Fine-tune their businesses to sync with what today’s consumers are looking for.

• Craft a fully rounded marketing message to use with both buyers and sellers during the buyers consultation or listing presentation.

The Online Consumer Today

The first thing to take into consideration is your target audience. There is one very important characteristic that should stand out most about the profile of these online real estate consumers:

• It’saprofileofbuyers—not sellers.

Since NAR started profiling the actions of consumers when online, buyers consistently outrank sellers as visitors to real estate websites. As with any other product, consumers want to see, study, and compare what they plan to buy before they are willing to part with their money. Sellers are online, of course, using tools like home valuations, checking out the competition from other homes, or because they are also buyers themselves.

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Internet User (9 in 10 buyers)

Non-Internet User (1 in 10 buyers)

Age 37 55

Married couple 61% 51%

Single female 20% 25%

Single male 9% 15%

Unmarried couple 9% 6%

Median income $75,500 $57,800

Weeks spent searching before contacting agent:

all buyers12 6

Weeks spent searching before contacting agent:

first-time buyers12 8

Weeks spent searching with an agent

2 5

NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 2009

Socio-demographic differences still remain among buyers heavily relying on online sources and those who do not, with younger, married couples with higher median income being the most frequent users of online sources. Internet users also spend twice as much time searching for a home on their own. They tend to show up with a clear idea of what they want and where they want it. So it should be no surprise that real estate agents show them fewer than half as many homes!

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How Are Consumers Using the Internet?

The Internet has irreversibly changed the relationship between consumers and real estate agents, as consumers now have virtually unlimited access to information that agents once controlled. They are using this freedom in two principal ways:

1. They are searching for homes.

2. They are educating themselves.

They’re Searching for Homes

Consumers have wholeheartedly accepted online shopping as the norm. According to a global survey conducted by The Nielsen Company in 2008, more than 85 percent of the world’s online population had used the Internet to make a purchase. When The Nielsen Company conducted its first survey on online shopping habits in 2006, only 10 percent of the world’s online population (627 million) had made a purchase over the Internet. And not only has almost the entire world’s Internet population tried Internet shopping, more than half of them are regular online shoppers, making online purchases at least once a month.

• They’re Twice as Likely to Start Searching on the Web Than with an Agent

Consumers’ ease and familiarity with the rites of online shopping have translated smoothly into the home-buying process, as buyers now are 50 percent more likely to start their home search online than with a real estate agent.

consumers are twice as likely

to start their search online


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• The Proportion of Those Finding Their Home Online Has Risen Dramatically

This consumer-driven process has made the home search portion of the home-buying process easier on agents. In 2001, almost 50 percent of buyers found their home through their agent vs. just 8 percent who found their home online. In 2009, however, a buyer was just as likely to find a home online as they were through their agent.

How Buyers Found the Home They Purchased


And when you consider the fact that agents use the Internet to show homes to clients as well, virtually 72 percent of all homes are found online.

As Ben Kinney, benkinney.com, says, “The tables have turned. Whereas I used to tell my buyers, ‘Here are the homes I am going to show you today,’ now my buyers tell me, ‘Ben, here are the homes you are going to show me today.’ I don’t have a problem with it because it saves me time!”

2001

48%

8%

2009

36% 36%

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• They Are Searching for Properties on a Variety of Sites

It’s interesting to note where consumers are looking for properties online compared to where agents have indicated they are posting their listings. The consumer is more likely to go to an MLS site, followed by real estate company websites, REALTOR.com, and real estate agent sites.

Agents, on the other hand, are more likely to post to REALTOR.com before their local MLS or personal sites. Carefully consider where you want your listings to be seen online so they reach the most number of consumers.

NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 2009 and 2010

MLS Website60

CompanyWebsite

45

CompanyWebsite

82

MLS Website72

REALTOR.com45

REALTOR.com45

Consumer

Agent

Where Agents Post Their Listings

Where Consumers Search for Listings

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They’re Getting Educated

Consumers today are primarily going to the Internet for information, and they are going time and again—seeking information from both the Internet and agents with great frequency.

• Agents Are as Important an Information Source as the Web

The good news is that Internet services have in no way replaced the role and usefulness of real estate agents. In fact, buyers are only 3 percent more likely to turn to the Internet than an agent as they search for information—and, interestingly, the Internet has not bested agents in terms of actual usefulness.

• Agents Rank No. 1 in Usefulness of Information Provided

Home buyers rate the usefulness of information they receive from agents as 4 percent higher than the information they receive from the Internet.


Consumers Searching for Information


Usefulness of Information Sources

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What Are They Doing as a Result?

The Internet is an interactive tool that has given consumers the freedom to take control over a large portion of the home-buying process, and as a result:

• They are taking action.

• They are taking their time.

• They are working with agents.

They Are Taking Action

Consumers may be comfortable with online shopping and a picture may well be worth a thousand words, but the home you share with your family carries an emotional charge that seems to require the 3D experience: The first thing 77 percent of all buyers do after they have seen a home they like online is to drive by the property.

The first step 77% of all buyers take once they have seen a property online is to do a drive-by.

Real estate being a contact sport, the next three actions are of particular interest because they afford agents the chance to connect with the consumer: The consumers contacted agents, whether to walk through the property, find an agent, or request more information.

This information clearly speaks to the need for capture and conversion techniques. When consumers reach out for an agent, you want to be ready for them.

Actions Taken as a Result of Internet Home Search, First-Time and Repeat BuyersNAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 2009

61%of all buyers walked through

a home viewed online as a result of an Internet home search

28%of all buyers found an agent

as a result of an Internet home search

22%of all buyers requested more

information as a result of an Internet home search

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They Are Taking Their Time

This tendency to use the Internet early and often when searching for homes has elongated the entire process—the length of the typical home search rose 30 percent in four years, from 8 weeks in 2005 to 12 weeks in 2009, according to NAR statistics. This wealth of information, coupled with an increase in inventory since the market shifted in 2008, seems to have slowed buyers down. In SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times, Gary Keller quotes Barry Schwartz, psychologist and author of “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less,” who states, “There’s a point where all of this choice starts to be not only unproductive, but counterproductive—a source of pain, regret, worry about missed opportunities and unrealistically high expectations.”

Number of Weeks Searched Before Contacting an Agent

First-time buyers also tend to search longer, spending 12 weeks in the process, compared with repeat buyers who spend 10 weeks.

Length of Home Search, NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 2009

2 weeksNumber of weeks

all buyers searched before contacting an agent

12 weeksTotal number of weeks

all buyers search

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They Are Working with Agents

Although it may seem somewhat counterintuitive, consumers who have read up on real estate and searched for homes on their own are actually slightly more likely to use an agent in the purchase of their home than all buyers—79 percent of online buyers purchased their home through their agent, vs. 62 percent of all buyers.

Method of Home Purchase


79%purchased through agent

7%purchased through

home builder

3%directly from seller

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Your 80/20 If we were to summarize how to have success in Internet lead generation, it would probably boil down to something like this: “Get proactive in the Internet lead generation game with a highly targeted message that’s uniquely yours, and be sure to give consumers easy-to-use property searches and high-speed customer service.” Sounds good until you get to work on turning that statement into an actionable plan.

Avoid Distractions and Unnecessary Costs

With a distracting amount of information, resources, and—let’s face it—toys available, it’s all too easy to throw money and precious time at “The Internet” before you understand exactly what tools and strategies will get you the best results for your overall business plan.

The key to overcoming these distractions and building a well-thought-out Internet lead generation strategy is through a rigorous application of the 80/20 Principle in all stages of your planning and development.

Different stages of development will require different financial and time commitments. For example, time spent developing your website will most likely be disproportionately greater than the time you will spend maintaining it.

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Your mission must be to zealously guard the 20 percent—your income-generating activities—against the time it will take to develop your full-blown Internet lead generation strategy. Substitute an income-generating activity with an as-yet-unproven online technique at your peril. This is an area where you must lead with revenue, and play Red Light, Green Light every step of the way. For example, money spent on pay-per-click advertising will only be a good investment when you have the resources and systems to handle the leads you receive, not before.

Leverage and time blocking are the keys to taming those 80 percent activities so that they do not encroach on more than 20 percent of your time. For example, choosing to use the eAgentC tools at your disposal or to hire outside help to accomplish tasks such as keyword placement for search engine optimization (SEO) can effectively keep your time in check.

Here are just a few examples of what does and does not constitute leverage.

Got Leverage?

Leverage No Leverage

Follow the eAgentC guide to set up your website.

Develop your own custom website and get feedback from your friends.

Pull content from your existing marketing and past emails to provide content for your website and blog.

Create all new content.

Take technology training webinars and classes found at answers.kw.com

Read a book on search engine optimization and delve head first into figuring out how Google Analytics works.

All of the activities related to Internet lead generation will require their own plans for how best to apply the 80/20 Principle so that you will effectively keep a balanced focus on all aspects of your business.

Throughout the course, you will have an opportunity to budget your time and money, and at the end of every chapter, you will develop a detailed work plan for each of the Internet lead generation activities you embark on. Then, in the final chapter, you will create an Internet Lead Generation 411 to use as a road map.

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Chapter Aha’s_____________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 2: Create and Maintain Your Web Presence

In this chapter ... [1] What Makes a Website Great [2] Profile Page, eAgentC Template, or Premium Template [3] The 4 Elements of a Great Website [4] Target Marketing with Multiple Websites [5] Maintaining Your Web Presence [6] My Work Plan

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your online marketing strategy32

What Makes a Website GreatGiven what you’ve learned about how consumers are looking for real estate online, it’s time to create the look and feel of a website where people will want to do business.

Question

Whatreallymakesagreatwebsite?

Is it the page layout? Content? Cool tools and ease of use? The truth is it may be any of those things, as long as it achieves your one priority objective: lead capture.

Answer

A great website is one that captures leads.

In his book Don’t Make Me Think, Steve Krug explains that good website design is all about giving the consumers what they want as quickly as possible. Noticing how few websites actually do this, Krug remarks, “… the thing that has struck me most is the difference between how we think people use websites and how they actually use them.”

In the real estate business, we are fortunate to know exactly why consumers go to our websites; our industry has been surveying them for years. NAR research shows that 90 percent of consumers went to a real estate website to look at listings, while only 28 percent looked for an agent online. Knowing this, Keller Williams Realty has created templates with the features that consumers are looking for—property searches!—built right in, top center of the webpage.

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33chapter 2: create and maintain your web presence

Myth

Myth:People go to my site to find out about me.

Truth:Internet consumers want to see properties, compare home values, and learn about the area.

Liz Landry, thelandryteam.com, knows that is the right approach. “Buyers want to find a home, sellers want to know the value of homes in their neighborhood, and they’re both looking for insights into real estate and information on our community neighborhoods,” she says. “They won’t turn to an agent until they have gotten everything they possibly can on their own.”

In Other Words ...

They go looking for listings and information, and when they find that on your site, they find you! This is why promoting

your listings and providing content is so important.

Of course, many agents do have information about themselves, their services, and client testimonials. But that information is usually put on an interior page. The focus of the homepage is never ego—it is customer service. To paraphrase Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, “Put what they want at the front of the store.”

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Profile Page, eAgentC Template, or Premium Template?Thanks to your eAgentC subscription, you are now automatically supplied with both a profile page and a template website.

Myth

Myth:I need a premium template website.

Truth:For most purposes, an eAgentC template works just as well, and for some agents, a profile page may suffice.

Basic Web Presence: Your Profile Page

Your Keller Williams profile page is automatically populated with information you fill out in your White Pages. (The White Pages will be supplemented in the future with a Control Panel.) This Control Panel will include your bio, contact information, and the languages you speak, as well as a contact form. Listings that you have uploaded onto the KWLS will also appear as your featured listings.

When consumers search for you on KW.com, they will land on your profile page, with a link that will take them to your website if they choose. While it is nowhere near as complete as your eAgentC website template,

it can serve as a sleek and professional online calling card that can also function as a lead capture source.

If you have not completed all of your information, what consumers will see is a blank page. How likely are they to contact you if they haven’t seen your face or don’t even have a number to call?

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eAgentC Template Website

There’s no greater deal out there than an eAgentC website, but just because you get it automatically, doesn’t mean it’s good to go automatically. You will need to spend approximately twenty hours (depending on your technical skill set and how much you want to do with it) turning your template site into an effective lead capture tool.

While the eAgentC template provides great value from a functionality viewpoint, some agents want to create a look that they cannot find in the numerous style and customization options available through eAgentC. Rather than giving up on the template altogether, consider a company like arrangingpixels.com who can create a perfectly personalized look that will plus this value offering. Other help is available to get your template website into great shape. Go to answers.kw.com for guides and tips on building your site. If you have a Tech Coordinator in your Market Center, ask for his/her help too. Both tactics can save you time.

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Myth

KellerWilliamsagentwebsitesdonotrankinGoogleorothersearchengines.

eAgentC sites can and do rank in all major search engines. It does require some customization, yet the work you will do to get your template site ranked will still only amount to a fraction of the time and money you would invest in a custom site to achieve the same results. If you don’t take the time to customize your site, it will have the same content as tens of thousands of other agent websites. Use your niche keywords to customize, everywhere from your content to your page title to your domain name.

Customize your site not only because you want it to rank, but also because you want it to be an accurate online representation of who you are as a real estate professional. Even if you do not actively promote your site, the mere fact that you market your business means that people will look you up online … because nowadays it is what we all do!

Michael Tritthart has this to say to his tech clients, “Do you ever google businesses or professionals? Of course you do. Maybe you want to check the reviews on a plumber before you hire him, or see what kind of services different accountants offer before you give them your business. What happens when the person or business you have googled has a website that doesn’t provide any useful information? Do they lose credibility? Do you lose interest and move on to someone else? Yes, and yes, and the exact same thing is happening in the minds of your prospects, clients, and referrals, if all you have to offer is generic information.”

Premium Template Website

The advent of premium template websites customized for the real estate industry means that agents can now hire a provider to supply a fine-tuned and perfected online experience to give the best possible service to consumers, as well as provide agents with up-to-the minute lead management, tracking, and follow-up tools through their back- office features.

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Obviously, this type of premium service comes at a premium price: the top three providers—BoomTown, realtygenerator by Market Leader, and TigerLeads—all cost at least $1,000 a month, before you factor in how much it will cost to pay for traffic and leads. Because of the cost and the sheer number of leads they’ll generate, they are definitely best suited for agents who have at least one person they can rely on to manage the leads, and enough business to support the cost.

Ben Kinney, who leads a technology-based team in Bellingham, Washington, says that going with a premium website provider was absolutely the best thing he did for his business last year. “Agents need to know that while a full-fledged premium template website will cost at least $36,000 a year, I was able to get 10 times back on that investment, thanks to my team and the accountability systems we use.”

These sites have the potential to completely restructure your Internet lead generation workload—be aware that you will not be doing less work with your Internet leads, you will just be doing different work. These sites employ very deliberate IDX searches and carefully constructed persuasion architecture, all designed to generate a maximum number of leads. Because they’ll do much of the administration and legwork involved in online lead generation, like automatically syndicating your listings, creating Craigslist posts, and setting up BINS drips, your focus can shift to what you as an agent do best: work with people. Rather than putting effort forth to generate leads, your workload will shift to contacting and closing the significantly increased number of leads you receive.

“Lead with

revenue!

A premium

template

website is not

necessarily the

place to spend

your money

if you are just

starting out.” Kari TreckerKeller Williams Realty International

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STOP

and

DO

Which web presence option works for you?

1. Of the three options, which do you use, (or which combination) and why?

• Profile page

• eAgentC template

• Premium template

2. Your instructor will lead a brief class discussion.

Time:2mins.

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The 4 Elements of a Great WebsiteWhen deciding on what features to have on your website, it is useful to think first about what you want your website to do—namely give consumers the tools and resources they are looking for, while providing you with the means to capture their contact information.

It should also speak to who you are: a professional any consumer would be confident to do business with. Address each of the following categories to ensure your website adequately expresses what your business has to offer.

1. Branding What does your website say about you? How does it enhance and reinforce your image? Provide bios, testimonials, and links to social media networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook that will speak to your value proposition and showcase your abilities, background, and experience.

2. Functionality Give your prospects and clients a reason to come to your website by providing the tools they need to do what they want on your site. Since 85 percent of buyers begin their search online and many sellers start there too—either to check out the competition in their neighborhood through the property search, or for a free property evaluation—your website needs to provide the search and evaluation tools that consumers are looking for.

3. Stickiness The length of time a prospect spends on your website dictates how strong the relationship gets, because the longer they stay on your site, the more likely they are to interact with you and to keep coming back. To keep them “glued” to your website, you have to give them useful, credible, and timely content. Put yourself in the shoes (or mouse!) of real estate consumers and think about the kind of information you would want to know if you are buying or selling a home. You can divide this content into two categories: local and community information, and real estate expertise.

4. Calls to Action A “call to action” prompts the consumer to do something. Because your goal in having a website is to capture leads, the calls to action on it should tell the consumer why they would want to call or submit their contact information via a registration form on your site. Without a compelling reason for prospects to click through, they will treat your site as no more than an information booth, and you will get little to nothing in exchange for all the information and resources you have provided. Does your website have what it takes to satisfy buyers and sellers?

“If you can

position yourself

as the person to

help them find

what they want,

it’s a better place.

People bore easily

in the searching

process—

attention spans

are short on the

Web. They need

to associate you

as the person

who can find

what they want.” Jeremy KatzAgentSan Diego, California

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STOP

and

DO

Does your website have what it takes to satisfy buyers and sellers?

1. Refer to the table on the next page. With your website in mind (refer to printouts if you have them), give yourself a point for each numbered feature mentioned in the table that is already on your site.

2. Add up your points for each category and your overall score. Record your scores on the table below.

3. Break into groups of three and compare your totals.

Points Possible Points

Branding 3

Functionality: Tools 5

Stickiness: Content 12

Calls to Action 2

Total Points 21

4. Discuss the results in your groups.

• Who has the highest score in each of the categories? Explain your features.

• Which category is the highest or lowest for each person? Why?

• Which category should you focus on first to improve your site?

I will focus on ...

Time:10mins.

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Elements of a Great Website

Credible ImageValue Proposition

Compelling Domain Name

1. Branding

2. Functionality Tools 3. Stickiness: Content

4. Calls to Action

SELLER

1. Community/ Neighborhood

2. Home-buying Process

3. Schools

4. Relocation

5. First-time Homebuyer

6. Mortgage Information

7. Video

1. Market Statistics • Local reports • This Month in Real Estate • Market Snap- shot

2. Home-selling Process

3. How to Avoid Foreclosure

4. Refinancing

5. Video

BUYERBUYER

1. IDX KWLS Search

2. IDX Map Searching

3. Mortgage Calculations

1. Home Value Request

2. Enhanced Featured Property • Detailed descriptions • Multiple photos • Virtual Tours • Property- specific domains

SELLER

1. Registration Forms

2. Contact Information

Elements of a Great Website

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1 Branding

Credible Image

In advertising, they say that your marketing pieces should make you look like you’re worth the fee you charge. The same is true of websites. This doesn’t mean that your site has to be the most state-of-the-art destination out there. It simply means that yours should look professional and inspire the trust necessary in consumers to make them feel at ease sharing their contact information with you.

Also, like your traditional marketing, you want to keep your branded image consistent on your website. Your site should use the same colors, fonts, logos, photos, etc., you use in your offline marketing. Although the site’s primary focus is not your brand, it is an opportunity to reinforce your brand with these background elements.

Value Proposition

Make the benefit you will bring to buyers and sellers immediately apparent. Do you have a great team, in-depth local knowledge, or an excellent track record for getting your clients what they want in record time and for the best possible price? Whatever your value proposition is, make sure it is immediately apparent. For example, Ben Kinney includes this brief statement right next to where buyers can search for homes: “Whether you are looking to buy or sell Bellingham Real Estate or find information on the city of Bellingham or Whatcom County, you can find it all here! Ben Kinney runs one of the largest real estate teams in Bellingham with over 13 agents working 7 days a week to help you buy or sell.”

Compelling Domain Name

A great domain name is a marketing message unto itself. One that speaks to consumers’ needs (e.g., besthomesinseattle.com) can mean the difference in whether or not an individual goes to your site. Put your domain name on all your marketing materials, for example, in your email signature, on your business cards, on your sign riders, etc.

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Myth

Myth:All the good names have been taken.

Truth:Through creative wording, use of spacing characters like hyphens, and different top-level domains (e.g., .com, .net, .info, etc.), the possibilities are endless.

Because domain names are relatively inexpensive (less than $10 each per year), most of the top Internet agents we studied owned several. Some of their domains pointed to different sites, while many of them had multiple domain names pointing to the same site.

You can point multiple domain names at any page of your site. Typically, domain names are pointed at the main page of the site: the homepage. Interior pages of the site are derivatives of the main domain name. For instance, if your homepage is BigHomes.com your URL for your IDX page might be BigHomes.com/IDX. But you could purchase another domain and point it straight at your IDX page.

The 3 Rules of Domain Names

There are three rules that you should follow when buying a domain name:

1. Keepitsimple – The easier the domain name, the easier it is to remember. Make sure that the domain name is simple to spell, and avoid “kute” spelling—even if you think it is “gr8t”—because no one will ever get it right.

2. Makeitrelevant – Your domain name should reflect the nature of your site, answering the consumer’s question, “What am I going to this website for?” Purchase domain names that match the key phrases that are repeated throughout your site.

3. Getcreative – Domain names can be up to twenty-six characters long, and do not contain spaces between words. This means that, including the different top-level domains (e.g., .com, .net, .info, etc.), your actual “name” can be up to twenty-two characters long. These characters can include letters, numbers, and hyphens (e.g., Tampa-Home-Database.com). This gives you a lot of flexibility in trying to find variations of domain names that are already taken.

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STOP

and

DO

Branding: Focus on Time and Expense

1. Check the Done! column if you have already completed the task.

2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to effectively brand—or improve the existing branding—on your site, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done!column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.

3. Fill in the Leverage/Budget column with your estimate.

Done TaskLeverage Budget

Who? Time ExpenseOrganize colors, fonts, images, and logos to align with your marketing.

FREE! in eAgentC

Create and purchase domain names.

Total

Time:2mins.

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2 Functionality: ToolsConsumers are coming to your site because they want access to what you have: the properties listed in the MLS and the ability to determine the value of their home. Your goal is not only to absolutely provide these tools, but to provide them in a way that is obvious, easy, and even fun. Don’t bury your tools in a maze of clutter or require multiple click-throughs to get there, or you risk losing your visitors. According to Matt Rains, tech guru for five Market Centers in the Atlanta, Georgia, metro area, “Your site needs to be so simple that a 5-year-old could use it to search for homes.” Make sure your main tools—the IDX and home value—are up front and center, and simple to use.

Tools for Buyers

If we haven’t made it abundantly clear by now, the majority of your website visitors will be looking primarily for listings. The Center for Realtor Technology tells us that agents who receive more than 40 percent of their leads from the Internet have a higher level of IDX adoption than agents who receive fewer leads. This is why IDX will play a vital role on your site and why it should be your homepage’s most prominent link.

1. IDX/KWLS Search

IDX (Internet Data Exchange) refers to a property-search tool that agents can place on their sites to allow consumers to search properties in the local MLS. IDX is an opt-in program. Brokerages that agree to opt in allow their listings to display on the websites of other brokerages and agents in the MLS.

Many MLSs have IDX available to agents; however, there are markets that either do not have IDX or only allow the brokerages to display IDX on the companies’ websites and not the individual agents’ sites. There are also some markets where some brokers have not opted in to their IDX solution.

“Trulia.com,

Zillow.com and

Realtor.com

don’t look like

one another

but they are all

function focused

and based on

ease of use and

simplicity.” Jeremy KatzAgentSan Diego, California

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But merely having an IDX search is not enough. Remember, your goal is to get users to register on your site, so the IDX solution you use for your website should include lead capture tools, such as a BINS listing drip system. And certain IDX lead capture tools can actually increase not only the likelihood of registration, but the accuracy of the contact information as well.

Truth

YourIDXsolutionmusthaveleadcapturetools.IfthesolutionyourMLSprovidesdoesnot,

getathird-partysolution.

In addition to IDX, as a KW associate, you can offer the Keller Williams Listing System (KWLS) on your site. KWLS is an online listing database of all KW associates’ listings. When an associate enters their listing into the system, it is posted on their own website as a featured property. The listing is also posted on the associate’s Market Center’s website and on third-party websites to ensure maximum exposure.

The KWLS also serves as another listing-search tool. Like IDX, consumers can use the tool to search all available KW listings in their area. If IDX is unavailable, the KWLS will become your primary listing-search tool on your site. And even if you have IDX on your site, the KWLS will offer you a way to market KW listings in the area. It also means that your listings can be marketed on the sites of all KW associates in your area, which is a powerful message to convey to prospective sellers.


Map searching has become an increasingly popular way of finding properties, with a full 76 percent of all agents including it on their site. Of this 76 percent:

• 60 percent have map-based searches

• 53 percent integrate additional information on their listing search such as businesses, school data, etc.

• 50 percent feel that map-based searches are more effective

The ability to offer this level of service to your consumer comes at a small cost. WolfNet is an IDX provider that, along with other IDX providers, charges a monthly fee to provide mapping: a cost that is well worth the elevated level of service you will be able to provide your prospects.

“Give them

what they want

before they even

know they want

it. For example,

you could add

walk scores and

school district

info to your IDX

searches. Think of

what you would

want as a buyer

and provide that

all in one spot: on

your website!” Joelle Senter Keller Williams Realty International

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IDX map searches plot homes for sale on a map of the area. When buyers find a home on the map that interests them, they can point their mouse at the home and see a brief description and photo of the listing. If the buyers click on the property, they are shown the listing details for that property within the IDX solution on your site.

3. Mortgage Calculators

People are as interested in how much their monthly mortgage payment will be as they are in the total cost. By including a mortgage calculator right on your site, potential buyers can quickly calculate if they can afford the monthly payment on the property they like. Be sure to include a form they can complete if they would like more information.

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Tools for Sellers

Sellers visit real estate websites to find out the value of their homes and see how you market other listings. Some sellers will use your IDX to look at similar homes on the market to try to determine what the approximate value might be. However, more and more sellers are using online Home Value request forms to find the value of their home.


Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) request forms on a website allow a seller prospect to enter information about their home and receive a free

CMA. The information is emailed to the agent, then many agents manually pull comparable information from their MLS and call the seller with that information. However, some agents use instant home-price evaluation tools for these sites. These tools give consumers an estimated range for their home price based on sold data in the area, and they can save agents from doing CMAs for homeowners simply looking to refinance.

However the CMA is performed, manually or automatically, it is the capture tool you will use to get the seller to schedule a listing appointment.

2. Enhanced Featured Properties

Most real estate website template providers offer a “Featured Properties” page as part of the template, and if you build a custom site, it should have one as well. Your goal is to display your own listings in such a way that they will attract buyers; after all, you want to sell your listings. But sellers will also look at your featured properties. They will want to see how you market your listings to make sure that, should they choose to list with you, their home will be marketed well.

On the following page are the elements that consumers are looking for most when they look at online listings. When posting a listing to your “Featured Properties” page, be sure you include these elements.

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Features Description

1. Detailed Descriptions

This includes property details (e.g., beds, baths, etc.) as well as useful information like driving directions and links relating to the listings (e.g., local school websites). Some agents also upload documents to their listings, such as HOA agreements and seller’s disclosures.

2. Multiple Photos

In addition to photos of the various rooms and exterior shots, you may also post photos of special features in the home. Many agents also scan in floor plans and post those along with the listing photos.

3. Virtual Tours

Virtual tours can be 360-degree photography or pictures in a slideshow. Some agents even create actual virtual-tour videos that they stream on their sites.

4. Property-specific Domains

Agents often buy a property-address domain (e.g., 123OakSt.com) and simply point it at the listing-detail page for that listing on their website. This is an inexpensive way of making it seem like you have created a website for the seller’s listings without actually having to pay for a new site. You can also include the domain in marketing pieces specific to that listing (e.g., the sign rider or property fliers).

Make sure that each of your listing pages has an obvious link to your IDX search solution. If the buyer isn’t interested in your listings, you want them to know that they can also search for available properties in the MLS. Otherwise, that buyer may go to another website to do so.

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STOP

and

DO

Functionality: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to incorporate the kind of tools that buyers and sellers are looking for on agent websites, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done!column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.

3. Fill in the Leverage/Budget columns with your estimate.


Who? Time ExpenseToolsforBuyers:

IDXWolfNet IDX FREE! in most markets

IDX map search

Mortgage calculator

FREE! in eAgentC

ToolsforSellers:

Home Value request

FREE! in eAgentC

Enhanced featured properties

Varies according to MLS, clients’ wishes, KWLS

FREE! in eAgentC

Total

Time:2minutes

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3 Stickiness: ContentWhen agents talk about “content,” they are referring to the information they place in the body of their webpages. Content could be everything from information on buying a home to information on where to go to get a driver’s license in your area. Both the amount of time consumers are spending on your site and your ranking with search engines will be based in part on the quantity and quality of the content you have there.

Liz Landry knows that content will also turn unique visitors into repeat visitors, and give old clients a reason to come back. “My website is a go-to resource for my community. In fact, when you type in the name of our local elementary school, my site ranks higher on Google than the school’s own site!”

When deciding what content to put on your site, first consider the information that clients ask you for on a regular basis. Christine Lee advises agents to think of it from the consumer’s perspective. “Pretend that you’re a prospect. What would you type into a search engine?”

Keith Riddle, speaking at MegaCamp 2010, had this to say, “You will lose consumers if they do not find the information they are looking for, because the Internet consumer wants it all now.”

Myth

Myth:If they need information, they can just call me.

Truth:Sure they can, but that’s not the point. They’ll get it from someone else—on the Web.

Like it or not, prospects who are still trying to figure out what they want may not want to speak with you yet. This is part of the reason people go to websites in the first place—they can get their questions answered without being pressured. Many of the Internet-savvy agents we spoke with told us that if consumers can avoid speaking to you until they feel ready, they probably will.

As Gene Rivers, top-producing agent and KWU Master Faculty of Tallahassee, Florida, puts it, “If my marketing gives them a choice, people will go to my website (RingtheRivers.com) rather than call me.”

“No matter how

they contact you,

everyone has

looked on the Web

first.” Jonathan OsmanAgentCharlotte, North Carolina

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Remember, just because they know about you and plan on using your services doesn’t mean they will. What happens if they go to another agent’s site for information and end up in dialogue with that agent? You may not be the one they ultimately choose to work with.

For Benjamin Bach, the fact that consumers come to his website for information is a win-win. “We all love helping people, but most of us do not like finding people to help. The Internet is a way to have people who want to be helped find you all by themselves!”

Generating Content

You will create certain elements on your site, like your homepage content. But given the limited amount of time you have as an agent, you should try to find—not create—as much content as possible.

1. Tap into Local Organizations

For articles about things like mold remediation and content about the community you live in, there are many sites you can borrow from. A number of community organizations have tons of information about your area and would be happy to allow you to republish it on your site as long as you give them credit. “The absolute smartest way is to call your local chamber of commerce,” says Randy Eagar, a long time real estate technology trainer and owner of ComputerCamp.net. “You are both trying to sell your location, and chambers of commerce are more than happy to help you get information about the city out to would-be buyers.” David Edwards, top agent in Renton, Washington, davidjedwards.com, takes the monthly report from his local MLS and uses the information to provide an analysis of market trends in his area. Just make sure you have permission or the information is in public domain to avoid copyright headaches!

2. Use What You Have

Many of the agents we studied used content from their offline marketing materials. They had loads of information in their prelisting, listing, buyer, and relocation packets that they turned into great content for their sites. Since many of them had these marketing materials in an electronic format, it was simply a matter of copying and pasting the information into their website.

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“The penalty for

not delivering

content on a

website is swift—

people leave.” Edward Tufte Author, Speaker, ProfessorPrinceton University

3. Use What You Know

You are the local expert, right? The local economist of choice? Undoubtedly, you are already a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the kind of content consumers are searching for online.

Brad Korn; Master Faculty, MAPS coach, Market Center technology coordinator, and successful agent in Kansas City, Missouri; found a quick and effective way to add relevant content to his site by scrolling through the “sent” box of his email. “I found that I had already answered the most common questions my customers have asked over the years by email. I had paragraphs of material just sitting there that I was able to cut and paste into informative articles that I could include on my website, bradkorn.com, or blog, greaterkansascityrealestate.blogspot.com.”

Are you in tune with popular subdivisions or neighborhoods that prospective buyers would be interested to learn about? Write up a few paragraphs on each with useful information on schools, proximity to local hotspots, home styles, and price ranges. The next time you are in the area, take a picture and include it with your article. From there, you can create a link to your IDX that will allow people who like what they learned to immediately search for properties in that subdivision or neighborhood.

4. Pay for Content

Some agents like Ben Kinney of Bellingham, Washington, actually pay someone to create content and reports for them. For Ben, it’s a cost- efficient way of doing business on the Internet: he needs content, but his time is worth far more than the hourly rate he pays local college students to put together the content for him. Because the content will help a site show up at the top of search engine results, Ben says it is money he is gladly willing to pay.

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Content for Buyers

Aside from properties for sale, buyers want to see information about the community and the home-buying process. The agents we spoke with generally offered some or all of the following content on their sites.



This may include local destinations, shopping, crime statistics, market statistics (e.g., sold data), and other information that’s pertinent to your area. Much of this information can be found through your local chamber of commerce and similar organizations that provide free information about your area. There are a number of third-party companies that provide some of this data for your site as a subscription service.

2. Home-Buying Process

This will be information similar to a home-buying process guidebook that most agents use in their buyer consultation designed to help explain to the buyer what to expect. You may include points of service in your process that differentiates you from other agents, such as using a listing drip system to help buyers weed out the suspects from the prospects.

3. Schools

Consumers will want to see college-bound rates, designations, accreditations, enrollment numbers, and other relevant statistics about schools in your area. These stats are usually available on your local school district’s website. As with community information, there are companies that can provide this data as a subscription.

4. Relocation

Relocation information will feature some of the same content as community/neighborhood information. You may also offer additional information, such as census numbers, employment information, economic indicators, major industries, vendors, etc., that are pertinent to relocating in your area.

5. First-time Buyer

These buyers will want to see home-buying process information tailored to first-time home buyers. This may include some of the same content for the home-buying process as well as first-time buyer programs.

6. Mortgage

Buyers will want information on different types of mortgages, interest rates, and amortization schedules. You may also include mortgage calculators that allow consumers to see an estimate of their monthly mortgage payments based on the home price they enter.

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Many agents post some information on their websites for all visitors to see and other information that is only available through registration. For example, you might post neighborhood information on a page of your site, while you offer a relocation package to those who register for one.

Content for Sellers

In addition to finding their home value and looking at other listings, sellers want to see information about the market and the home-selling process. The top websites we studied provided the following:


1. Market Statistics

There are a number of statistics that sellers will want to know about their areas. Generally, they are looking for information that will give them an idea of what their home might be worth. For sellers who don’t want to submit their contact information to receive a CMA, being able to compare what other homes in their area sold for can help them determine if now is the right time to sell. This information will also give sellers a realistic understanding of what their home is worth.

Some of the agents we studied created neighborhood pages for each neighborhood they farmed. On these pages, they would post market statistics on a monthly or quarterly basis. You can provide information by including Market Snapshot on your site and a link to Keller Williams Realty’s This Month in Real Estate.

2. Short Sale or Avoiding Foreclosure

Sellers who have found themselves upside down now make up a substantial part of many markets, and they are looking for help. Provide education and information that will orient homeowners to the short sales or foreclosure process, while at the same time offering your help and expertise in finding a solution to their predicament.

3. Home-selling Process Information

Similar to information you might include in your listing-presentation material, this information will include the steps involved in selling a home. You may also include points of service in your process that differentiate you from other agents, such as how you market your listings online.

4. Relocation

Placing information on refinancing a home on your website can reduce the amount of time you spend working with homeowners who are not truly motivated to sell at that time. Such information might include current interest rates, descriptions of different mortgages, and refinancing mortgage calculators.

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Stickiness: Video

The Web has turned us all into viewers—and producers—of online video. Top-performing agents are using it in many ways to market to their targets. A growing number of agents are using YouTube to post short, powerful videos on the main page of their agent site or blog site.

Why use video? Its mere presence on your site is Google-friendly. Tech guru Michael Tritthart says, “Google likes to offer ‘fresh bread’ to users. Google searches for that ‘fresh bread’ four times more often throughout the day for video and social networking content.”

Video is a powerful and personal lead generation traffic builder. How powerful? According to video-blogging expert Mel Aclaro, a contributor to NAR’s Realtor University, YouTube is approaching 3 billion views per day. That’s already almost 50 percent more than they announced when they celebrated their fifth anniversary in May 2010, and more than double the prime-time audience of all three major U.S. television networks combined.

You don’t have to be Spielberg to do it effectively, either. A Flip cam or iPhone is good enough to record clips you can post to your site. You also don’t have to have any acting chops: informal videos are the perfect way to personalize you and convey a sense of who you really are. Video content can come from any of the categories we have just covered, for either your buyers or sellers—whatever you can write, you can say.

Top Canadian agent Benjamin Bach features video prominently on his site. “People love watching video online and people love real estate. So, if you help first-time buyers, spend three minutes telling viewers how you can help guide them through the process and save them money. If you sell luxury houses, take the viewers on a walkthrough and show them the gorgeous home. Everybody should be talking in front of their Flip or webcam and uploading it online.”

Experts recommend video segments be kept short—2–3 minutes is optimal with an outer limit of about 6 minutes for educational pieces. The average length of a YouTube video today is just over 4 minutes. With practice, you’ll be able to get your video pieces done in 30 minutes or less per segment.

YouTube has

become the

number two

search engine

on the web

after Google.

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Bearing in mind these attention spans, the array of applications for agents is limited only by imagination. Property or neighborhood tours, short market updates, value proposition statements, testimonials, video FAQ exchanges with consumers—all are being used right now to put agents’ faces in front of their consumers, riveting their attention and creating curiosity. That’s stickiness!

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STOP

and

DO

Stickiness: Focus on Time and Expense

1. Check the Done!column if you have already completed the task.

2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to incorporate or improve content that will keep buyers and sellers on your site, as well as who will do the work: you, or an outside resource. If you checked the Done!column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time ExpenseIncorporate existing content into my site.

Free!

Develop new content.

Total

Time:2minutes

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4 Calls to ActionA “call to action” prompts the consumer to do something. Because your goal in having a website is to capture leads, the calls to action on your website should tell the consumer why they would want to call or submit their contact information via a form on your site. Without a compelling reason for prospects to click through, they will treat your site as no more than an information booth, and you will get little to nothing in exchange for all the information and resources you have provided.

Calls to action should appear on every page of your website. Design MOFIRS (Make Offers for Immediate Response) like “Click here to see my Best Buys,” or prominent buttons that shout “Search Now,” so they have the same effect on visitors as a shiny object does to a crow!

Your visitors won’t keep on clicking unless they clearly see the benefit of what you have to offer. In other words, your calls to actions should answer this question from the consumer’s perspective: “What’s in it for me?”

Call to Action Description

1. Sign Up

This is by far the most important call to action you will have on your site. The majority of website leads that agents in our research received were from their IDX property search or their CMA request form. That’s why the two biggest calls to action on their sites are “Search for Properties” and “Get Home Value.” Additional sign-up elements may include registration for reports, best-buy lists, or other information offered through your site. Make it clear that you are offering value by pointing out the features and benefits the consumer will receive when they sign up.

2. Email Me

Make sure that you include an email address as part of your clearly visible contact information. The address should be professional, not a Yahoo! or Hotmail address. When you purchase a domain name (e.g., AustinHomes.com) for your site, for a few dollars more, you can get an email account for the domain (e.g., [email protected]). And whatever email address you display on your site should be one that you check often.

“A classic

website error is

to assume your

visitors know

what to do next.

They don’t!

You need to tell

them, or better

yet show them,

how to make

the next move.” Joelle SenterKWRIAustin, Texas

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Call to Action Description

3. Call Me

Put your contact information on your website. Although it seems a bit ridiculous to say, you’d be surprised at how many agents forget to do something this simple. And don’t just put it on your “About Me” page. Put it on your homepage and every other page on your site. And make it visible, either in the header or the side navigation.

This is especially important on your IDX property-search page. When they find a listing that they want to call someone about, you don’t want them to have to hunt for your number.

4. Follow or Friend Me

People like to work with people they like. By allowing consumers to connect to your social media sites, you are giving them an insight into who you are and opening up the potential for dialogue and relationship building.

5. Text Me

Is texting the new email? While only 7 percent of buyers state that texting is their preferred method of communication, compared to the 35 percent who prefer email, texting is gaining ground. Among people 30 and under, 65 percent of this younger demographic said that texting was their No. 1 preferred method of communication.

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STOP

and

DO

Calls to Action: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to add or improve the calls to action on your site, as well as who will do the work: you, or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

Incorporate registration forms.

Free! in eAgentC

Add contact information.

Free! in eAgentC

Total

Time:2minutes

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Target Marketing with Multiple WebsitesNow that we’ve looked at the elements of a great website, let’s look at how you can use certain elements on targeted websites. Target marketing is a method of narrowing your marketing focus to the group(s) of people who are most likely to use your services, instead of broadcasting your services to the world. Target marketing has long been a part of top agents’ traditional marketing programs in the form of geographic and demographic farming.

Like traditional target marketing, you will address different audiences online with different marketing messages. The top agents commonly market multiple branded sites, each addressing a particular audience and each marketed in several different ways online and offline.

Using Pages as Niche Sites

For some agents, the idea of paying for and operating multiple niche websites is too much. Instead, they simply create a page on their main site for a particular niche and purchase a domain name for the niche that points directly at that page. For SEO purposes, it is important that each page has a different domain name that leads to the same site. This creates the illusion of a site devoted to the niche, while saving the agent the costs of maintaining a completely different site. This thrifty strategy can also be used to point a buyer-oriented domain name at your main site’s IDX page or to point a seller-oriented domain name at your main site’s CMA page.

Consider some or all of the following types of sites/pages:

“Be consistent

and know your

market. Don’t try

to be everything to

everyone.” Lowell J. Figur LiveInTownAtlanta.comAtlanta, Georgiagofigur.yourkwagent.com

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1. Main Sites

Main sites are general sites featuring a variety of real estate information and lead capture tools to attract buyers and sellers. Your main site might have your business’s name as the domain name, such as Casey and Raine Baird’s site TheBairdTeam.com. Although it’s tempting to think of your main site as a personal-promotion site, remember that consumers don’t go to real estate websites to learn about agents. That’s why Keller Williams Realty made the IDX and CMA tools the focus of their homepage—so visitors can find those tools as quickly as possible.

1. Main Sites

Features:

• IDX with Search Saver

• Comparative Market Analysis

• Buyer and Seller Content

• Keyword- or Brand-Oriented Domain Name (e.g., TulsaHomes.com or JaneSmith.com)

2. Buyer Sites

Buyer-oriented sites are usually built around an IDX property-search solution with a listing drip system. They also feature mortgage and first-time buyer information. The domain names for buyer sites often resemble the keyword phrases buyers use most frequently on search engines like Google to find real estate in their area. Examples of this type of site are those created by Atlanta, Georgia-based Technology Coordinator Matt Rains, searchbufordhomes.com.

2. Buyer Sites

Features:


• Buyer Content

• Buyer-Oriented Domain Name (e.g., Cityhomesearch.com)

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3. Seller Sites

Seller-oriented sites are usually set up to get sellers to register for a free market evaluation of their home. Some agents purchase instant home-price evaluation tools for these sites. These tools give consumers an estimated range for their home value based on sold data in the area and can save agents from doing CMAs for homeowners simply looking to refinance. An example of a domain name for this type of site is Tim Burroughs’s CMA site WhatsMyBoiseHomeWorth.com.

3. Seller SitesFeatures:


• Seller Content

• Seller-Oriented Domain Name (e.g., Cityhomevalues.com)

4. Niche Sites

Niche sites generally focus on a particular area of town or type of property. Chrissy Neumann’s AtlantaPremierLuxuryHomes.com is an example of a domain name that focuses on a niche market. It’s also an example of a niche site set up to automatically display homes for sale in a given area from an IDX property search without making visitors fill out a search form. Visitors to Chrissy’s site can click on a neighborhood and, after registering, immediately see all of the homes available in that neighborhood.

Neighborhood sites generally will have detailed information about the area, including surrounding destinations. They may also include photos and even virtual tours of the neighborhood. Niche sites that deal with specific property types will also have similar information specifically on those types of properties and the areas of town where they can be found.

4. Niche SitesFeatures:



• Niche-Specific Content

• Niche-Oriented Domain Name (e.g., name of neighborhood, property type, etc.)

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5. Single Property Websites

Because consumers often type in the exact address of a property they are interested in, if you have created a domain name with that address, when it comes up on Google, they will be directed to that exact page on your website. If they click for further information, they will still be on your website. Because you put the spotlight on a single property, you can include as much information as you want. This is generally also a powerful tool to use with your sellers—they will be pleased and impressed that their property has its own “site.”

You can create these yourself by using free tools like Postlets, postlets.com, or go through vendors such as name.com.

5. Single Property WebsitesFeatures:

• Domain names that are the exact address of the listing

• Site devoted exclusively to that one listing

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STOP

and

DO

Marketing with Multiple Websites: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to market through multiple websites, and who will do the work: you, or an outside resource. If you checked the Done!column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

Buyer, seller, or niche sites

Single property websites

Total

Time:2minutes

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Maintaining Your Web PresenceMaintaining your web presence is primarily about keeping your content fresh and relevant. Content is not an option—it’s a must-do activity. Google and other search engines crave new and renewed content, and visitors are no different than search engines. We all have short attention spans on the Web. If a consumer returns to your site and doesn’t see something important that’s new, chances are they’re not coming back.

The good news? Content is truly everywhere.

The bad news? It takes time to find it, edit what you find, and put it in place on your website or in your social media.

So what’s the solution? Effective time blocking.

In chapter 1, we discussed the importance of applying the 80/20 Principle to your Internet lead generation. While generating fresh and relevant content is essential for carrying your message to your target audience, it is still an 80 percent activity that shouldn’t take up more than 20 percent of your time.

To remain true to the 80/20 principle, time block your content development so it becomes part of a streamlined calendar of 80 percent activities.

Jonathan Osman, a dedicated real estate blogger in Charlotte, North Carolina, got his business rolling—and maintains it to this day—by conscientiously blogging 2 hours a day.

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David Edwards, another top blogger in Seattle, Washington, has carefully orchestrated a system that allows him to post fresh content from Monday through Saturday every week of the year. “I devote one Saturday per month to developing content. I leverage the monthly report I get from my local MLS, I comment on the stories reported in the local press, and I use information from publications such as Metrocities as a basis for articles on mortgages. I get enough content from those sources to last the entire month. Then, I leverage my marketing manager. He has the responsibility of posting and monitoring the content every day.”

Make key decisions early to establish a routine to maintain your content.

• Identify your content-related tasks.

• Monitor your time.

• Focus on using what’s free.

• Get leveraged—outsource what you can.

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My Work PlanMyWebPresenceWorkPlan

1. Turn to the Budget Planner on page 162 in your Appendix and add up the totals for time and expense for chapter 2.

2. Now, turn to your Work Plan on page 161. With these estimates in mind, review the list of the many options you have for your web presence.

3. Decide on your plan by circling the options you intend to use, then numbering your selections in order of priority—the tasks you intend to tackle first, second, third, etc.

4. On the back page of your Work Plan, you will also find your chapter 2 resource guide for future reference.

5. Your Work Plan is a quick reference tool and a visual guide—so keep it handy! Post it where you can see it—on your office wall, next to your computer, or right on your desk.

Time:10mins.

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Chapter Aha’s_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 3: Create a Lead Generation

Campaign

In this chapter ...

[1] It’s about Visitors [2] The Internet Lead Generation Path [3] Offline Marketing [4] Online Marketing [5] Measuring Success

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your social media business strategy72

It’s Not about the Website, It’s about How Many People Visit the WebsiteAgents who are unfamiliar with the Internet sometimes have a “field of dreams” approach to their sites. They think that if they build a site, visi-tors will come. However, just because you have a site doesn’t mean any-one’s going to find it.

Cary Sylvester, Executive Director of the IT department at Keller Williams Realty International says that at least once during every Family Reunion, an agent stops by the technology booth and complains that their site doesn’t work. Obviously concerned, the IT employee on hand immediately pulls up the site and asks, “So what exactly isn’t working?” only to hear this reply: “I’m not getting any leads from it!” It’s not that their site isn’t working technically, as Cary explains, “The issue is that they aren’t getting results! And that is simply because they are not driving traffic to it!”

Think about it this way: Do you blame your cell phone provider if your phone isn’t ringing?

Truth

Youhavetomarketyoursiteifyouwantvisitors.

Go for Volume As in all lead generation, your first goal is getting volume. Gene Rivers provides this data history from his team’s sizeable business to explain why driving traffic to your site in numbers matters so much:

Rivers Team 2010 Internet Lead Generation StatisticsWeb Visitors to Contracts 1,000-1

Registered Web Visitors to Contracts 1%-5% Conversion

“We get about 10 percent of our visitors who get into a real dialogue with us about buying or selling.” Gene reports. “About 10 percent of that 10 percent will have appointments and sign buyer agreements or listing agreements.”

Big Numbers Become Much Smaller, so Aim High!

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73chapter 3: create a lead generation campaign

The Internet Lead Generation Path In The Path of the Internet Consumer 2.0 model below, you see the entire process of how to move potential clients to your website from various sources, like offline marketing, online marketing through search engines, listing syndicators, and online advertising.

Relying on any one lead generation source in your business is a dangerous approach. If that lead source fails, you have no more business!

The key to successful website lead generation is to create a balanced approach between online and offline marketing that also leverages social media platforms.

This course will cover the online and offline marketing techniques to drive traffic to your website. Explore the social media platforms of networking, blogging, and media-sharing components in the companion course, Internet Lead Generation Part II: Your Social Media Business Strategy.

“Many business

executives who

begin to build

an Internet

presence for

their firm are

surprised to

learn that the

effectiveness of

their Internet

presence

requires that

they advertise

it. ‘Advertise my

advertising?’ Yes,

advertise your

advertising.” Barbara G. Cox andWilliam Koelzer, Internet Marketing

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Filling Your Pathways with Traffic

Whether you are focusing on buyers, sellers, or specialized markets like short sales, you want your website to attract those consumers. This is not as difficult a task as it may appear, because despite the common myths about tech smarts being a requirement for success in Internet lead generation, it’s really all about marketing first.

Insiders know that technology simply supports a marketing plan, and your website is merely the intersection where your marketing messages and your prospects can meet and interact.

Your Targets Define Your Message

Targeting matters because your target defines your marketing message. Whenever you are considering lead generation, you are always asking yourself, “What are my targets’ needs and wants—for information in general and for details about specific properties?” Simply by answering that question, you can lay the groundwork for a complete plan on how to drive traffic through your pathways.

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STOP

and

DO

My Targets

Who Are My Targets?

What Are My Targets’ Needs and Wants: for Information in General

What Are My Targets’ Needs and Wants: for Details about Specific Properties

Time:2mins.

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Your Message Defines Your Pathways

Armed with the knowledge of what kind of information your targets are looking for, you can diversify your marketing plan to cover as many pathways as possible that will ultimately—or immediately!—drive traffic to your website.

As an example, let’s look at the activities an agent might engage in to construct a complete campaign for the niche of first-time home buyers.

1. Create a niche website.

2. Create offline marketing pieces that point to the web address of your niche website.

3. Attend offline social networking events to meet people you can add to your database.

4. Add people you meet through offline social networks to your online social networks.

5. From your online social networks, point appropriate people to your offline network events.

6. From your online social networks, point people to your online lead generation tools, like your blog updates.

7. From your online lead generation tools, point people to specific searches or offers on your website.

8. From your website, offer a free consultation for clients who would like to learn more about certain subjects—financing solutions, for example. Your website requires registration, which means an entry into your database.

9. You immediately respond and begin converting that lead to an active buyer or seller—ask for a referral, or strengthen the relationship.

For an illustration of the nine steps displayed in graphical form, refer to the “Campaign for the First-Time Home Buyer Niche” on the following page. Do you see how this complete strategy will drive first-time home buyers into your web capture and lead generation system?

“Your website is

little better than

a billboard in the

desert if you are

not driving traffic

to it.” Ben KinneyMega AgentBellingham, Washington

kw | University


Campaign for the First-Time Home Buyer Niche

Offline Social Networking Events

• College graduate meetings• Bridal shows• Your First Home seminar

3

Website

• Specific property search for starter homes• Offer free consultations• Pictures of past clients• Link to KW YouTube video: This Month in Real Estate

8

ContactManagement

Database

9

Convert to Active Buyeror Seller. Ask for Referral, orStrengthen the Relationship

5

4

iwanttobuymyfirsthome.comA niche page for first-time homebuyers on your agent website.

1

Offline Lead Generation Tools

• Postcards• Riders• Newsletters• Newspapers• Open house fliers• Door hangers (Apt. complex, move-up neighborhood)• Your First Home

2Online Lead Generation

• Pay per click• SEO (Hyperlocal keywords):• Blogs• Email blasts• Advertising on wedding- focused websites

7

Online Social Networks

• Facebook• Twitter• YouTube

6

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STOP

and

DO

Filling Your Pathways with Traffic

• Are you leading your target markets to your website?

1. Refer to the completed model on the previous page and the blank model on the following page. With your website in mind (refer to the printouts if you have them), fill in each box on the following page with the features you currently use.

2. Referring to your new model, give yourself a point for each feature listed in the categories below and record your scores in the table.

3. Get into groups of three and compare your models and totals.

Points

Website/Niche Page


Offline Networking Events

Online Lead Generation


Total Points

4. Discuss the results in your groups.

• Who has the highest score in each of the categories? Tell your group about your features.


• Which category should you focus on first to improve your Internet lead generation?

I Will Focus On ...

Time:10mins.

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My Internet Lead Generation Campaign

Offline Social Networking Events

3

Website

8

ContactManagement

Database

9

Convert to Active Buyeror Seller. Ask for Referral, orStrengthen the Relationship

5

4

Niche page for target market1


2Online Lead Generation

7


6

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Offline Marketing One of the biggest questions agents have is where to effectively market their sites. The answer is simple: everywhere. This rule of thumb is expressed well by Mariana Wagner an agent in Colorado Springs, Colorado, “Your contact information should be everywhere on your websites,” she says, “and your web addresses should be everywhere in your marketing materials.”

Some mistakenly believe that successful Internet lead generation is all about online advertising. In fact, there is no reason why online and offline shouldn’t be consistently intertwined. It’s simple enough to take the first step: If you already have a traditional lead generation program going, add the following to your marketing pieces:

• Your website URL (domain name)

• An appropriate call to action

This brings up another question agents often have, which is what to say in their marketing to drive consumers to their sites. Simply putting your website address, or URL, on your marketing material isn’t enough to get visitors any more than putting your telephone number in your marketing is enough to tell people why they should call you. You want to tell people how to find you online and what they’ll get when they arrive.

Let’s take a look at where to market your website offline, that is, outside the realm of your website, social media, and email. The table on the next page shows the various offline marketing sources used by agents to drive traffic.


• Postcards• Riders• Newsletters• Newspapers• Open house fliers• Door hangers (Apt. complex, move-up neighborhood)• Your First Home

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Offline Marketing Options

Sources Description

1. Yard Signs

Many agents have riders that tell would-be buyers to “Take our virtual tour at www .” In addition, agents often use property-specific domain names (e.g., 123OakSt.com) on their sign riders.

2. Fliers

People who take fliers from brochure boxes are either buyers who want to see what’s out there or potential sellers who are trying to figure out what their home is worth. Include a call to action on your flier telling consumers that they can do both on your site.

3. Print Ads

Depending on where you run a print ad, you may be marketing to buyers, sellers, or both. Whatever the audience, be sure to include the appropriate messages about the tools you know they want to use.

4. Networking Events

If you teach real estate seminars or attend home fairs, bridal shows, or meetings at your local rotary club or chamber of commerce, be sure to pass out your business card with your URL on it and use a brief script to explain why people should visit it.

5. Direct Mail

Sending Just Listed/Sold postcards to neighbors would encourage them to use your site to get their home values. A first-time buyer mailer would push these consumers to your site to search for properties.

6. Promotional Items

Promotional items (e.g., calendars, magnets, pens) are a good way to market your main site to past clients and friends who might be both buyers and sellers.

Kenny Klaus, an agent in Tempe, Arizona, lead generates for short sales by offering at least two local “Facing Foreclosure” workshops every month. “We make sure we promote our Web presence in those sessions,” he says. “Participants can either visit our main website, thekennyklausteam.com, or a specialty site we’ve built that is all about pre-foreclosure and foreclosure, azhomechoice.com. Whichever way they go, we have a good shot at capturing their contact information.”

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STOP

and

DO

Offline Marketing: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to market through multiple websites, and who will do the work: you, or an outside resource. If you checked the Done!column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time ExpenseUpdate existing materials to include web address(es).

Create new materials.

Total

Time:2minutes

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Online MarketingThink of a product or service you often search for online—maybe clothes, sporting equipment, medical supplies, or something related to a favorite hobby.

Now think of how you look for that product or service when you are surfing the Internet. Odds are, the first place you will start your search is Google. You can also probably find them on third-party distributors like Amazon, eBay, or Craigslist, and you may even click on one of their advertisements on related sites.

The online pathways you follow to get to what you are looking for online are the exact same pathways you must build if you expect to lead consumers to your product (listings) and your services (real estate).

After learning the intricacies of the online marketing choices, purposefully select as many pathways as you can to maximize your visibility online.

1. Search Engine Marketing

• Marketing through Paid Results

• Marketing through Organic Results

2. Third-Party Marketing

• Paid Third-Party Marketing

• Free Third-Party Marketing

Online Lead Generation

• Pay per click• SEO (Hyperlocal keywords):• Blogs• Email blasts• Advertising on wedding- focused websites

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1 Search Engine MarketingBefore we get into how to market on search engines, we want to give you a brief overview of the following:

• The Search Engine that Matters Most

• The Two Ways to Get Results through Search Engines

The Search Engine that Matters Most

The fast-paced changes in online trends and usage have not managed to displace the supremacy of Google as the No. 1 search engine in use today. In fact, while recent web navigation has shown that Facebook is occasionally the No. 1 most-visited site, Google continues to completely dominate other search engines, pulling 83 percent of all search inquiries. The next two most popular search engines, Yahoo! and Bing, together only accounted for approximately 15 percent of traffic, and merged July 2010, in an attempt to create a stronger platform to battle Google.

Google has become the information resource of choice for today’s consumers—so much so that “to google” has become a household phrase. If you want to maximize the number of visitors to your website through search engine marketing, you’ll have to maximize your presence on Google. Fortunately, thanks to the evolution of consumer trends in searching, you now have more opportunity than ever to niche market yourself onto the first page of Google through hyperlocalism.

“Don’t think

of online lead

generation as

something only

‘techie’ agents

can do. Online

marketing is part

of a balanced

approach to

marketing your

site.” Jay Papasan Coauthor of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent

kw | University


The Two Ways to Get Results through Search Engines

Because Google has “paid” or “sponsored links” that show up in the search results, you will actually see two search result lists: paid and organic.

Placement in the PaidResults, commonly known as “pay per click” (PPC), is a way for webpages to essentially cut in line ahead of sites with more relevant content. These are websites that have agreed to pay the search engine only if consumers actually click on their link in the search results.

Websites in the OrganicResults, commonly known as “search engine optimization or marketing” (SEO or SEM), do not pay the search engine when a consumer clicks on them. They show up naturally—organically—because their content is the most relevant to the keywords the searcher used.

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Although the two sides are often pitted against each other, an integration of PPC and SEO is actually the most productive approach. The trick is to actually share. In fact, Market Leader, Inc; which provides IDX solutions for agents; tracked the numbers of visitors to their Vision website and found that there is room for both.

Source of Visitors to Vision Website

Market Leader, Inc.

Market Leader, Inc., found that SEO generated 83 percent of all visitors (consumers who land on your pages), and PPC generated 17 percent. On the other hand, PPC actually accounted for 11 percent of leads (consumers who land on your pages and complete registration forms with valid contact info), while SEO counted for 3 percent.

Knowing these numbers allows you to decide how much time you are willing to spend on SEO given the return you can expect, or how much money you can spend on PPC to generate a return on your expenditure.

Our goal here is not to make you an expert. We simply want to help you understand it well enough to make informed decisions.

Tip

AccordingtoGoogle,gettingtothetopoftheorganicandpaidresultssimultaneouslycanbringthreetimesthenumberofclicksthanifyousimplyplacedinorganicresultsalone,andsixtimesthenumberofclicksthangettingtothetopofpaidplacementalone.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

SEO PPC

11%

3%

Source of Leads FromCompleted Registrations

Source of Visitors to Site

PPC17%

SEO83%

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1. Marketing through Paid Results

PPC is the quickest and easiest way to get to the top of the search engines. As long as you’re willing to pay, search engines will put you at the top of the search results immediately. Google is not the only major player in this game—Facebook ads are also an effective way to get in front of the consumers in your marketplace, and it allows you to be incredibly targeted in your approach.

Placement in the paid results is based on an auction system for both Google and Facebook. To get placed in these results, you must bid how much money you are willing to pay each time a consumer clicks on your link in the search results. You don’t pay just for showing up in the results—only if the searcher clicks on your link. The sites in the paid Sponsored Links list are displayed from the highest to lowest bidder.

Setting up pay-per-click campaigns is easy and does not require technical knowledge. The major search engines all have extensive tutorials and customer-support departments to help. Just google “setting up pay-per-click campaigns.”

How much you have to bid on a keyword to get to the top of the search engines depends greatly on your market. “If you want to own the number one, two, or three spot for phrases like ‘Denver real estate,’ you’re going to have to pay some dollars,” says Grant Dolby, Team Leader in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. “It’s cheaper if you get a little more specific with your keywords.”

Christine Lee, named a 2010 Realtor Magazine “30 under 30,” has focused her online lead generation strategy on PPC since 2007. She started small: “I set my first budget at $10 a day. As soon as I could handle the amount of leads I got for that investment, I started increasing my budget in five-dollar increments. As my budget increased, so did the leads, so I added staff to handle the extra work. A year after I started, I was at $30 a day, and after another year, I hit $50, which is where I am today.” Every month, Christine’s PPC campaign generates about 4,000 visitors, and approximately 300 of those register. “I usually get at least ten registrations a day, and I credit that to both PPC and the excellent content I have on my site. PPC gets my foot in the door, but unless everything on my site supports it, the consumers will kick me back out!” If all her systems are in place, Christine knows she can count on a 1–2 percent conversion rate from her leads. Her advice to agents just starting out with PPC? “Work the numbers backward from a 1–2 percent conversion rate, and determine whether or not that will cover your investment.”

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Keys for Success

Depending on the competition in your local market, it may not be cheap. Real estate advertising through paid links is big business. While you can probably niche yourself to get in front of narrow target groups on Facebook, the competition for ad space on Google AdWords is tough. But for agents who know how to make pay-per-click advertising work, the payoffs can justify the expense.

1. GoSlowly

Test several keywords to see which ones generate the most traffic to your site. Use the keyword ideas link in Google AdWords to evaluate which are the most effective and how much competition you will have to use them. Remember, you don’t pay the search engines unless someone actually clicks on your link, so if you try out an ad that turns out not to drive any traffic, you haven’t lost any money.

2. Experiment

Google provides a variety of functions that allow you to fine-tune a campaign that meets your needs. For example, you can decide on the following:

• The frequency at which your ads appear

• The time of day at which your ads appear

• How much you are willing to pay to appear at the top of the “totem pole” that runs down the right-hand side of the page

3. SpendCautiously

Start by making a low bid, and periodically check to see where you show up in the results list. (Just don’t click on your own link; you don’t want to cost yourself extra money!) If you are not getting the position in the results you want, increase your maximum bid a bit and see where that lands you.

Be sure to set a daily maximum budget that you can live with. Think about what would happen if you hit your daily budget every day for a month. You don’t want sticker shock when you get your monthly bill from the search engine.

Tip

It’snotnecessarytohavethehighestbidinordertowinthetopspotonsearchengines.Startyourbiddinglow.

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4. PayforService

There are many companies that can help manage your pay-per-click campaigns for you. This is definitely the most time-effective solution, and it is likely to be cost-effective as well. Unless you are committed to developing a strategy and keeping up with it consistently, a vendor can provide the service that will allow you to focus on your job—selling real estate—rather than getting into the nitty-gritty of analytics. Search engine algorithms evolve as soon as users get smart about the formula they are using, and more and more people are improving at it all the time.

To find a vendor, you should do a search for “pay per click” on the search engine you plan on advertising with. The companies that show up at the top of the paid results will obviously know what they are doing and would be a good place to start. BoomTown, Market Leader, and TigerLead offer customized pay-per-click campaigns—for a premium price.

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STOP

and

DO

Marketing through Paid Results: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to generate leads through a pay-per-click campaign, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time ExpensePay-per-click campaign

Time:2minutes

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2. Marketing through Organic Results

By getting your site to the top of the organic search results, search engines are telling consumers that your site is the most relevant match for their search. This is why getting ranked at the top of organic results can bring in more traffic than paid placement. A study by Penn State University found that 82 percent of searchers will click on organic links before they click on paid links. Consumers have figured out that organic results are much more likely to have relevant content. That and the fact that organic links don’t pay for clicks make organic rankings on the major search engines even more competitive than PPC.

But make no mistake: Just because you don’t pay for clicks doesn’t mean that Search Engine Marketing is always free. Depending on the keyword phrase you are trying to show up for, you may either have to pay someone to keep your site up-to-date or spend your time doing it yourself—and your time is money!

Search Engine Marketing is … …theartoftryingtogettothetopoforganicsearchresults.

We say art because getting your page ranked in the organic search results is more of an art form than a science.

We want to caution you about relying on organic placement as a lead generation source. The problem is no one knows the exact weighting system search engines use when ranking a site. Search engine companies keep their search algorithms as their most guarded secret, and they change their algorithms regularly.

In general, there are four things that remain relatively constant in their ability to get your site ranked at the top of search engines:

1. Keyword Density–what your page says it is about

2. Site Popularity–how many other sites link to yours

3. Size of Site—bigger is better

4. Age of Site—like fine wine, sites can “improve” with age

1. Keyword Density

Keyword density refers to the number of times a word appears in various parts of your webpage. Search engine crawlers look for the repetition of words in a number of places on your site. However, search engines will ban sites from the search results if they try to overdo it. Such “banning” is more common than some might think, which is why learning how to properly optimize your site without going too far is important.

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Keyword Density Golden Rule

Writeforreaders,notforsearchengines.

The golden rule means that you shouldn’t use keywords so often that it would annoy a visitor to read them. Overly repetitious content will send consumers packing—and search engines will punish you for it too. A site that does well in organic search results usually has keywords that show up logically on the page.

• Choose Your Keywords Wisely

Your first step in Search Engine Marketing is to make a list of the keywords which best describe each page of your site. Tools such as KeywordDiscovery.com, NicheBot.com, and WordTracker.com will tell you how many consumers have recently searched for a given keyword phrase, how many sites are competing for that phrase, and the popularity of related phrases that you might use instead.

Each page of your site should only focus on one or two keywords or phrases. Ben Kinney has had success by keeping his ratio of keywords to 2 percent of his total content. Trying to make a webpage be about too many keywords will confuse consumers, and confused consumers will leave your site. And you should use keywords that are most relevant to what your page is about, and most importantly, to what your target consumers care about!

In general, the most popular searches in real estate for a given city are the keyword phrase of the city’s name followed by “real estate” or “homes for sale.” For example, the most searched-for phrase to find homes in Austin is “Austin real estate.” Competing for these metro-level keyword phrases are real estate brokerages and national third-party players (HomeGain, HouseValues, etc.) who may have multimillion-dollar budgets. Throw into the mix former-techies-turned-agents who know how to make a site rank well for a search phrase, and your average agent will have great difficulty in getting shown in the top of the results list for such phrases.

• Use Your Keywords in Your Title and Descriptions

Search engines place significant weight on the words used in the title tag and the description when determining ranking. Choose as your title the phrase you want your website to be found for, and then use that same phrase to start your description underneath.

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STOP

and

DO

My Keywords

What keywords are related to my targets’ needs and wants?

Keywords

Time:1min.

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• Keys for Success

1. Patience

Many agents with only cursory knowledge of search engines have placed keyword phrases in the text of their website and gotten other sites to link to theirs, expecting immediate results. These agents are often shocked when their site does not show up instantly on Google in the results page. The fact is that search engines take time to index sites and rank them. How much time they take depends on the search engine. Most SEO experts say it can take anywhere from three to ten months for a site to show up in the organic results. And even then, how well you do is only a matter of how well you’ve optimized the site.

Your pay-per-click (PPC) performance can be very instructive in determining how to best optimize your site for organic placement. If a given keyword on your site is optimized well, then it should also do well in paid placement for that same keyword. If not, people will just click on your page and then leave, because it doesn’t match what they’re looking for. Your success in PPC campaigns will be an indicator of how successful you’ll be in organic results—and vice versa.

2. Leverage

Doing well in organic placement for popular keywords can be difficult. We do not recommend that agents spend a lot of time learning how to do this on their own.

Truth

You’reanagent,notaprogrammer.Ifyoudon’tknowhowtooptimizeyoursite,hiresomeonewhodoes.

If you are interested in having your site optimized for search engine placement, there are several companies that can help. Like trying to find a firm that can help you with pay per click, we recommend doing a search on a search engine. The companies that show up at the top of the organic results will have demonstrated that they can get a site ranked organically.

Beware of “black hat” search engine techniques, since you will be the one the search engines punish. Consider this when speaking with anyone about optimizing your site for search engines. There are many SEO companies who promise to get your site to the top of the results quickly, but because they use black-hat techniques, they can actually get your site banished. Anyone who promises quick results in SEO is probably going to give you results that you don’t want.

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2. Site Popularity

In addition to your site’s keyword density, the other way that search engines will know that your site is relevant to a given keyword phrase is if other websites tell them so. To avoid web programmers who lie about their own sites, search engines also rely on other websites to tell them if a particular site is relevant to a keyword.

• Anchor Text Links

When a search engine reads a site, it looks at the “outbound links,” which are links on the site that point to other websites. Search engines read the hyperlinked text—called the “anchor text”—in an outbound link to determine the relevant keywords for the site they point to.

There are three very safe and effective ways to anchor text links that point back to your site:

1. YourBlog

When writing your blog look for opportunities to insert hyperlinked anchor text that will take readers directly to specific webpages in your site when they click on the link. Because search engines only read the hyperlinked anchor text in determining what one site is saying about another, be sure the hyperlink represents what your site or page is about, for example “Real Estate in Austin has maintained its value despite the downturn in the economy.” In this example, the search engine will see that your site is about “Real Estate in Austin.”

If you point to your site by saying, “Click here for homes in Austin,” you are not increasing your visibility because the search engine will only see that your site is about “Click here.”

Expand upon the mileage you get with your blog by posting it to other blog sites like ActiveRain. If your blog posts are interesting enough, others will copy and paste what you have done, effectively providing links back to your own site because you have already embedded the links in them!

(See Internet Lead Generation Part II: Your Social Media Business Strategy for a complete overview on blogging.)

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2. YourNicheSites

Any hyperlinks, registration forms, or requests for more information should take visitors directly back to your main website. Search engines will count these as links.

3. SocialMedia

Using links to your website from social media platforms has a positive effect on search engine rankings. Although Google’s indexing standards change constantly, search engines will notice traffic going to your site, and as a result, your SEO rankings will improve. The general rule doesn’t change: get consumers to your site. Anything real estate-related that you post on social media should take people directly back to your site when they click on them.

3. Size of Site

A general rule for SEO is: bigger is better. Increasing the number of pages on your website increases the visibility of the site to search engines. Also, if new information is being constantly added to the site, search engines consider this as development and expansion of the site, which may give additional advantages in ranking.

4. Age of Site

The age of your site can have some bearing on overall search engines performance, in particular with Google. Note that the age of your site is related to the registration of the domain name. There are two key factors used in determining age:

1. The date your domain was first registered

2. How far into the future your site is registered

Domains that have been registered for extended periods of time show commitment, and this stability is an indicator that your site is not a temporary spam site. What does this mean for you? Don’t swap out domain names, and register them as far into the future as is feasible!

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STOP

and

DO

Marketing through Organic Results: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to generate results through organic search engine marketing, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

Keyword research and placement.

Anchoring text links through your blog, niche sites, and social media.

Total

Time:2minutes

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2 Third-Party MarketingSearch engines aren’t the only way to drive traffic to your site. Many agents have had success through real estate-related websites, as well as channels such as Craigslist and social media sites. The most popular sites break down into two broad categories: what you pay for and what you can get for free!

• Paid Third-Party Marketing

• Listing and Lead Aggregator

• Paid Advertising

• Free Third-Party Marketing

• Craigslist

• Social Media

Paid Third-Par ty Marketing

Listing Aggregators

Thanks to the automation of the KWLS (Keller Williams Listing System), once you have listed a property and submitted your Greensheet to your MCA, your listing is automatically syndicated to a powerful network of websites.

While syndication is automatic and free, you can choose to pay for additional services, such as enhanced listings, that will increase the likelihood of receiving valid leads. Start with the most trafficked, as of July 2010 (Hitwise statistics):

Aggregator Percent of Traffic

6.1%

3.8%**

2.9%

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** Do not doubt the power and effectiveness of listing syndication—it’s a big business. Zillow and Yahoo! just announced (July 2010) they have entered into a partnership to place targeted ads purchased from Zillow in property search results on both sites. Once the partnership is fully implemented in the fall of 2010, it will effectively double their ability to put advertisers in front of consumers.

Each site offers slight variations on essentially the same services, with one common theme: getting you and your listings featured as prominently as possible.

WebsitesFeatures

Enhanced Listing

Featured Homes

Featured Agent

“Buy” a Zip Code

REALTOR.com

Zillow.com

Trulia.com

Lead Aggregators

Third-party lead sellers do not enjoy a good reputation. Many brokers and agents feel they are being unfairly charged for leads that should be theirs in the first place, especially if they are generated through uploaded listings.

However, agents with the budget and, most importantly, well-oiled systems to effectively convert the leads they are paying good money for can have success with this technique. The most popular are HomeGain.com and RealtyGenerator.com, who have gone beyond mere resale of leads to offer agents such services as a lead management system and free one-on-one personal training.

Paid Advertising

There are a number of local, niche sites where you can advertise in your area. The proliferation of blogs and special-interest websites means that you could place advertisements on wedding- or baby-focused websites to capture first-time home buyers or move-up home buyers.

Before paying for advertising on a website, ask to see their traffic report for the past year. This will not only tell you how many people are coming to their site but also which pages are their most popular, and therefore the best pages to advertise on.

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Keys for Success

1. Leadwithrevenue.Spend some money in one category, e.g. enhanced listings or buying a zip code, and carefully track your results before you either decide to continue or try another service.

2. Getconversionsystemsinplace.What if one of your techniques sprays a fire hose of leads at you? Nice problem to have if you are prepared to answer them quickly, then convert, or get them into a lead management system.

Free Third-Par ty Marketing

Craigslist Advertising

Craigslist has become one of the most popular ways to advertise for free on the Internet, and it’s available in 700 cities worldwide. More than 50 million people visit the site per month and they view more than 20 billion pages per month.

There are two main approaches to advertising on Craigslist:

1. Postspecificlistings. Advertise specific listings and provide a link to your website for more information. Tip: do not go for a slick, branded look. Consumers are going to Craigslist because they want to see homes, not talk to agents; otherwise they’d already be on your site. Keep it simple.

2. Makeoffersofvalue. Advertise offers that drive people to click on a link to your website or sites. Specific property ads will only get hits from consumers interested in exactly what you have to offer, for example, a 3/2 in Dune Acres for $450,000. Everyone else will move on. To capture a wider audience, post generic headlines like “Check out this great deal!” When they click on the headline, there should be a picture of a great home, its price, and then your call to action: for example, an offer to see a free list of homes that match their exact criteria. With this technique, you are not trying to sell a house, you’re using a house to sell your many services.

While the majority of your Craigslist traffic will come from buyers, it is possible to attract sellers too: under “housing wanted” post what your buyers are looking for—you will have FSBOs and other sellers calling you.

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The founder of Craigslist himself, Craig Newmark, spoke at the Inman Real Estate Connect 2010 conference in San Francisco, where he gave very specific advice on how to succeed on Craigslist.

• Avoid posting specific listings more often than once every 48 hours because top ranking on a page is lost in about 15 minutes because of the regular influx of listings, so it’s not worth it to try to get a top rank.

• People online are getting smarter and smarter, so don’t do any keyword spamming by throwing in a lot of terms (in the posting) that don’t have to do with your property.

For other best practices—and to avoid the ire of other users—Craig gave this advice, “Disclose who you are and what agency you’re in. Cut down the hype level; just be straight with people. Treat people like you want to be treated. Remember, you are dealing with people a lot like yourself,” he said.

Social Media

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide an opportunity to market your real estate expertise and knowledge. As you perfect your selection and use of social media in your strategy, you will build name recognition, visibility, and credibility.

• Buildrelationships.Forge ties with people in your network of Mets, plus new arrivals to your network who are just getting to know you.

• Promoteyourbrand.Point back to your professional website so people who “friend” you can also see your professional work.

• CreatelinksbetweenallyourInternetsites.Demonstrate how far-reaching your business is.

The importance of this trend cannot be underestimated. The second part of this course, Internet Lead Generation Part II: Your Social Media Business Strategy, is designed to help you create a strategy that will allow you to seamlessly integrate your social spheres with your business spheres.

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STOP

and

DO

Third Par ty Marketing: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to do effective third-party marketing, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

Listing aggregators

FREE! through KWLS ListHub

syndication

Lead aggregators

Paid advertising

Free third-party advertising—Craigslist and social media

FREE!

Total

Time:2minutes

kw | University


Measuring SuccessWebsite statistic tools make tracking some of the important numbers from your site easier, and they can help you pinpoint which of your lead generation activities are effective. Your eAgentC template site comes with Webmetrics tracking. Within the Agent Website Administration Tool, simply clicking the icon below will show you the stats for your website.

WolfNet also provides tracking information. These tools will provide solid information, but the most comprehensive free tool is offered through Google Analytics, and you can set up a free Google account that will be configured to monitor your eAgentC website. Simply go to answers.kw.com for simple instructions on how to set it up.

If you opt to use a premium provider like BoomTown, realtygenerator by Market Leader, and TigerLeads, their fine-tuned websites offer comprehensive and in-depth analysis of results—for a premium price.

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Question

WhyshouldyoumeasurethesuccessofyourInternetleadgeneration?

If you know where your leads are coming from, you can build upon your successes. For example, if you are ranking high on Google (thanks to your key words) you can focus on the words that get you the best results and jettison those that don’t perform as well. If most of your leads come from social media sources like Facebook and Twitter, you will want to keep nurturing those sources. Analytics will also allow you to be incredibly precise. For example, you can not only learn if your leads are coming from Facebook, you’ll be able to pinpoint whether or not they are coming from your fan page, business page, or personal page.

It is also important to measure the success of your website so you can hold your money accountable to your results. According to The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, you should expect a 10 percent return on your investment. As Gene Rivers puts it, “If you are spending $100 a day on Google AdWords, you need to know that your investment is netting you a $1,000 return.”

In general, there are four questions that you need to answer to determine success:

1. How many unique visitors are coming to your site?

2. What drove them to your site?

3. How many visitors are going to each page?

4. How many visitors are registering for your various forms?

1. How many unique visitors are coming to your site?

Knowing this information will tell you whether or not your lead generation is effective at driving traffic. When you look at your website statistics, you are looking for “unique visitors.” This will give you a good idea as to how many people are coming to your site.

Unique visitors are counted according to their unique IP addresses, which are like online fingerprints for individual Internet accounts. Each unique visitor will be counted only once no matter how many times they visit your site—as long as they are using the same Internet account. If they log on at the office and then again at home, they will be counted as two visitors.

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2. What drove them to your site?

Google Analytics is an excellent source for agents to track incoming traffic to their sites. Premium template providers will also offer the same information. Traffic is broken down by number of visitors, the searches they performed, how many forms they viewed, and even the percentage of visit-to-form, form-to-lead, and visit-to-lead.

According to Chad Hyams, Team Leader in Bellingham, Washington, the best way for agents to use this information is to track the ROI on the various sources and campaigns. “The information is very detailed and precise, allowing agents to determine which to continue or discontinue. Agents can also see dates and the time line for leads generated by specific events—for example, were there more leads on the first day of a campaign or on the fifth? With this information they can more finely tune campaigns to meet their traffic requirements.”

3. How many visitors are going to each page?

Knowing which pages visitors are viewing on your site will help you make intelligent decisions about your site content and lead generation. For example, if visitors are looking at a neighborhood page on your site, you’ll know that there is a lot of interest in that area. You might try doing a PPC campaign using the keywords of that neighborhood to see how many leads it will drive to your site. You also might add more content about that neighborhood because that’s what visitors want to see.

4. How many visitors are registering for forms?

If you know how many visitors are going to each page, then tracking how many register on that page’s forms will tell you how effective your calls to action are for those particular forms. Also, knowing which forms visitors are submitting will help you know who your core audience is and what you should offer them. If, for example, you receive a lot of registrations for a free buyer book you offer on your site, you may decide to put that as a call to action in your site’s marketing, i.e., “Come to my site for my free buyer book.”

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What Numbers Equal Success?

According to Gene Rivers at the beginning of this chapter, the whole point of generating leads online is to get big numbers of people visiting you and then contacting you, because these numbers inevitably become much smaller.

According to our research, agents with a strong Internet strategy and presence converted approximately 10 percent of their total number of visitors to leads, meaning people who left valid contact information.

For example, 1000 visitors a month will likely net 100 registrations. From there, you’d need to apply your own conversion rates—our research with top agents suggests you can expect to convert 1 to 4 percent of your online leads to a closed contract. With 1,000 visitors, this could mean a little as one closed transaction per month, taking us back to Gene’s point: aim high, because big numbers become much smaller!

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STOP

and

DO

Measuring Success: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to analyze the success of your web presence, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

Google analytics FREE!

Premium analytics

Total

Time:2minutes

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My Work PlanMyLeadGenerationWorkPlan

1. Turn to the Budget Planner on p. 164 in your appendix and add up the totals for time and expense for chapter 3.

2. Now, turn to your Work Plan on p. 163. With these estimates in mind, review the list of the many options you have for lead generation.



5. Your Work Plan is a quick reference tool and a visual guide—so keep it handy! Post it where you can see it: on your office wall, next to your computer, or right on your desk.

Time:10mins.

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Chapter Aha’s_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 4: Lead Capture, Connect, Cultivate, and Convert

In this chapter ...

[1] The 4 Cs of Follow-Up [2] Lead Capture [3] Lead Connect [4] Lead Cultivate [5] Lead Convert

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The 4 Cs of Follow-UpHowever great your lead generation efforts are, it’s not only about the number of people who visit your website—it’s how many you catch in your web! And catching people without an effective follow-up plan to generate business is not an acceptable plan. Driving people to your Internet presence with offline and online marketing is the prelude to the actions that come next:

1. Keep visitors engaged and coming back to your web presence to view new offers, interesting news, etc.

And most importantly …

2. Focus on the 4 Cs of follow-up.

Knock, Knock—They’re Here!

You’ve done your work and people are visiting your web presence, knocking at the door of your online store. Once they’re there, you satisfy their need by, at a minimum, providing the means to search the following:

• Homes for buyers to look at

• Homes for sellers to look at as comparables

These visitors are simply that—visitors. They are not leads or even prospects. A lead is defined as someone who is able, ready, and willing to transact business now. So the question becomes: How do you move from a visitor to a prospective lead, and eventually to an appointment and closed transaction? The answer is a follow-up system that sifts through the suspects and keeps your focus on the true leads that may do business with you.

Your lead follow-up system is comprised of the 4 Cs. You first capture them by getting their contact information, then connect by establishing a relationship, and finally convert them to an appointment and eventually to buying or selling real property. If they are not ready for an appointment—many people who start searching on the Internet are in the early stages of the home-buying process—you’ll cultivate them to maintain your relationship until they are ready to move forward.

You will find the 4 Cs to be your biggest challenge. That’s exactly what agents we studied found. The lessons we learned from them will be invaluable to you in maximizing your effectiveness in online lead conversion.

“The Internet

works as long as

you are working

your leads. You

just have to be

consistent about it,

and have a plan.” Liz Landry Agent Jacksonville, Floridathelandryteam.com

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113chapter 4: lead capture, connect, cultivate, and conver t

The 4 Cs

1

2

3

4

1. Get valid contact information through registration, either by phone or email.

2. Establish contact and begin the relationship

3. Get an appointment with them.

4. Put leads in a database and consistently communicate value to those who are in the early stages of the process.

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STOP

and

DO

Do you have the systems in place to capture and conver t your leads?

1. Refer to the model on the previous page. Give yourself a point for each area where you are strong.

2. Record your scores on the table below and add up your overall total.

Points

1. Capture

2. Connect

3. Convert

4. Cultivate

Total Points

3. Break into groups of three and discuss the results.

• Who has the highest total? Explain your process for each category.


• Which category should you focus on first to improve your conversion rates?

I will focus on ...

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1 Lead CaptureYour first step is to capture potential leads. Capturing leads requires not only that you offer great incentives, but that you use the right capture strategies. In this section, we will discuss the following:

1. Opportunities

2. What Information to Ask For (Contact Information, Property Specifications)

3. When to Ask for Information

1. Capture Oppor tunities

A consumer’s goal is to get information from your website. Your goal is to capture them as a lead. Achieving both goals is a delicate balance of giving some information for free and requiring registration for the rest. If this doesn’t happen, you don’t really have a lead.

Among the top agents in our study, the two main sources of leads on their sites were from their offerings of home search capabilities (IDX solutions, for example) and home value requests (CMAs).

In addition, many of the agents we researched captured leads by offering a variety of additional incentives. You too have the opportunity to offer consumers what they want. Give them a reason to want more with calls to action—the strategy of Making Offers for Immediate Response (MOFIR). Surprise consumers with information they didn’t know they wanted, and they will reward you with an invitation to contact (and then capture) them.

“With the

Internet,

you must be

intentional

about capturing

enough useful

information

to be able to

get back to

prospects.” From SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times

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When an online consumer is intrigued by your website tools and content, they will want more from you, and they signal this desire in one of several ways.

Consumer Action Your Action The Result

1. They provide their contact information so you can reach out to them.

Provide several opportunities through lead capture forms for them to enter their email address or phone number so YOU can email them or call them.

You capture their email, phone number, address, and possibly more.

2. They email you.Make certain your email address is correct and easily found on the website.

You capture their email.

3. They call or text you.

Make sure your phone number is correct, and that you always answer in a timely and professional manner. If the message comes in as a text message, respond with a text message and ask permission to call them.

You capture their phone number.

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STOP

and

DO

Online Offers/Capture Oppor tunities

1. Thinking about MOFIR, write down items of interest you can offer that will entice customers to visit and revisit your website and supply their contact information to receive it.

2. Your instructor will give you some options.

Online Offers/Capture Opportunities

1. Home search capabilities (IDX solutions, for example)

2. Home value requests (CMAs)

3. Featured________________________________________

4. Market_________________________________________

5. Contact_________________________________________

6. Foreclosure lists and _____________________________

7. News___________________________________________

8. Email___________________________________________

9. ________________________________________________

10. ________________________________________________

11. ________________________________________________

12. _________________________________________________

Time:2mins.

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Lead Capture Tools

There are several capture opportunities for requesting and receiving consumer information—email, phone number, property specifications, etc. Make it easy for consumers to give you their contact information by providing as many capture forms as possible.

IDX Forms

Since buyers looking for properties make up the vast majority of your online traffic, it stands to reason that your biggest capture opportunity comes from your IDX property search. In fact, Ben Kinney, a mega agent who uses analytics to carefully monitor all his traffic, has found that he captures 89% of his online leads through his IDX forms.

1. Request for More Property Information

When consumers search for homes and find a specific listing that they’re interested in, property forms allow them to request information on the listing. You choose the focus of the property form:

• MoreInformation– allows the consumer to ask for more information about the property by submitting their contact information, along with any questions they might have about the property, to the agent who owns the site—even if they are not the listing agent.

• RequestaShowing– allows consumers to ask the agent for a showing of the home and requires the consumer to submit their contact information. Often the form allows the consumer to suggest a time that they would like to see the home.

• EmailaFriend– allows the consumer to submit their email address and a friend’s email address. The form emails the friend the listing information or a link to the listing on the agent’s site. The agent is sent an email with both the consumer and their friend’s email addresses.

2. Request for Instant Notification Listing Drip

IDX instant notification listing drip systems allow consumers to enter their IDX search parameters on your site and automatically receive notification anytime a new listing matching their criteria comes into the MLS. The emails are automatically generated but can be customized to appear to be individually sent by you.

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3. Search Saver

Search savers allow consumers to save their search criteria on an agent’s IDX system, so they can perform the same search during future visits without having to reenter their criteria.

Contact Form

First and foremost, your website should have easy ways for users to contact you. Besides prominent phone numbers that you or a member of your team answers immediately, use a simple lead-capture or contact form with a comment field to allow consumers to email you directly from your site.

Be aware that many sites use email links that launch an MS Outlook email, and many visitors may not use Outlook as their email client. When you use eAgentC, you receive an immediate email notifying you when a prospective customer is attempting to reach you, and with the use of your Smartphone, you can receive these notifications on the go.

In addition, some agents are using text-messaging buttons and instant chat on their website that allow the consumer to send a text message directly to the agent’s phone or get an answer to their question immediately with online chat.

Matt Mulder, an agent in Kalamazoo, Michigan, features another option on his homepage: “Click here to connect on a free Google Phone Call.”

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Home Value Assessment Form (CMA Request)Offer a CMA request form on your site for prospective sellers.

Reports FormCapture consumers with special reports you create, for example, the “10 Best Buys” in your market today. Consumers can register to receive these reports via email.

Subscribe FormInclude a form for consumers to sign up to receive your blog posts or newsletter about neighborhoods, schools, the local economy, and more. Use this form if your strategy is to provide consistent, timely, and fresh content that demonstrates your expertise in the market.

Contact Management System

Capturing a lead means recording the contact information along with other information provided by the consumer and saving it in a place where you can refer to it later. At a minimum, the capture forms we’ve discussed will package the information the consumer has given and send it to you via email.

Some agents use their email system (Outlook or other) as their Contact Management System (CMS). The features in Outlook will allow you to categorize and follow up with your leads.

Still other agents use programs like MS Excel or MS Access to keep track of their leads. With these solutions, agents must copy leads into the program—it doesn’t happen automatically.

A better option for managing Internet leads, especially if you have high volume, is to purchase a CMS such as TOP PRODUCER. Internet leads are immediately sent to your Top Producer database, and you have the option to have an automatic email sent to them immediately.

Note: For more detailed instructions on effectively using a CMS, refer to these KWU courses: Lead

Generation 36:12:3 and Your Business is Your Database.

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2. What Information to Ask For

Email, Name, and Phone

The contact information you ask your visitors to submit will depend on the information you’re offering them. To offer some information, you may only need an email address. Research reveals that visitors are often more comfortable leaving an email address than their name or phone number.

Jim Knowlton, agent from Hopkinton, New Hampshire, jimknowltonrealtor.com, confirms that the trend is for consumers to offer only their email address.

Matt Rains contends that consumers who only give an email want to be communicated to by email as well.

Let consumers know that you will not sell or share their data with other parties, which is one of their biggest concerns when submitting their information.

For some forms, you may want “Name” and “Email” to be required fields. We also recommend that you always ask for a phone number, but that you should make it an optional field on your forms. If a consumer wants to give you their number, they will. If you force them to give it, many will simply give you a false number. It is interesting to note that among agents in our study who left the phone number optional, many had 50 percent or more of their registrations submit a valid number.

Jeremy Katz says, “When they give me a good phone number, we call them and talk or leave a message and send the information they requested.”

“The days of

consumers

wanting to talk

to an agent at

the front end are

long gone. They

want to email, so

deal with them on

their terms. They

don’t mind dealing

with me once

they’ve got the

information they

asked for.” Galand HaasGalandHaas.comEugene, Oregon

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Asking for Property Information

For offers such as a CMA or IDX search, you will of course ask for detailed information about the property they want evaluated (including the address) or the type of home they are looking for. However, it’s important to only ask for the information you need to service their request.

TruthIfaconsumerseesaformthatasksforadetailedhistory

oftheirlife,theywillleaveandseektheiranswerselsewhere.

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3. When to Ask for Information

Once you have decided to ask for information, the question becomes, “For home searches, when is the best time to require registration in return for the information you provide?”

Among the agents we studied, there were two main schools of thought in capturing leads from the IDX tool. We found that 81 percent of agents have home search as an option on their website, and of those, only 25 percent require registration to access the listing information.

Kevin Kaley, kevinkaley.com, is a Team Leader and MAPS Technology Coach in Atlanta, Georgia, who has helped many agents set up effective lead generation websites. Kevin sees a legitimate two-sided debate between forced registration and no registration. He acknowledges that 70 percent of his agent clients do well with no registration requirements, and that forced registration works well for the remaining 30 percent.

Registration Required on Agent’s Website

Agents use one of these three strategies to capture leads (see table next page):

1. Up-front or pre-results registration

2. Limited results registration

3. Open IDX—no registration

We will discuss the pros and cons of each option. The method you choose will determine the number and quality of leads you receive, and should reflect the way you choose to run your business.

Note: Not all IDX solutions offer the limited results methods of lead capture. If your IDX provider

does not offer this option, your choice will be between the up-front and open IDX strategies.

25%require registration

to see listing information.

81%have internet search

capabilities on their website

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Our research showed that more registrations occur with forced registration (Option 1) early in the search. However, these inquiries may be early in their information-gathering process and less motivated to buy or sell now.

We found that open IDX (Option 3) produced fewer registrations, and yet these inquiries were more serious and motivated to do business with you now.

It’s a matter of quantity vs. quality. Early registration generates a high quantity of leads, and later registration with open IDX produces fewer but more quality leads that agents are able to convert to appointments.

1. Up-Front or Pre-Results

Contact information must be submitted before visitorscan enter search criteria and see results, or after entering

search criteria and before results are displayed.

2. Limited Results

Visitors may enter their criteria and areshown minimal information on listings, but

must submit contact information for complete results.

3. Open IDX

Visitors can search IDX withoutregistering but must submit

contact information to save searchresults and be emailed with new

MLS listings matching their criteria.

High

High

Low

Low

Registrations Appointments

The 3 Lead Capture Strategies of IDX Search

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1. Up-Front or Pre-Results

With up-front registration, you require consumers to register before they can use your IDX search. Some agents object to this method of capture. They argue that consumers can go to a number of sites to search for listings without giving up their information, so forcing them to register for the same service would only drive consumers to those other sites and away from yours.

However, many agents we studied preferred up-front registration. While they may lose some leads to other sites, they ultimately capture more leads than if they allowed visitors to search without registrations. The agents in our study found that with up-front registration, they receive a lot of leads that are not ready to work with them right away. But because they have good CMS in place to help them consistently stay in touch, they will ultimately convert many of those leads.

Brandon Green, brandongreen.com, admits he prefers up-front registration. It works for him because he has a strategy and systems in place to manage all the leads that come his way. He says, “We do this because we want high quality leads and have learned that people who register to get a search prove to be high quality.”

“People you

haven’t met

should be

encouraged to

‘shake your hand

and exchange

business cards’

online by

registering to use

your IDX.” Matt BrowneBrowne Mediamattbrowne.com

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A variation of up-front registration is pre-results registration. This method prompts consumers to enter their criteria without registering. However, before they are shown any listings that match their search, they are asked to give their contact information. A typical prompt might read, “273 listings match your search. To see these listings, please log in.” A few of the agents we interviewed said that this method of capture works well because the consumer has already taken the time to enter their criteria. The idea is that they will be less likely to abandon your site for another since they’d have to enter their criteria all over again.

2. Limited Results

In the limited results method, the consumer enters their search criteria into your IDX search. They are shown results of matching listings, and they can click on any property in the list to see the detail page for that listing. However, they are only shown a limited amount of information about each listing (e.g., beds, baths, square footage) and a few photos. If the consumer wants to see more detailed information, more photos, or a virtual tour, they must register. The limited results methodology works on the psychology that they’ve already entered their criteria and found a listing. If they went to another site to avoid registering on yours, they’d have to go through the process all over again.

Mariana Wagner uses the limited results strategy and is getting results from registrations with correct contact information. She attributes her success not to when she requires registration, but rather to wowing consumers with the level of information and service she provides even before they decide to register.

Matt Mulder also prefers limited searches. After viewing two properties, the consumer is sent to a page to register a user profile and is given access to his search saver tool so they can save favorite listings. With this user profile, consumers are able to log in anytime to see the latest information returned by their saved searches.

Liz Landry will also only allow visitors to view two properties before they must register. She asks for full name, email, and phone number and gets 7–8 registrations a day. If someone asks for more detailed information on a particular property, she classifies this as an “A+” lead, of which she gets approximately two a day.

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3. Open IDX with Listing Drip

Many agents we interviewed have no registration for their IDX search. Instead, these agents rely on saved searches, instant listing notification, and property forms on individual IDX listings to capture leads. These individuals reason that with so many sites out there where consumers can search for listings without registering, forcing them to register would make many go to one of those other sites. Robert Earl, an agent in Reston, Virginia, theearlofrealestate.com, agrees, “You don’t have to register on Amazon.com before you can look at books or on Expedia.com before you can see flights. If those guys made you register first, consumers would just go to the Barnes & Noble’s site or Travelocity.com. Real estate is the same way. There are a lot of other real estate sites that don’t make visitors register.”

Julie Nelson, a top agent in Austin, Texas, thenelsonproject.com, says, “I do not believe in forced registration. I treat my consumers as I want to be treated myself. I want to be trusted and contacted because they feel they can trust me.”

Also, many agents who adhere to this philosophy of capture feel this methodology makes consumers more willing to work with you. After all, they’ve given you their contact information knowing full well that they will be contacted. They’re expecting you to follow up with them because they are asking to be sent regular emails of new listings, or they are asking for information about a particular property.

Note: Some IDX providers do not offer these forms or offer them as a premium package. You should

choose a provider or package that gives you this lead capture capability.

Brian Gubernick of Scottsdale, Arizona, homehelperconsultants.com, is one agent who favors the strategy of having consumers register for more information about a specific property. He offers open search, and when a consumer likes what they see and wants to know more, that person simply clicks his “Request More Info” button which takes them to a property-specific capture form. (seen on the right)

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Top agents Gene and Rebekah Rivers, of The Rivers Team, also use a capture form on their RingtheRivers.com website that requires a minimum of contact information and is property-specific. Capturing a lead in this way gives the team a strong indication that they have a potential buyer with whom they should be able to get an appointment fairly easily (seen on the right).

Jim Knowlton has this philosophy, “Give away most of what the consumer wants.” Jim asks for registrations only when the consumer wants to receive a property map, a virtual tour, or a printable flier on a particular property.

Matt Dimmick of Anchorage, Alaska, allalaskahomes.com, says, “I like to err on the side of giving the consumer a lot of access before requiring them to register, versus forcing them to register early on.”

Matt Rains contends that consumers who only give an email want to be communicated to by email as well.

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Which Is More Effective?

All three capture strategies for IDX searching will eventually lead to appointments. The strategy you ultimately choose will be based on your skill set and resources.

1. If you excel at scripts and converting leads to appointments, and you have a team and the technology to connect and cultivate a high volume of leads, opt for quantity and require up-front orpre-resultsregistration. Have systems in place to qualify the leads as they come in, so you are using your time wisely and spending your time on the ones that are able, ready, and willing to do business now.

2. If you have doubts about your ability to sift through a lot of leads, then opt for the limitedresults or openIDXsearchstrategy. Focus on the fewer yet higher qualified leads.

Based on their research for capturing and converting leads, Market Leader Inc., a real estate marketing firm that provides agents with tools to convert prospects into clients, recommends forced registration with limited results search. They found that allowing the consumer just one property view prior to a registration prompt created the best combination of lead capture and lead qualification. It gave the consumer a sample of the type of information they will receive, thus offering value prior to the request for registration.

Market Leader’s opinion is that with open search, the opportunity to cultivate the prospect into closed business is greatly diminished.

• Know Your Local MLS Rules

Watch out! Every city and state may have variances about registrations. Check your local MLS rules to be in compliance.

Keys for Success

1. YourGoalIsCapture. Acknowledge that people will browse your online store to shop your wares, and not all will be buyers. However, your goal is to entice them with your offerings to want more, and to either contact you or give you valid contact information so you can contact them.

2. MakeItEasy. Offer many capture points on your website by using different registration forms.

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STOP

and

DO

The 3 Lead Capture Strategies of IDX Search

1. Of the 3 strategies of lead capture, which do you use and why?

• Up-front or pre-results registration

• Limited results registration

• Open IDX— no registration

2. Your instructor will lead a brief class discussion.

Time:2min.

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STOP

and

DO

Lead Capture: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to do effective lead capture system, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time ExpenseCMS: TOP PRODUCER or MyRedToolsCMS: Outlook or Excel

FREE! with MS Office

Total

Time:2minutes

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2 Lead ConnectConnecting with a lead is about establishing a working relationship of common purpose. This involves 4 factors:

1. Respond Quickly

2. Connect with Questions

3. Answer Their Questions with Questions

4. Identify Motivation by Closing Early

5. Prioritize Your Leads

1. Respond Quickly

Everyone is accustomed to fast response times on the Internet. The speed of your response to a lead from your website is an elementary starting point and will determine whether the consumer works with you or another agent who beats you to the punch. There are two things to keep in mind when it comes to response time. First, yours may not be the only website that they go to in their search, so you may be in a race against other agents.

Second, Internet buyers expect a fast response and base their opinion of you on how quickly you get back to them. If you get a phone number from an Internet lead, you should call immediately. In addition, an Internet lead expects just as quick a response to their email.

The expectation by consumers of a quick response on the Internet is confirmed by a 2010 California Association of Realtors survey.

1. 13 percent of home-buyers expect a response instantly.

2. 96 percent expect a response within four hours.

It’s also important to note that NAR research shows that 93 percent of buyers rate real estate agents’ responsiveness as important, and 83 percent of buyers rate agents’ communication skills as being important.

Many agents we surveyed have a standard of a five-minute response time. They want to not only beat the competition, but impress the person they are connecting with.

“Speed wins the

contest every

time.” From SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times

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Using Email and Text Messaging to Respond Quickly

To develop rapport quickly, agenrts agree that responding to the consumer in the same way they reach out to you is very important. That is, if they text you, text them back; if they call you, call them back; and if they email you, email back. Then ask permission to contact them in other ways.

“Thank you for your email. Here is the information you asked for. I have other homes matching the features you inquired about; would you mind if I called you about them? What number would be best to reach you?”

Tech and business savvy Ben Kinney takes a very aggressive approach to capturing online leads. His “Ten Days of Pain” program is a series of daily contacts with MOFIR—Make Offers for Immediate Response—through whatever contact information he has for them. “By the end of the ten days, they are either already our clients, or we know without a doubt whether or not we should pursue them as prospects.”

Market Leader’s research on quick response yielded the following recommendations for connecting with registrants:

1. Immediately upon receiving a registration from a consumer, send a welcome email acknowledging the request.

2. If the phone number is provided, call within 15–20 minutes after the registration. (Other agents we interviewed preferred a 5–15 minute window.)

3. Within twelve hours, send a custom email with relevant property information.

Today, agents have the convenience of mobile phones, PDAs, and smartphones that are enabled with email, text messaging, and Internet access, and can easily connect instantly with leads as they come in.

Using current technology, Andy Kaufman, myeastbayagent.com, in East Bay, California, gets instant text messages converted from emails that he receives. “I set up a forwarding rule on my email account, so registration emails from my website are forwarded to my phone’s text-message address and I get the email as a text message on my phone. That way if they leave a phone number, I could call them immediately. Or at least I could text message them a reply from my phone.”

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2. Connect with Questions

Develop a relationship of understanding and trust by being curious about the consumer’s perspective, expectations, and dreams. This is when your effective communication skills—asking great questions and carefully listening to their answers—come into play. By asking and listening, you are demonstrating that you care about them. The questions you ask can follow the Who, What, Where, Why, When, and How formula. Of course, this is easiest done when having an actual conversation on the phone or in person.

Connect Questions

Relationship-Building Questions *

1. “Would you mind telling me a little about yourself?”

2. “You called about the Main Street home. Are you looking for a new home?”

3. “Where are you thinking of moving?”

4. “Would you share with me why you need to move?”

5. “When would you like to accomplish this?”

6. “How do you plan to do that?”

* Adapted from scripts in SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times.

3. Answer Their Questions with Questions

Keeping to the strategy of asking questions, Joelle Senter answers customers’ questions with open-ended ones. When a prospect fills out a form on her site, for example, asking a question like, “How much are the taxes on this property?” she does not reply, “The taxes are $xxxx. Would you like to see this property?” The problem with this answer is the question, “Would you like to see this property?” is a close-ended question where the customer can only respond with “yes” or “no.”

With close-ended questions, Joelle continues, “The typical agent has a 50 percent chance they will lose the lead, because the prospect can only respond with yes or no.” “A better strategy would be to give the prospect more than they asked for, like this … ‘The taxes are $xxxx. Are you interested in this neighborhood/price range/short sale/foreclosure? If so, I’d be happy to share my list of best buys/neighborhood properties/pocket listings. If you see anything you like, I’d be happy to set up some viewing appointments.’”

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4. Identify Motivation by Closing Early

Once you’ve connected with a person, the next logical step is to ask to meet with them—close them for an appointment. The answer to this request to meet now will determine the prospect’s motivation—if they are able, ready, and willing to buy or sell real estate with you now. The only way to find this out is to ask for an appointment.

“Can we meet today?”

“I’ve really enjoyed talking with you. Would you like to get together to discuss this further?”

If the prospect agrees to meet, great! You’re on your way to the appointment and possibly a successfully closed transaction.

If the prospect gives you a reason why they can’t meet, that’s okay too, because now you know they are not ready to do business and you can turn your attention to leads that are ready to do business with you. And since you have their contact information, you can continue to cultivate the relationship until they become ready to do business with you.

5. Prioritize Your Leads

Beginning with connecting through questions and identifying motivation by asking for an appointment, you can now prioritize your leads. Obviously you want to prioritize or aggressively act on the buyers and sellers who are able, ready, and willing to work with you now. When you’re receiving hundreds of registrations per month, personalized follow-up for each lead would simply not be possible. You can be strategically selective about which leads you give priority personalized attention.

There are three priority levels:

1. You get an appointment.

2. You cultivate the relationship over time.

3. You determine with certainty that they are not going to do business with you.

Of course the hottest leads are prospects who call you because they found a listing or something on your website that they want to know more about. You will also give priority to seller leads who have requested a CMA or buyer leads who found a property they like and email you to ask more about it. They may not buy that property, but the point is that they are ready to get serious about buying. Many agents also prioritize leads who register on their instant listing notifications.

“They are leaving

footprints and you

can track them.” Russell StewartProductivity CoachSan Antonio, Texas

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Not All Leads Turn Into Business

According to Jeremy Katz, “Get used to the idea that a large percentage of people on your site will not be business for you.” In Jeremy’s case, the statistics show the following:

• 20 percent of his leads are already in escrow but their agent doesn’t have a powerful site, so they come to his and register to do more research. The person may have been on drip but it’s been turned off by their agent once they’re under contract. However, they still want to check the deal they’re doing.

• A third of his leads are searching for a deal that may not exist or will never happen. These are the Looky-Lous. He doesn’t mind these leads when he’s using an organic vs. a paid approach. However, he doesn’t want to pay-per-click for this type of lead.

• A third of his leads either have or don’t have an agent and still may interview and then switch to him.

Use Technology to Help Prioritize Leads

Truth

ThetopInternetagentswestudiedusedtechnologytodeterminewhichregistrationsarethemostserious

leads.

Don’t underestimate the power of technology. All IDX solutions offer “back-office” administration tools that give agents a view into who’s doing what on your site. If someone registers for your IDX, search saver, or listing drip, they have essentially created an account. You can check their accounts to see what properties they’ve viewed and which ones they’ve saved. Although you won’t have the time to look at every property they have looked at, you can quickly tell how many properties they have seen and what properties they have saved. Both of these will help you determine the seriousness and tastes of a buyer prospect.

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At a glance, you’ll be able to see …

1. What the prospects’ criteria are for their search

2. How many homes they have viewed on your system

3. Which homes they have saved in the “Favorites” folder

4. A history of specific listings they have viewed

Anytime a consumer creates an account, you can quickly see which homes they’ve viewed and follow up with them about those homes. You will also want to make sure that you follow up with users who are looking at numerous properties to help them narrow their search. And anyone who has saved a listing in their “Favorites” folder should be offered a tour of the property.

Keys for Success

1. ConnectandDetermineMotivationQuickly. Commit to contacting them and asking qualifying questions to determine if they are ready, able, and willing now.

2. GetanAppointment. Ask for an appointment to meet them and explore their immediate needs.

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STOP

and

DO

Lead Connect: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to effectively connect with leads, as well as who will do the work: you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

8 x 8 and 33 Touch Programs

FREE! with CMS or online

at mykw.kw.com

Time:2minutes

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3 Lead Conversion

Closing for the Appointment

Truth

You’llneverknowwhenyourInternetleadswillbeready.Soask!

Converting Internet leads is a matter of persistence. Part of your persistence should be asking for the appointment, and as Mariana Wagner puts it, “Lead conversion to a closing depends on the agent’s skill and performance and is not related to the Internet at all.” That’s right—it takes skill and persistence, and it begins with asking for an appointment.

Today’s Conversion Ratios Say “Work Harder”

Top agent, and owner of multiple Market Centers in North Florida, Gene Rivers has measured the impact of market shift on lead generation and conversion.

In late 2009, Gene reported to Gary Keller that the number of contacts required to create one contract to buy or sell had risen significantly in the shifted market.

The Rivers Team: Ratio of Contacts to Contracts

2006–2007 2008–2009

25 to 1 35 to 1

Gene notes, “This range of conversion depends upon which agent is handling the follow-up.” At the point of conversion, handling Internet leads requires the same skill and script strength as is needed to convert any other lead.

Jeremy Katz concurs, “The quality of the lead is all about what you do with it—that is, your salesmanship and how you get them to the next step.”

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Julie Anne, a successful agent in Deerpark, Illinois, receives a high volume of inquiries from her website. However, she admits that Internet leads are the “hardest to convert.” She currently converts 3 percent of her Internet leads as compared to 10 percent lead conversion from her geographic farm.

Know How Well Your Conversion Is Working

Justin Baker, agent in Phoenix, Arizona, realestate602.com, measures success by knowing where his Internet leads are coming from and the percentage he is capturing and closing. He reports that he currently converts 1 percent of his Internet leads, and his goal is to convert 5 percent. The way to achieve these great results is knowing how well your systems are working, changing what’s not working immediately, and focusing on what’s working best.

Deliver on Information Requests

Visitors to your site who request a free report, CMA, or similar information should be sent that information immediately. Delivering this information presents you with a valid reason to contact the prospect (e.g., “Did you get the information? Did it make sense?”). Take that opportunity to find out more about their needs, offer your services and other information, and ask for the appointment.

If they have requested a CMA, make sure to tell them that the price range is only an estimate. Let them know that, for a more accurate price, you would need to see their home. A typical script for this is:

“Mr./Mrs. Seller, I have the home value estimate you asked for. Without actually seeing your home and any improvements you’ve made, I can only give you an estimated range. However, once I’ve seen your home, I can give you a more accurate price. And I can consult with you on how to prepare your home so that we get the most money possible from the sale.

“I have some time in my schedule today. Would this afternoon or tomorrow evening be better for you?”

If they are ready, then close for the appointment. If they are not ready to sit down with you yet:

“If it’s all right with you, I will send you some information on buying a home in the area. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I’ll also check in with you periodically to help.”

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IDX Search and Listing Drip Registrations

IDX searches and instant listing drip systems also offer their own opportunities to follow up. We discussed earlier how you can use your IDX administration tool to monitor the properties prospects are viewing. You are also copied on emails of new listings that go out to these prospects. Both of these enable you to call or email the buyer to ask if they have any questions about the properties or would like to tour those homes.

In addition, many of the agents we interviewed contact buyers they’ve captured to help them use these tools more effectively. A typical script for this is as follows:

“I wanted to make sure that you don’t get too many emails of homes, and the ones you get are what you’re looking for. I saw that you were looking for homes that are: _____. Is there a particular part of town you’re interested in? (Or some other refining question)

“Once we sit down to do a detailed needs analysis, I can help you quickly find your dream home. I have some time in my schedule today. Would this afternoon or tomorrow evening be better for you?”

If they are ready, close for the appointment. If they are not ready to sit down with you yet:

“I have the opportunity to tour many homes in that area. o if it’s all right with you, when I send you homes that I’m familiar with, I’ll follow up to tell you anything I know about them that you should know.

“If you have any questions about the homes I send you or if you’d like to tour any of them, please let me know. I’ll also check in with you periodically to help.”

Follow up with them weekly to see if they want to view any of the homes your system has sent them.

Truth

Whethertheysignuponyoursiteasabuyerorseller,makesureyouaskabouttheothersideoftheirtransaction.Iftheyareabuyer,askiftheyneedtosell.

Iftheyareaseller,askiftheyneedtobuy.

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Keys for Success

1. PracticeScripts. Ask for an appointment—it’s the best way to find out their true needs and time-frame.

2. TrackYourConversions. From capturing leads to setting appointments, maintain records so you know how to improve your skills.

“Lead conversion

is a substantial

challenge

but is not

insurmountable.” Jeremy KatzAgentSan Diego, California

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STOP

and

DO

Lead Conversion: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to effectively cultivate leads, as well as who will do the work—you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

Conversion

Measuring and monitoring

Total

Time:2minutes

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4 Lead Cultivation

Truth

Themostimportantpredictorsofconversionarequickinitialresponseandconsistent,compellingfollow-up

overtime.

You’ve captured the leads and connected with them via email, phone, or even smoke signals, and determined that they are not ready to do business now. Don’t lose them! Hang on to them and cultivate the relationship with consistent and valuable information until they are ready to do business with you.

Your captured leads may still be in information-gathering mode, or just getting a feel for the market and waiting until the time is right for them. Once you’ve captured them, your lead follow-up systems will determine whether or not you convert them. In this section, we will look at the following:

1. The 3 Types of Lead Cultivation

2. Compelling Messages

3. Consistent Communication

1. The 3 Types of Lead Cultivation

Among the agents we studied, we found that most typically followed one of three different processes of Internet lead follow-up in trying to convert leads from their websites: Passive, Active, and Interactive. The Active follow-up is simply the Passive approach with added value.

Whichever approach you use and when you employ it will be determined by the contact information you capture, the priority of the lead, and the time and effort you can afford to dedicate your resources to it.

Lead Follow-up

Passive Active Interactive

1. Search Saver Drip

1. Database Entry

2. 8 X 8 (Emails)

3. 33 Touch

1. Initial Phone/Email Needs Analysis

2. Specific and Ongoing Personal Follow-up

“The Internet

is a great lead

cultivation tool

because it

builds dynamic

relationships.” Gene RiversRing the Rivers TeamTallahassee, Florida

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1. Passive

Passive lead cultivation is a marketing-based, “offer and attract,” and “wait and see” approach, much like a geographic farm. This approach is used by agents in two cases:

1. When the agent has only an email address from a consumer

2. When the agent has prioritized the lead to be “not ready now”

With either type of lead, the agent cultivates the relationship over time by allowing the consumer to receive emails of new listings as they come into the MLS. When the consumer eventually gives their name and phone number, the agent must be quick to respond.

2. Active

Active lead cultivation is also a marketing-based approach, and is employed when the agent has only an email address and the lead is not ready to do business now. Agents actively market to their leads by providing them with useful information meant to create the mindset that those agents are the experts. In addition to using the listing drip, these agents also launch website leads on automated email marketing campaigns.

The agents we researched used CMSs like TOP PRODUCER. These programs allow agents to set up a series of emails containing information relevant to the contact’s needs (e.g., buyer tips, market reports) in a branded form. When agents create these emails, they word them in such a way that any buyer who receives them will think that the agent wrote the email just to them. In reality, the emails go out automatically to anyone who signs up on their site.

3. Interactive

Interactive cultivation combines prospecting with the marketing-based approach. It includes the instant listing drip and informative marketing emails of the passive and active approaches. The prospecting element is when agents follow up the emails with personal phone calls. The consistent, timely, and informative emails, combined with phone call follow-up, is the classic touch campaign from The Millionaire Real Estate Agent—8 x 8 and 33 Touch. It’s this personal approach that helps the agent cultivate the relationship more quickly and move the consumer closer to an eventual appointment.

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Truth

Inourresearch,themostsuccessfulagentsatconvertingregistrationswerethosewhopersonallyfollowupwith

leads.

We encourage you to adopt an interactive strategy for your follow-up. Many of the agents we interviewed said that they received valid phone numbers from 50 percent or more of their website leads, even among those who made phone numbers optional on their forms. These agents take the opportunity to call these consumers. And even when they don’t have a phone number, interactive agents take the time to send emails that are personalized and based on the consumer’s need.

Gene Rivers stresses, “Lead cultivation is a person-to-person activity. People need to like you, and appreciate and admire your skill as a professional.” These are the two things which make consumers most likely to meet with you and do business with you.

Employ social media with networking sites such as Facebook, and Twitter, and invite your contacts to join these communities. For more on how to effectively use social media, refer to the companion course, Internet Lead Generation Part II: Your Social Media Strategy.

2. Compelling Messages

Truth

Yourcredibilityasarealestateresourcewillbejudgedonthevalueyourfollow-upoffers.

Providing useful information shows consumer that if they have a question, you are the person to go to for the answer. For leads that are not ready to buy or sell immediately, providing content-rich follow-up may present a challenge. With the number of registrations you get off your site, you will be sending a lot of information to a lot of people.

Use a CMS, such as TOP PRODUCER, to help cultivate these leads. These systems will allow you to manage more leads than you ever could without one The right database program will automatically take leads from your website, create contact records for them, and even launch them on an action plan.

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Premium template sites such as Boomtown, realtygenerator by Market Leader, and TigerLeads also offer excellent follow-up systems, with accountability tools and reminders built right in.

The best CMSs will also allow you to choose which automated plans the lead is launched on based on which form they fill out on your site. For example, if the visitor fills out a CMA request, your database will launch them on a seller-oriented marketing plan. These plans can be customized and added to so the information you send out in your emails fits consumers’ needs.

Any consumer who asks you to stop emailing them should be immediately taken off the action plan. This will help you avoid getting into trouble with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for sending unwanted emails (spam) to people.

What to Send?

The information you send in your response should be the same sort of information you would use in your offline marketing and as site content. If you’re marketing to a buyer, send them emails about the buying process, the local market, and mortgage information. You may also send them notices about new properties you’ve listed with a link to the property on your site. You will send sellers information about selling a home, the market, and tips to help them prepare their home for sale.

Many agents also send out weekly or monthly email newsletters as part of their action plans. Some agents we spoke with purchased subscriptions for prewritten email newsletters from companies like RealtyTimes.com. These services provide you with articles and content and allow you to brand the newsletter as your own and email it out to your database.

Keller Williams Realty offers a vast array of content-rich and timely news articles that agents can easily access and add to their personal emails.

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What to Send

Marketing mykw.kw.com

This Month in Real Estate

First-Time Home Buyers

Winning with Foreclosures

8 x 8 Campaigns

12 Direct Campaigns

Internet Lead Follow-Up Campaign

KW Blog blog.kw.com/

Articles

Keller Williams on YouTube

youtube.com/kellerwilliamsVideos

3. Consistent Communication

Timing is everything—and Internet leads take time. It seems ironic that the very consumers who demand such a quick response to their inquiries can take such a long time to ultimately convert. As Jay Papasan, vice president of publishing at Keller Williams Realty International, jokes, “It’s like they’re telling you to ‘Hurry up and wait.’”

Your cultivation process should have both automated emails that send out informative content, as well as personalized touches like phone calls. Such action plans will allow you to touch them on a regular basis without having to remember when or how—your CMS will simply tell you.

In our interviews with agents, we heard story after story about people who had been in the agent’s drip system for what seemed like forever before they were ready to do a deal.

Atlanta agent Chrissy Neumann, castlesbychrissy.com, had a woman who was one of the first people to sign up on her site finally call her to buy a home—almost three years later! That may seem like an extraordinarily long time to follow up with someone, but keep in mind, Chrissy wasn’t actually doing anything. Her system was handling it.

“Internet lead

generation is a

long-term process.

I’ve watched

a lot of agents

get discouraged

because they didn’t

have the right

systems in place.” Don BirdwellThe Birdwell TeamBirdwellRealtyTeam.comNashville, Tennessee

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The Message You Convey

Many agents feel strongly that the message they convey over time be one where the customer gains a realization that they are the authority, they’re trustworthy, they offer value, and they are in demand. These same agents send only what the customer requests and avoid any heavy marketing or spam.

Jeremy Katz refers to his method as “mode switching.” His goal is to convince the customer to stop using the Web to search and start talking with him on the phone or in-person about how to find and buy a home.

Even After the Sale

You will also want to use your site in your contact with past clients. Agents like Gene Rivers provide information on their sites that is pertinent not just for buyers and sellers, but for homeowners. “In our marketing to past clients, we point them to our site for all sorts of information. This keeps them coming back to your site between sales,” says Gene. “It becomes a resource for them about your area.”

Julie Anne’s website, homesbyjulieanne.com, has become known as the go-to resource for all the news in and around Deerpark, Illinois. She posts recent photos of the changing seasons and of different neighborhoods and subdivisions.

Although your buyers will probably not want to continue receiving listings from your BINS listing drip, you may continue to drip informative marketing emails to them about the local area. Many homeowners like to be kept up-to-date on the real estate market and the current value of their homes, so many agents send out annual marketing to their past clients offering a free CMA for property taxes.

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One of the agents we studied, Casey Baird from Franklin, Tennessee, uses an automated CMA system to estimate the value of homes. When visitors register for a CMA on his site, caseybaird.com, they have the option of receiving a onetime CMA, or they can receive one weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Not only does Casey use this to capture prospective sellers, but he uses it to drip on past clients as well. After buyers close, Casey places them on a monthly CMA drip. “I’ve automatically got a twelve-touch system built in, and it’s targeted at getting future listing leads,” he explains. It’s an innovative way of keeping in touch with past clients by giving them information that will be useful to them and that continually shows them that you are their real estate resource.

• Going for Repeat Business

When you offer compelling information that directs consumers back to your website over and over, and when cultivation with past clients keeps you consistently top-of-mind, you have a higher probability of converting these leads into closed business. Remember that your website not only attracts new consumers but past clients and referrals as well.

Keys for Success

1. UseaContactManagementSystem. You will be best prepared to handle a volume of leads when you have a system in place to send automatic emails, and to remind you when to contact leads and track your progress.

2. AddressTheirNeedswithYourCommunications. Send compelling messages that address the person’s needs and always come from contribution.

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STOP

and

DO

After the Sale and Repeat Business

As a class, discuss ideas for keeping current and past clients coming back to your website and to make referrals.

Ideas for Current and Past Clients

Time:1minute

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STOP

and

DO

Lead Cultivate: Focus on Time and Expense


2. As a class, discuss how much time and money it will take to effectively cultivate leads, as well as who will do the work—you or an outside resource. If you checked the Done! column, be sure to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way.



Who? Time Expense

Create content for cultivation

FREE! from existing

materials

Time:2minutes

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My Work Plan

My 4 Cs Work Plan

1. Turn to the Budget Planner on p. 168 in your appendix and add up the totals for time and expense for chapter 4.

2. Now, turn to your Work Plan on p. 167. With these estimates in mind, review the list of the many options you have for capturing, connecting, cultivating, and converting.



5. Your Work Plan is a quick reference tool and a visual guide—so keep it handy! Post it where you can see it—on your office wall, next to your computer, or right on your desk.

Time:10mins.

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Chapter Aha’s_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 5: Putting It All Together

In this chapter ...

[1] Create Your Final Work Plan [2] Appendix

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My Final Work Plan1. Refer back to the Internet Lead Generation Business Goal you set

at the beginning of the course on page 6. Turn to “My Internet Lead Generation 4-1-1” on the following page and write down your goal under Business Objective.

2. Next, look at the three work plans in the appendix you created for Chapters 2, 3, and 4 and review the priorities you selected for each.

3. Using the 411 on the following page, write down your top priorities, and when you intend to accomplish them. For example, which priorities are:

• Goals for the year

• Goals for the month

• Goals for this week

4. Commit to following your plan! Post your plan prominently where you can see it every day—next to your computer, on your office wall, near your phone, etc., and get an accountability partner you can work with to make sure you reach your goals.

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157chapter 5: putting it all together

MY INTERNET LEAD GENERATION 4-1-1 ACTION GOAL WORKSHEET

Name:

BUSINESS OBJECTIVE

ANNUAL GOALS YEAR OF

MONTHLY GOALS MONTH OF

WEEK of WEEK of WEEK of WEEK of

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APPENDIX

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Credible ImageCompelling Domain Name

1. Branding

2. Functionality Tools 3. Stickiness: Content

4. Calls to Action

SELLER


2. Home-buying Process

3. Schools

4. Relocation

5. First-time Homebuyer

6. Mortgage Information

7. Video

1. Market Statistics • Local reports • This Month in Real Estate • Market Snap- shot

2. Home-selling Process

3. How to Avoid Foreclosure

4. Refinancing

5. Video

BUYER

1. Buyer Site

2. Seller Site

3. Niche Site

4. Single-Property Site

5. Multiple Websites

BUYER

1. IDX KWLS Search


3. Mortgage Calculations


2. Enhanced Featured Property • Detailed descriptions • Multiple photos • Virtual Tours • Property- specific domains

SELLER

1. Sign Up

2. Email Me/Text Me

3. Call Me

4. Follow, or Friend Me

My Work PlanMy Web Presence

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Chapter 2: Budget Planner and Resources

TIME EXPENSE

: $

Task Resources

Profile Page

kw.com

• Click on White Pages - Edit

» Save

Template Website

mykw.kw.com

• Technology tab - Select Agent Websites

answers.kw.com

• Select KW Agent Website Training

URL/Domain Name

Purchase directly through eAgentC

admin.kw.com/websiteTemplateAdmin/admin/Home.do

Purchase through a third party

godaddy.com

register.com

buydomains.com

IDX/Custom IDX/MAP IDX

mykw.kw.com


answers.kw.com

• Select eAgentC IDX powered by WolfNet

KWLS

Promotional facts sheet on ListHub

mykw.kw.com

• Marketing tab - Select Market My Business

» Click Marketing to Sellers

CMA/Home Value

mykw.kw.com


Content Resources

mykw.kw.com


» Click This Month in Real Estateblog.kw.com

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My StrategyMy Lead Generation Strategy

Offline Marketing Online Marketing

Search Engine

• Pay-per-click

• Organic

Third Party Marketing

• Paid: Realtor.com, etc.

• Free: Craigslist, Social Media

• Yard Signs

• Fliers

• Print Ads

• Networking Events

• Direct Mail

• Promotional Items

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TIME EXPENSE

: $

Task ResourcesOffline Marketing

mykw.kw.com


Online Marketing

SEO

mykw.kw.com


» Click » KW Websites and SEO Guide » SEO Checklist

Keyword Selection

KeywordDiscovery.com

NicheBot.com

WordTracker.com

Tracking and Reporting Tools

google.com/analytics

google.comwebsiteoptimizer

seocount.com

websitegrader.com

Pay Per Click

https://.adwords.google.com

https://.adwords.google.com/select/Keyword

facebook.com/Ads

Blogging

mykw.kw.com


» Access the Agent Web Site Administration tool » From Websites Menu, click 3.0 Add Your Content

Free from a third party

wordpress.com

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Task ResourcesThird Party MarketingCraigslist https://accounts.craigslist.org/login/signup

Aggregators

solutioncenter.realtor.com/

.zillow.com/learnmore/what-zillow-offers-real-estate-agents.htm

trulia.com /localads

Social MediaDownload KWU course Internet Lead Generation Part 2: Your Social Media Business Strategy

https://secure.kw.com/kwu

Analytics

google.com/analytics

piwik.org

woopra.com

Premium template providers

boomtown.com

marketleader.com

tigerleads.com

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My StrategyMy 4C’s Strategy

Lead Capture Lead Capture-When

• Upfront or Pre-results

• Limited Results

• Open IDX with Listing Drip

• Property Forms

• Instant Notification Form

• Search Saver Form

• Home Valuations Form

• Reports Form

• Subscribe Form

• Contact Form

kw | University



TIME EXPENSE

: $

Task ResourcesCapture Registration

mykw.kw.com


» Access the Agent Web Site Administration tool » From Websites Menu, click 4.0 Add Listings/IDX

Search and 5.0 Create Lead Generation

Contact Management SystemsMyredtools.com

Topproducer.com

KW Connect training videos

kwconnect.kw.com/connect

• 5.1 Link to TOP PRODUCER 7i

Cultivation Tools

8 X 8

33 Touch

mykw.kw.com


Topproducer.com

Myredtools.com

MAPS Coaching

mykw.kw.com, Coaching, or email [email protected]

julie fantechi roger higle mona coveyimages.kw.com/docs/2/1/3/213945/1313513538783_KWU_ILG...If your...

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