It all started with a phone call less than 90 days ago. A Web design firm wanted to donate their time and creative efforts to do an “extreme Web makeover” for a REALTOR of my choosing. None of us involved, in our wildest dreams, could have predicted the incredible outcome just three months later. Here’s how an attempt at creating an extreme Web makeover snowballed into a million dollar extreme home makeover for a deserving family and an entire community that was transformed in the process.

Big Things Start With A Simple Act

When Cherie Young of Internet Marketing Strategies first contacted me last November about doing a complementary Web makeover for one of my REALTOR students, I frankly didn’t know what to think. She and her Web designer, Suzanne Stephens, wanted to demonstrate how they could take a simple Point2 template site and create a fully custom, highly targeted Web presence that incorporated all the online success principles taught in my 10 Week Telecoaching program. This was a hard offer to refuse, especially since it wouldn’t cost a dime. I agreed to find a worthy student under the condition that the resulting Website had to be targeted for a specific niche and was created using the principles I teach. With that readily agreed to, it was just a matter of picking that lucky student.

Easier said than done. With several thousand REALTORS having gone through my training, (and all of them worthy in my eyes :o) it was a tough decision. However, as fate would have it, the day before receiving Cherie’s call, I had a telecoaching call with my current crop of students. During this call one of my students, Linda Jefferson, of Jefferson Bentley Real Estate in Lawton, Oklahoma, proudly showed her new site design for the military niche market in her area. Now before we go any further with this story, you need to see this design so you can fully appreciate the following comments (CLICK HERE to see a screen shot of Linda’s “Before” site).

As gently as possible, I told Linda that whoever designed this site was doing her no favors. It was amateurish at best and probably would not attract or serve her target market very well once launched. To say she was disappointed is an understatement. She shared with me sometime later that she even had her husband listen to the call just to make sure she heard my comments right! This was probably the low point of her online marketing dreams.

While Linda’s initial Web design had a shaky start, there was nothing shaky about her commitment to her local military market. In fact, it was crystal clear to all the other students on our coaching calls that she knew exactly how to answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” from the perspective of the military buyer or seller. Since her passion and dedication for the military market came through so strongly and her need of good design talent was so evident, it was easy to award her this special opportunity. When I phoned her with the good news her jaw must have dropped and stayed there for a minute or two, because there was stretch of dead silence on the other end of the phone. After she recovered and determined that I wasn’t joking she was incredibly appreciative. I knew then that the right person had been chosen.

On Fire Committed

It’s exciting how projects can take a life of their own when everyone involved is totally committed. What followed over the next 60 days or so is nothing short of miraculous. Yes, Linda’s new Website at GoArmyHomes.com is incredibly beautiful, exquisitely targeted for the military, and already very profitable - but that’s just the beginning! In short order I will share how this straightforward extreme Web makeover turned into a community transforming event. But first, let’s take a look at how it all went down:

• Cherie Young acted as the “Project Manager” and coordinated all the resources that would be necessary to complete the project;
• Suzanne Stephens was the lead Web Designer who was responsible for creating the design and incorporating Linda’s targeted content;
• Linda Jefferson was responsible for providing the content ideas to Suzanne. NOTE: most sales people think it is the designer’s job to do this - nothing could be further from the truth. This project could never have happened if Linda hadn’t done her homework (literally speaking, from my class) to come up with a comprehensive outline of the site content specifically targeted for her market. Here are just some of the highly engaging content ideas Linda had for her site:
  • Domain Name – GoArmyHomes.com (that was actually available!)
  • UPS (Unique Positioning Statement) – “When you are ready to move - we’re proud to serve.sm” (one of the best I’ve ever seen or heard)
  • User Forums – Military Wife’s Club.org and Military Brat’s Club.org
  • Army Specific Info Links – at the top of GoArmyHomes.com are a whole assortment of information links and their associated acronyms that only an enlisted person (or their spouse) could know and love!
  • Community Involvement – Operation C.A.R.E., James Place, A Heart of Gold, etc. (more on this below);
• Scott Johnson a Web programmer brought in by Suzanne was responsible for any programming the site needed;

• Point2Agent generously donated a year’s hosting of one of their Premium Point2 Agent template sites that Suzanne would then completely customize to Linda’s specifications;

• Professional ad agency copywriter David Gordon also got into the act. He agreed to take Linda’s bullet-point notes and convert them into attention-getting headlines and copy specifically attractive to the military market;

• Cherie then contacted IDXBroker.com about donating a broker MLS solution for Linda’s new site, which they readily agreed to.

About 30 days into the project everyone was so on fire that ideas were flying fast and furious. And possibilities started manifesting that just a few weeks previous would have seemed impossible. Linda and her company have always been dedicated to their local fighting men and women. However, I think she will be the first to admit that this project galvanized their commitment in ways they never even imagined…

From Extreme Web Makeover to Extreme Home Makeover

In 2004, Lawton reservist, SGT Gene Westbrook, volunteered to be deployed to Iraq as a drill sergeant sent to train Iraqi army recruits. While there, SGT Westbrook was hit by a mortar round which pierced his lung, severed his spinal cord and left him partially paralyzed from the waist down. When SGT Westbrook returned to Lawton, the community surprised him and his family with a handicap van. It was in this very van that, on the way to visit their friends from church, the Westbrooks were in a horrible car accident. The accident left SGT Westbrook's son, James, paralyzed from the waist down and his daughter, Katie, needing surgery to have a kidney removed.

The Adopt A Soldier Now program decided to adopt retired SGT Gene Westbrook and his family. Linda received a call from the program director that the Extreme Home Makeover show was considering the Westover family as possible recipients. Once Linda found this out she and her company started a petition drive that resulted in over 27,000 signatures and 1,000 e-mails and letters! As a result of these efforts the Westbrook family was chosen. And, on February 15th, 2007, they had the “knock on the door” by the Extreme Home Makeover folks and just seven days later were given the keys to a brand new, million dollar handicap enabled home —largely due to Linda, her company and the community at large. That would be quite a fairy tale ending in itself, except there is more...

Linda and her company are also spearheading another fund drive from their GoArmyHomes.com Website called “James’ Place”. CLICK HERE to see how they plan to raise $175,000 to build a handicap accessible playground at James Westbrook’s school. Now let’s see… a new targeted killer Website, a new million dollar extreme home makeover, a big name celebrity benefit concert, and a new playground. Not bad for something that started out as a simple phone call and desire to serve the military market better than anyone else. And by the way, Linda and her company’s business are doing well too…

More Than Just A Pretty Website

Every time I get up on the platform speaking to the power of target / niche marketing, nearly everyone in the audience has concerns that they will lose business, rather than gain it. Well, Linda had that same fear, but she trusted that targeting was the way to go. In fact, here is what she had to say about it in her own words:

“When I started with your program I was one of those Realtors who was afraid to target one specific market because I was trying to be everything to everyone and didn't want to lose business I really didn't have anyway. I am now getting to work with the people I love to work with and have found that by specializing in a specific market I am not only capturing more of my target market, I am not losing other business but actually gaining more because they now feel connected to me because we have a similar passion.

When you become passionate about the market you love to work with they feel bonded to you. I have actually been able to now pick up my buyers from the $150,000 price range to well over $400,000. This whole experience has truly been amazing. I have always been very much a person who felt as though I had to see face to face the people who were working for me because somehow they would know me better. That is definitely not the case, Suzanne and Cherie have become so in tune with me that they almost know what I'm thinking before I do. They have been able to capture what I was trying to do with my business so much faster and in a way that well exceeded my expectations. I will defiantly have a hard time hiring an employee in person again. Also, I have found that by coming right out and targeting my market I have been able to do the things I love the most, which is helping those people that I feel the closest to. I now enjoy my career so much more and feel truly fulfilled in my business. I am proud of what I am doing and have actually met people that I never would have met otherwise. I have found that I am now getting producing Realtors coming in the door wanting to be a part of my company. This has been the most incredible experience and can never thank everyone enough.”

Linda’s Website was just recently launched, yet she is already seeing new business. Also, Cherie mentioned that the “bounce rate” (i.e. the percentage of unique visitors that land on the Home Page and leave not seeing anything else) for Linda’s site is about 25%. She tells me that the bounce rate for a typical template site often run as high as 50% to 90% or more (which means anywhere from 10% to 50% of the visitors ever go through the site).

Also, Linda has been approached by other REALTORS around the country who serve the military market to see about licensing the GoArmyHomes “brand”. The hallmark of a well targeted site is when people also see it as a brand. Of course this means that in addition to powerfully differentiating her company from all competitors in her area, she also has something of high value to sell when she retires.

Now Take A Real Good Look...

While this certainly is one of my longest articles for this column, it really doesn’t do justice to what Linda, Cherie, Suzanne and the others have accomplished. Go now to GoArmyHomes.com and really look it over carefully - you will learn much.

You will see how a burning commitment and passion for a particular target market can grow into something much bigger and far more fulfilling than just you or your business. When your passion is galvanized with determined action and good planning, almost anything can happen. Who knows, you might even transform your community along with your business.

NOTE: Mr. Internet®, RUSSER Communications, its staff and officers receive no compensation whatsoever from any third party vendors and make no recommendations as to the suitability of the products or services mentioned in this article. Always thoroughly investigate any product or service before trying or purchasing.

Mr. Internet is the alter ego of Michael J. Russer, an internationally recognized Internet speaker, trainer, author, and strategic consultant to the real estate industry. He is dedicated to helping real estate professionals leverage their people skills into profit on the Internet. You will see his column on REALTOR® Magazine Online every month and in the magazine quarterly. Send your Internet questions to help@askmrinternet.com or you can visit his Website at http://www.russer.com

This article is reprinted in its entirety from the March 2007 issue of REALTOR® Magazine by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved other than mentioned above. Mr. Internet® is a registered trademark and IEC™ and Ask Mr. Internet! ™ are trademarks of RUSSER Communications.