If one picture is worth a thousand words, how many is one web page worth? 2,000? 500? Or as many as you can squeeze out of your copywriter? The correct answer is the minimal number you need to tell each page’s story clearly and concisely. This is one situation where less is definitely more.

In the newspaper biz, important stories are placed “above the fold,” meaning that readers can see them right away without having to unfold the paper. You should adopt the same philosophy for your web site. If you think of the bottom of the screen as the fold line, your headline and the copy that’s most critical to your business should appear on one screen, without the reader having to scroll down. It’s my firm, however unscientific, opinion that readers shouldn’t have to scroll more than once on any web page. If your copy requires continuous scrolling, try one of these options: 1. Judicious editing, or 2. Create a new page.

In order to maintain the “above the fold” format, it is important to stick to one main idea on each page of your site. Your home page should offer an introduction to your site stressing the main points of your business. The copy should state your location (I am amazed at the number of real estate sites that don’t name a city on the home page!) and your target market: e.g. first time homebuyers, downsizers, urban lofts. This insures that visitors to your site know they’re in the right place within the first 15 seconds of reading your copy. If so, they’ll be likely to click onto your other pages for more information. If not, they’ll know right away to keep on surfing for an agent who’s working in the right market.

Each subsequent page should stick to the one theme per screen idea. Again, get to the most important points right in the headline and lead paragraph. Try to keep all the copy on one screen or, at least, within one downward scroll.

Making it easy for your potential customers to read and navigate through your site makes it more likely to capture their interest—and their business.

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!, www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.

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I generally use this space to share some thoughts about marketing your real estate practice but, hey, it’s 2008, so I thought I’d break away from the usual. How about some resolutions that you (and I) might actually have a chance of keeping this year? We both know that we’re not going to hit the gym 6 days a week, cut out all junk food and/or achieve world peace. However, here are some ideas that may change your outlook on life. Who knows, with a new attitude, you might come up with some great ideas for your business as well!

Laugh every day. We all get caught up in the day-to-day grind, whether it’s work,
home or family related. Are all the things you’re stressing about really that critical? If your daughter wants to wear mismatched socks to school or you can’t find that file folder you stashed yesterday, is the world coming to an end? Click on the Comedy Channel, pop in a Marx Brothers DVD or read the comics—anything to bring on a chuckle. It’s guaranteed to lower your boiling point and make the rest of the day more fun.

Concentrate on what goes right. How many of us gnash our teeth at night over things that went awry during the day? Sure, the boss was cranky, a can’t-miss deal fell through and your cell phone bill hit the stratosphere. But, there was also a magnificent sunset, having your own two feet carrying you where you needed to be and your favorite song popping onto the radio during the drive home. Learn to shift your perspective and life will treat you kindly.

Slow down. When it’s time for lunch, walk away from your desk and turn off your phone, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Multi-tasking may seem efficient, but it’s an energy drainer. Savor that tuna sandwich and Diet Coke.

Weed out the extraneous. Do you own your stuff or does it own you? A constant battle with clutter takes time away from more meaningful tasks. Throw out magazines that are more than three months old, whittle down your earring collection and shred those 20-year-old tax returns. View your closet with a critical eye—do you really need 35 ties or 10 white t-shirts? Bag up the extras and give them to charity; you’ll be doing a good deed and cutting down your stress level.

Help somebody else. One of the best mood elevators around is lending a hand to someone less fortunate. Donating money is relatively easy; if you’ve got some time to give that’s even better. There are plenty of organizations that can use your help on a once-a month or infrequent basis. Check out local food banks, Habitat for Humanity or homeless shelters.

Resolve to try just one or two of these suggestions, and see what a difference some small steps can make in your life. I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008.

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!, www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.

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Blogs are the Hollywood stars of the web…at least for the moment. Practically everyone has heard of the word; but some people don’t really know what a blog entails. If you’re among the uninitiated, don’t despair! Think of a blog (a compound word created from the words “web log,”) as a kind of online journal. It’s a web-based forum which can be easily and frequently updated and where you can express thoughts and opinions as often as they pop into your brain.

One of the nice things about blogs is that they give you a chance to show different sides of your personality from the fairly rigid portraits found on most web sites. As a real estate pro, your web site’s “About Me” page is most likely a business-related bio where you talk about your work experience and possibly throw in a line or two about how you spend your leisure time. With a blog you can show your readers another side of your personality. Whether you breed Basset Hounds, fly small airplanes, sing in a barbershop quartet or knit for the homeless, the blog is the place to chat about your passion. Of course, it never hurts if you can somehow tie your passion into your business life, but it’s not necessary.

By posting a blog, you’re offering potential customers the opportunity to see you as an interesting, multi-faceted person—not just another real estate agent. Many blogs also offer readers a chance to leave feedback, giving you a chance to establish contacts and capture emails which you can add to your database. Blogs are also great tools for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), since they can be easily and frequently updated.

There’s more good news about blogs—you don’t have to be a tech-savvy guru to get started. There are a lot of reputable, no-cost and low-cost programs that walk you through all the steps to establishing a blog either connected to your existing web site or as part of a community blog site. Among the better programs are:

www.wordpress.com

www.blogger.com

www.vox.com

The more often you post a new blog entry, the more likely you are to attract repeat and new visitors. Topics can range from your personal observations to updates about what’s happening in real estate in your area. Try to steer clear of controversial topics—the point is to gain readership, not alienate people. If writing isn’t your thing, hire a freelancer. Since most blogs are relatively short pieces, you should be able to find someone to work at a reasonable rate. And don’t forget to ask for a volume discount; most writers are willing to negotiate if you commit to having them do multiple entries for you.

Now that I’ve demystified the blogging basics for you, check out some of the web sites listed above and join the blogosphere!

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!, www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.

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Everyone’s talking about SEO (search engine optimization)—but does anyone really know how to accomplish it? (The bigwigs at Google and Yahoo know, of course, but they’re not telling.) People go on and on about meta-tags, embedded copy, headlines, incoming links…the list is seemingly endless. However, most web gurus agree that the use of keywords is a critical element in successful SEO.

What is a keyword? It’s one or more words, or phrases, that succinctly sum up your target market, and that browsers type into their search engines. For example, if you specialize in first-time buyers in St. Louis, your keywords might include “first-time buyers in St. Louis” (a no-brainer), “St. Louis homebuyers” and “affordable housing in St. Louis.”

Most SEO experts tell you to use your keywords as often as possible in your web copy. Therein lies a problem—your copy has to tell a story to your site’s visitors quickly and efficiently. (Heed the mantra that you have about 6-10 seconds to capture a browser’s interest on your site.) However, in an effort to insert keywords as often as possible, the result is often clumsy and unappealing. Have you seen web copy that reads like the following? I certainly have.

“If you’re looking for condos in Miami, this is the site for you. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about condos for sale in Miami. Whether you’re interested in Miami condos on the beach, Miami condos on the golf course or Miami condos in downtown Miami, you’ll find it here. We update our list of Miami condos daily, so if you’re interested in Miami condos, read on!”

OK, we get it. This agent specializes in Miami condos. It’s also an example of “keyword stuffing,” a technique that involves loading the copy with as many uses of the keyword as possible in order to manipulate a site’s position in search engine results. Google has caught on to this trick—if your copy is overstuffed with keywords in non-logical places, the site will actually move down in the rankings. In addition, this copy is not reader-friendly and not likely to induce anyone to click through to any of your other pages. For more information on using keywords properly, Google has online guidance at http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769

If you’re having difficulty choosing keywords, there are some free tools available on the Internet at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal and http://www.yooter.com/keyword/. Additionally, many web design firms will help you select keywords as part of their service.

By choosing and using your keywords carefully, your web site will be well positioned to attract potential clients who are looking for exactly what you have to offer.

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!, www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.

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Shhh…Don’t Spill the Beans

Remember when your mom used to warn you about telling family secrets? The same logic applies to writing copy for your website. Don’t feel obligated to put every piece of information about your business, your community or your listings out in the open where it’s easily seen. The reason? If you give viewers everything they need to know, what will motivate them to contact you? The Internet is an interactive medium; you want to offer enough information for potential clients to become interested in contacting you for more data.

There are several ways to accomplish this. One is to set up interactive contacts—tools that ask for the viewer’s contact data before releasing your information. Here’s an example: “Click here to receive my exclusive report: 10 things you must know before listing your home in Anywhere, Ohio.” Your web designer inserts a hyperlink in the sentence which leads to a page where the viewer lists his name and email address and then clicks on “continue” or “send me your report.” From there, another hyperlink leads the viewer directly to the listing guide, or you can choose to have it sent directly to the email he entered. Now you have a contact for your database and the viewer has the information he wants.

One caveat about asking for information from potential clients: keep your mandatory requests minimal. Most people will share their names and emails; many will balk if you ask for more data such as phone number, address or interest in buying or selling. You may insert a box for the phone number with an explanation that if the client wants you to call he can fill it in, but it is not required in order to receive the information. Also, be sure to clearly delineate a privacy policy stating that the information will be used only by you and not shared or sold to any third party.

Another method for capturing contact data is to hold a drawing. In order to enter, site viewers need to leave their names and email addresses thus establishing another contact for your database. Select prizes that can be used anywhere in the country since your site’s readers don’t necessarily live in your community. Gift certificates for nationwide chains (e.g. Target, Home Depot) are universally appreciated and provide the opportunity for a housing tie-in.

You may also want to develop an offer specific to your real estate practice. One of my clients promised to pay a certain dollar amount in relocation expenses to anyone who closed a transaction with her. Be sure to check your state’s laws regarding drawings and sweepstakes in advance. This information is usually available on your Secretary of State’s web site.

So, when developing your website, remember that the first two syllables of the word “Internet” should have you thinking “interactive.” Make sure your copy reaches out and asks for that interaction so you can build an active contact database to use in your marketing efforts.

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!,
www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.

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Pssst. Want to know how to get a lot of local exposure for your real estate practice without spending a lot of money? In this high-tech age of SEO, meta tags, blogs and email drips, the answer is refreshingly old fashioned: the press release!

I recently wrote a press release for a REALTOR® who specializes in first time home buyers. In addition to being incredibly dedicated and willing to teach first timers everything they need to know, he has set up a registry to which wedding guests may contribute to the couple’s home buying fund. In the press release, I spelled out his business practices, wrote about the registry, threw in some testimonials and, voilà! A local newspaper picked up the story and did an interview. Result: three new clients and nearly $15,000 in commissions!

Now, not every press release is going to bring those kinds of results—some of them may not even make it into print. However, your financial investment is relatively minor, and the payoff can be, at the very least, some additional publicity for your business.

I suggest that you hire a professional writer who understands journalistic style to write your release. In general, the press release should be about 500 words and should start out with something interesting or unique to your business. Do you have a special “irresistible offer”? Spell it out. Did you have a career unrelated to real estate before you became an agent? Write about how and why you made the transition. Is there an interesting neighborhood connection? Play it up.

Before you hire a writer, draw up an outline for the release that covers all the points you want to include. Make sure to include any dates of future events, phone numbers, emails, web sites or anything else that will help potential readers and/or editors contact you.

When the release is complete, send it to every publication (via fax, if available) that’s distributed in the neighborhoods you serve. That includes major newspapers (send it to the real estate or business editors), local “throwaways,” community or city magazines and neighborhood web sites. Some publications may publish it as written; others may call you for additional information and write their own stories. Don’t hesitate to revise the release periodically, adding new information, and then send it out to the same contacts.

Don’t be discouraged if there’s no response. Space allocations in publications change from one issue to the next. Be persistent–one day, you may see your name in print!

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