| First is a classic tale of a story
| |
| | not being like everyone else.
|
| submitted by a Real Estate Company with
| |
| | My corporate identity and my corporate
|
| multiple offices that had contracted for
| |
| | colors were very important to me, and the
|
| a Web Site to be developed. The Web Site
| |
| | subject was just not up for discussion.
|
| development firm was an established
| |
| | This infuriated him. He did set things up
|
| company with good references in the Real
| |
| | under my own domain, though'. However,
|
| Estate industry. The site was developed
| |
| | strange as it may seem, the name I'd
|
| to the satisfaction of the franchise
| |
| | picked out all along, had just been taken
|
| owners and they sat back anticipating the
| |
| | by someone on the outskirts of my trading
|
| results. Nine months later with thousands
| |
| | area, just weeks before I applied for it.
|
| of supposed "hits" and very few inquiries
| |
| | Had I gotten it in the first place, I
|
| they began to examine the site that had
| |
| | would have it now. I'd used the name in
|
| been designed for them. They found that
| |
| | other types of media, and a huge
|
| the site had never been submitted to the
| |
| | franchise Realtor decided he would
|
| search engines and that it was not
| |
| | register it, in case I ever wanted to
|
| "keyworded" for the cities that they
| |
| | "BUY" it back from him.A similar horror
|
| serviced. They had not been getting the
| |
| | show took place with the ISPs --- their
|
| detailed log reports which they should
| |
| | servers were continually going down. Had
|
| have and had not had a search engine
| |
| | to move four times before I found a
|
| performance analysis on the site.
| |
| | compatible group of people with whom I
|
| When they confronted the Site Developers
| |
| | could work. AMAZING. Everyone wants to
|
| they were told that changes in the
| |
| | argue. Everyone is an expert. They charge
|
| industry were responsible for the poor
| |
| | huge set up fees, and people who are not
|
| performance and the site had to be
| |
| | "in the know", need to really be careful
|
| redesigned because of this. Of course
| |
| | about signing those kinds of contracts.
|
| this is ridiculous. As professionals
| |
| | Some keep on charging my AMEX cards,
|
| they should have kept up with industry
| |
| | sporadically, after months of no charges.
|
| changes. Not only that, they never did
| |
| | Trying to get that rectified is another
|
| submit the site to the search engines.
| |
| | nightmare.
|
| To date, they had already paid more than
| |
| | All I want to do is sell real estate. I
|
| $75,000 for the site development and
| |
| | have spent the better part of the past
|
| administration. They were locked in. So,
| |
| | year and a half "working" on the Net.
|
| they agreed to pay an additional $5,000.
| |
| | Indeterminable costs in $$$, and much
|
| To correct the problems caused by
| |
| | more in nerves.
|
| "industry changes". Two and a half months
| |
| |
|
| later their redesigned site is coming up
| |
| | A true horror show, that finally is, in
|
| on the search engines. It is still not
| |
| | spite of itself, finally producing
|
| key worded for the cities they service
| |
| | excellent results. Not lots, but I am
|
| and the corrections continue.
| |
| | good at weeding and feeding. Response
|
| This story is not a unique one. Today,
| |
| | time is "everything", as you say on your
|
| there are middle school students who can
| |
| | site. I, for one, believe this is
|
| develop a Web Site. This does not mean
| |
| | absolutely business on the cutting edge
|
| they fully understand the Internet and
| |
| | of the future, and we are now,
|
| how it works. A Web Site is a key
| |
| | fortunately, positioned to take advantage
|
| business element that requires knowledge
| |
| | of the way that business will be
|
| of the business, sales and marketing and
| |
| | conducted from here on in.
|
| all the facets of business management. It
| |
| | I have made some valuable new contacts
|
| also requires a broad-based knowledge of
| |
| | in the industry, we belong to three
|
| the workings of the Internet.
| |
| | network communities, and look forward to
|
| The greatest problem that we see is a
| |
| | exceptional success from here on in. Our
|
| lack of knowledge on the part of the
| |
| | site was written up in the Canadian Real
|
| businessperson who is considering a Web
| |
| | Estate News newspaper which is delivered
|
| Site for his business. Without an ability
| |
| | to all real estate offices across Canada.
|
| to evaluate the competency of a Web Site
| |
| | Many Realtors made contact as a result of
|
| Developer the businessperson is at a loss
| |
| | that article, too.
|
| to make a qualified judgment. There are
| |
| | I was at a meeting for the Real Estate
|
| many people who have developed numerous
| |
| | Council of Ontario recently, and was
|
| Web Sites but there are few who have
| |
| | informed by the President that he'd just
|
| created sites, which produce the intended
| |
| | returned from an Air Canada flight, on
|
| results.
| |
| | which he'd read an article about my web
|
| From a realtor in Tucson we hear that
| |
| | success. Not realizing he'd be seeing me,
|
| she has been getting regular inquiries
| |
| | he didn't keep the article. I am now
|
| from the Internet and has a client flying
| |
| | trying to locate a copy.
|
| in from Japan. After a year on line and
| |
| | This from Bob Jurgensen in Manassas, VAI
|
| with listings in and her own web site she
| |
| | average about 3-5 requests a week for my
|
| has a regular flow of inquiries from
| |
| | "free relocation kits" and about 1 in 10
|
| around the country.
| |
| | ever communicates back in any form. Most
|
| We continue to get e-mail from Realtors
| |
| | do provide phone numbers but few return
|
| around the country. There are many
| |
| | calls and I usually get voice mails. (Bob
|
| Realtors who are just learning about the
| |
| | has stopped sending out the kits to every
|
| Internet and making the adjustment from
| |
| | request, he contacts people first now)
|
| the "snail world". At first it is hard
| |
| | In spite of this seemingly poor rate of
|
| to get accustomed to the speed of the
| |
| | return, I did sell 11 homes and almost $2
|
| net. E-mail is transmitted to recipients
| |
| | Million in sales off the Internet in
|
| in a matter of seconds. People who have
| |
| | 2005. I tracked my sales last year very
|
| been active on the net for a while come
| |
| | carefully because it was all new to me
|
| to expect a response from others within
| |
| | and I wanted to know what works and what
|
| 24 hours. One is not surprised when a
| |
| | doesn't.
|
| business responds within hours to an
| |
| | My first contact was an Air Traffic
|
| e-mail. The businesses that are
| |
| | Controller from Boston moving to this
|
| seriously "doing business" on the web
| |
| | area (Dulles) and we began a dialog. He
|
| often respond within an hour. So, for
| |
| | came down alone and I gave him a tour the
|
| those of us who are just starting a to
| |
| | day he interviewed for his new job. Then
|
| market our Realtor services on the
| |
| | two weeks later he returned with his
|
| Internet, this concept of speed is
| |
| | family and we went out to do some serious
|
| something we have to adjust to. Those of
| |
| | searching.
|
| us who do not make this adjustment will
| |
| | Right after this family bought, he
|
| fall by the wayside as more aggressive
| |
| | passed my email address to another friend
|
| and attentive companies give customers a
| |
| | in Boston, who visited my site and also
|
| faster response.
| |
| | requested a relocation kit. Bingo...
|
| Ouch! Three Web Designers and $$$
| |
| | another sale a few weeks later. Between
|
| over 1 1/2 year
| |
| | these two guys I had a referral from each
|
| Signed up with a web master who had done
| |
| | and that's a total of 4 sales in about 3
|
| a nice, clean site for a nearby local
| |
| | months. (A new ATC facility opened at
|
| Realtor. I did not know the right
| |
| | Dulles recently and they had to staff it
|
| questions to ask, so I signed up with him
| |
| | so many are coming here from other parts
|
| too. He was in the northwest states.
| |
| | of country.)
|
| Turned out that he did "cookie-cutter"
| |
| | That's not all, this year these same two
|
| sites, and didn't like it at all, when I
| |
| | controllers have each sent me yet another
|
| had too many creative ideas. He was a
| |
| | referral and one is coming in August to
|
| very nice "person" but did not,
| |
| | "take the tour", the other most likely in
|
| absolutely did not, want to follow my
| |
| | October. So that's a total of 6 sales
|
| instructions. Also, he told me I
| |
| | (hopefully) in less than two years off
|
| absolutely did not need my own domain.
| |
| | basically ONE HIT on my site.
|
| After several months of begging,
| |
| | There have been several others, mostly
|
| pleading, and stamping my feet, because
| |
| | military and/or government employees. Not
|
| he never made any of the requested
| |
| | sure why, but I guess they use the I-net
|
| changes, such as marking listings SOLD, I
| |
| | daily. Coupled with the fact this area
|
| couldn't deal with it all any more. So, I
| |
| | (DC-Northern VA) is a major gov't area,
|
| switched to someone else who came
| |
| | keeps them coming I guess. I seem to have
|
| recommended. Although' his work was good,
| |
| | the most success with gov't and military
|
| and delivered on time, he was "extremely"
| |
| | types.
|
| expensive for any tiny little thing done
| |
| | Sacramento Realtor had 15 Million in
|
| after the initial site was up and
| |
| | Internet Sourced transactions
|
| running. Also, he decided that he had
| |
| | Dave Vandermyden, of Pacific Coast
|
| become a "consultant" and took it upon
| |
| | Realty, is one of the top Realtors on the
|
| himself to "run my life". Made changes to
| |
| | net. In his second year on the Internet
|
| the site without being asked, took it
| |
| | he originated more than 15 million in
|
| upon himself to "alter" my colors --
| |
| | transactions from the Internet. With
|
| which are a major part of my identity,
| |
| | four websites consisting of more than 130
|
| without consulting with me first, added
| |
| | pages he has dominated the Sacramento
|
| links to places he thought should be on
| |
| | market on the net. His activity includes
|
| my site, and on and on it went for
| |
| | referrals to a network of San Francisco
|
| several weeks. When I stamped my feet,
| |
| | Realtors that uses to fill the needs of
|
| and insisted these things be removed, it
| |
| | inquiries he receives for that area.
|
| took weeks to make those changes.
| |
| | During the first quarter of 99 Dave has
|
| He also informed me that studies had
| |
| | averaged about 25 inquiries per
|
| been done (this has been done in most
| |
| | week.Written for
|
| forms of media for many years) saying
| |
| | By James Christensen
|
| that the only recognizable colours on the
| |
| | Real Estate Expert and educator. Our
|
| Net are red, white, and blue. Well,
| |
| | training site offers a valuable service
|
| that's wonderful, but part of my success
| |
| | to individuals looking to get into the
|
| over 17 years is due to being "different"
| |
| | Real Estate industry.
|
| which is also "recognizable" by nature of
| |
| |
|