Business-Blog-Consultant

6 Steps for Internet  & eMarketing Success

A succesful eMarketing strategy must have:

• Compelling reason(s) for prospect to contact you
• Benefits for prospect
• Specific offers, reports
• Calls to action
• Lead capture ability
• Measuring & Tracking capability

1.    Maintain a great “Destination” Website

• Customer-Centric not Business-Centric – “Image style branding is out”
• People don’t want to be sold, they want to be helped and get information
• Internet = access, information, instant
• Web 2.0 = social networking, sharing of information, two-way communication
• A good domain name (Consider keyword terms vs. your name)
• Offer what the consumer wants
  For Real Estate Agents – examples might be:
  • Easy & accessible Search for listings (IDX)
  • Photos & virtual tours
  • Reports, local market data
  • Neighborhood, community, school information
  • Foreclosure, short sale, loan modification information
  • Buyer/Seller process & tips
  • Relocation info, guides
  • Testimonials
  • Your niche, target markets, specialties

2.    Effective Lead Generation & Lead Capture

• Calls to Action (CTA) that lead to capturing prospect info
• Real estate agent/team examples of CTAs:
  • IDX search – allow access to a point and then a sign-up form
  • Property Watch – email alerts – allows the consumer to receive the listing information they want when it becomes available
  • Free, compelling reports – consumer completes a contact form to receive the report or offer
  • Home Market Valuation

3. Offline Marketing Plan

• Energize Your Database  – Import or add your sphere of influence (SOI), past client database into a CRM solution(Outlook, Constant Contact, aWeber) and send them a  welcome email or letter with a strong Call to Action for your business, service or product
• Add contacts daily – set a goal to add a minimum of 5 new people to your database every week.
• Change Your Voice Mail message to include a CTA to visit your blog at www.yourblog.com
• Add compelling call to action on everything:
  • Business cards
  • Letterhead
  • Marketing Flyers
  • Email signature
  • Postcards
  • Print advertising

4. Online Marketing Plan

• • Build your FREE Profile on (recommended for real estate professionals):

-Realtor.com
-Trulia.com
-Zillow.com
-ActiveRain.com
-LinkedIn.com
-Facebook.com

And if you are into it…

-MySpace.com
-YouTube.com – for video tours and consumer videos
-Twitter.com – micro-blogging

• Paid Advertising on other websites

-Realtor.com
-Trulia Pro
-Zillow
-Local online magazine & newspapers
-Your niche market
-Strategic Linking

• Comment on blogs (you can add a link back to your website)

5. Optimizing your website and pages for search engines

• Title tags

• Keywords & Description

• Keyword research Tools

• Write quality content that matches your selected keywords

• Submit Your site to directories and search engines

• Consider adding a blog to maximize SEO

• Pay Per Click – Paid Advertising

• Google Ad Words

6.    Converting the Lead (From Click to Close)

• Connect
  • Immediate response (less than 20 mins) increases your chances of converting that lead – text and email alerts for leads
  • Initial email welcome letter

• Cultivate
  • Automated, drip email campaigns
  • CTAs in the email (Search properties now!
  • Phone calls = qualify, build rapport

• Close

• Use the visitor search profile information
• Refine searches – use property watch
• Close for appointments

• Build Referrals

• Client for life email campaigns – Ask for referral Call to action
• eNewsletters
• Holiday letters
• Market condition reports

Remember, it’s a process!  Set aside time each week to improve your overall website and emarketing solution for your business.  Find the balance bewteen working IN your business and ON Your Business!!

Related posts:

1. Top 15 Tips for Blogging
2. Why Blog?
3. Lists of Real Estate Blogs and Resources