While direct mail has lost some of its ability to effectively connect with prospects who often see the mailing as simply "junk mail," e-mail marketing has now become an incredibly effective and interactive method of helping prospects reach you.

E-mail marketing has an incredibly high return on investment because you’re only paying for your recipient list and the creative services used to create the art, copy, and e-mail itself, because there are no printing costs, and because those you are e-mailing have already opted to receive such mailings—these people actually want to hear from you and are far more likely to read what you have sent and make contact with you.

Many of you may have already begun to dip your toes into the e-mail marketing game, and have seen the incredible results. Others of you may have tried, but without attaining the response rate you’d hoped for. The keys to effective email marketing are consistency, a strategically developed message, and a website landing page that captures registrations.

Where most builders and developers fail with e-mail marketing is in applying consistency. Simply sending out one e-mail message and expecting hard returns is unlikely to accomplish anything. Think more in terms of a campaign—where a new e-mail goes out every two weeks, and possibly more often to promote community-specific events.

And, just as important as applying consistency, your message must be on-target and resonate with your audience. If you understand who the correct buyer is, you can create e-mails that are appropriate for their wants and needs. You also must provide the recipients with some incentive to make contact with you.

Typically, when NDG Communications creates an e-mail campaign, the e-mail provides a link to a "website landing page" that provides the e-mail recipient with a form to register to receive more information in exchange for some reward, possibly to enter for a drawing at an event, or the chance to win some prize. The recipient has an incentive, and you now have a registered (and most likely qualified) lead with full contact details.

Stay tuned for more from real estate advertising & e-marketing expert Tom Nelson of NDG Communications.

Posted In: Marketing, New Home Sales, New home sales marketing

Ready to see how your website really measures up when it comes to driving qualified traffic? Use this professional website assessment checklist to see if your website is making the grade and or if you could use some improvement. Scoring is based on a 1 through 10 system—1 being extremely poorly represented and 10 is extremely well represented. Be honest and objective.

WEBSITE GRADING CHART

URL (short, simple, intuitive) _____/10
Download Time (size of home page) _____/10
Look and Feel (readability) _____/10
Require User to Download Additional Software _____/10
Homepage on One Screen (above the fold) _____/10
Unique Selling Point (USP) or Value Proposition_____/10
Ability to Take Action (Key action points provided)_____/10
Feeling of Wanting More (depth of site)_____/10
Contact Details_____/10
Credential Validation (certifications, associations etc.)_____/10
Statement from Management_____/10
Useful Information_____/10
Level of Interaction_____/10
Use of Valuable Graphics_____/10
Use of Valuable Animation_____/10
Reviews, Testimonials, and Certifications_____/10
Content Presented in Digestible Quantities_____/10
Up-to-Date Information_____/10
Available in Multiple Languages_____/10
Accessibility for the Disabled_____/10
Disclaimers & Terms of Use_____/10
Easily Usable Site Structure/Content_____/10
Useful Title Tags_____/10
Description Meta Tags_____/10
Site Directory/Site Map_____/10
ALT Tags_____/10
Partner & Affiliate Links _____/10

TOTAL____/270

SCORING:

240 points or more: Excellent work; are you one of my clients?

200-240 points: Great effort, but more work is required to drive traffic and sales

100-200 points: Seek Professional Help

Less than 100 Points: Critical Warning—Get Help Fast

Stay tuned for more new home sales insights from real estate e-marketing expert Tom Nelson.

Posted In: Marketing, New Home Sales

HOW BUYERS FIND YOU IN THE 21ST CENTURY, Part 2

So your website has fresh and relevant content—but even the best website in the world will not lead to conversions if prospects never even know about your website.

It is therefore critical to ensure that, when prospective buyers who should be your prospective buyers are searching the web, they find your website. The process of helping your website connect with people you want to find it is called "Search Engine Optimization" often abbreviated as "SEO."

SEO is a set of an ever-evolving set of methods to help your website achieve the highest ranking possible in search engine results. And while the specifics of HOW it’s done can be a bit complicated, the WHY cannot be overstated. Here are some incredible facts: According to Forrester Research, 81% of internet users find websites via search engines. In addition, the first 3 positions in "organic" (that is, non-paid) search engine results are viewed almost 100% of the time, and the 4th organic position was viewed 85% of the time.

In total, 90% of all Internet search engine traffic goes to the top 30 organic search results. And with 84% of homebuyers starting their new home search on the internet, you can see the overwhelming importance of proper Search Engine Optimization in getting prospects to your community.

So, that’s the WHY. Next time we’ll begin to discuss the HOW—the specifics of how you can make sure your website has effective content, and is effectively optimized for web search engines to be able to connect you with the right prospects.

Stay tuned for the next part of this article for more new home sales insights from real estate e-marketing expert Tom Nelson.

Posted In: Blogroll, Marketing, New Home Sales

HOW BUYERS FIND YOU IN THE 21ST CENTURY, Part 1

Real estate advertising and e-marketing expert Tom Nelson shares how website searches are used by prospective homebuyers and how you can make sure your website is as close to the top of their list as possible.

If you haven’t figured it out already, your website is now the most fundamental marketing tool for new home sales, whether you’re a salesperson, builder, or developer. In almost every case, prospects will visit websites based on their google.com searches, long before they ever visit the actual property site. In fact, they’ll most likely decide which properties to visit in person based on their visits to websites.

Recent research tells us that approximately 84% of homebuyers start their new home search on the internet. Their goal in this research process is to shop by elimination—to narrow their search down to just three communities that fit their desires and then make an on-site visit. If your website does not effectively tell your story or resonate with the consumer, you will lose this battle before you ever realized it began. Consumers will not contact you to clarify your message—they will simply eliminate you from consideration. So websites must be carefully crafted and include good and fresh content that is relevant to the prospect’s needs.

Stay tuned for the next part of this article for more new home sales insights from real estate e-marketing expert Tom Nelson.

Posted In: Marketing, New Home Sales, New Home Sales Training

Lately, I’ve been asked more and more questions about online marketing and how to budget and best use funds for driving more traffic. While I pride myself on being an expert in new home sales, the world is changing, and Internet marketing is becoming an increasingly critical component of effective outreach. And the guy I turn to when I have questions about Internet marketing is Tom Nelson of NDG Communications.

Many of you will remember Tom from my Sales Manager’s Summit this past June. Tom’s not like most of the other "internet marketing guru" types out there. The difference between those people and Tom is that he will not only tell you WHY you should be doing Internet marketing—Tom will actually tell you HOW, with detailed specifics.

So I’ve asked Tom to become a guest contributor to my blog to share with you the latest insights, fundamental wisdom, and real-world techniques for using the internet to boost your sales and reach your goals. I know that if anybody can help us make sense of the new electronic frontier, and help us all get through this challenging time by working smarter, it will be Tom Nelson.

In the following weeks, Tom will be writing the blog, and giving you the strategies that he, as an industry expert, believes we should all be adapting in order to do our absolute best to attract qualified prospects and beat the competition to the punch.

Tom’s a true innovator, and he’s accessible. His company NDG Communications, Inc., has helped builders, developers, and real estate firms of all sizes and locations maximize their marketing investment to reach and exceed sales goals, even in the most challenged of markets. You can check out NDG’s work at www.NDGCommunications.com.

And I guarantee that if you read everything Tom writes in my blog, and follow his advice, you will see a dramatic change in your traffic—no matter what the DOW or FED is doing!

Keep Selling, Super Achievers!
MYERS

Posted In: Marketing, New Home Sales, New Home Sales Training

In June the attendees of my Sales Manager’s Summit were provided with an exclusive seminar on new trends in interactive marketing given by Tom Nelson, President of NDG Communications, Inc. I know everyone left empowered to achieve more with the insights Tom shared that day.

Now, NDG has just launched a new website that provides fresh and innovative strategies for real estate brokers, new home sales professionals, and residential and commercial developers: www.NDGCommunications.com.

As one of the nation’s most preeminent and award-winning interactive advertising agencies for the real estate industry, NDG Communications has served major players in the building and development industry; they even help yours truly with my own digital outreach.

NDG’s slogan is Our Work Really Works and these guys are truly the experts at helping new home sales professionals use e-marketing to achieve and exceed their goals. You can even register to receive the NDG Podcast that shares new E-marketing techniques. Each new podcast shares real strategies that are creating results in today’s challenging marketplace.

Check NDG out today: www.NDGCommunications.com

Keep Selling, Super Achievers!
Myers

Posted In: Marketing, New Home Sales, Recommended Blogs