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