Marketing to Your Facebook Network: 10/18/2010
Facebook: Free To Join & Over 500M Users
Leveraging social media is an important part of any marketing campaign. In past posts we've how to start a profile on Linked In. Now we need to talk about Facebook, the most popular of all social media networks, and how to utilize features and applications to help you reach potential leads and get them to visit your website!
Remember- the average Facebook user has at least 150 friends. Every time a user 'Likes' a Fan Page, or comments on one of your posts or photos- it is syndicated to the News Feeds of ALL their friends; FREE Advertising. This kind of exposure is really expensive to buy!
Unleash the power of Social Media Marketing! Become involved with your Fans, and be pleasantly surprised by the results!
Fan Pages vs. Personal Profiles vs. Groups
If you are part of a brokerage firm, the firm may already have a Facebook Fan Page (if they don't, tell them they should!), and you most likely already have a Personal Profile you use to connect with friends and family. But have you created a Fan Page for yourself as a real estate agent?
Using a Fan Page to market yourself on Facebook instead of (or along with) your Personal Profile has a lot of benefits. People cannot tag a Fan Page in a photo, so don't have to worry about clients seeing embarrassing photos of you posted by your family or friends. Potential clients will feel more comfortable 'Liking' a Fan Page than they would 'Becoming a Friend'. It also projects a more professional image than simply using your Personal Profile to network.
Of course you should 'Suggest' your Fan page to all your current friends, and ask them to do the same to increase your fan base!
You can always 'Friend Request' Fans that comment or interact with your Page, or once you've had a real-life interaction with them, or you're comfortable with them, etc. 'Sharing' posts from your Fan Page onto your Personal Page is a great way to encourage others to 'Share' (aka syndicate) your posts as well.
As for Groups- DON'T start a group for your company or yourself. Groups are intended for groups of people who share similar interests to meet and plan events, etc. A good way to utilize Facebook Groups would be to start one for your niche, like a 'Boston Student Apartments' Group, or a 'Boston Luxury Living' Group to try to meet new potential leads. Be creative, and be active.
Creating Your Own Fan Page
Creating a Fan Page is easy! You need to have a Person Profile to become an Administrator of the Fan Page; every Page needs at least 1 Admin.
1. From your 'Home' Page of your Personal Profile, select the 'Ads and Pages' menu below your thumbnail photo.
2. From the 'Pages You Admin' screen, click the '+Create Page' button at the top right corner of the page.
3. Create an 'Official Page' for a 'Local Business', select 'Real Estate' from the drop-down menu, Name your Page, and check the box stating you are the official representative of this business. Then click 'Create Official Page'.
Once you've created a page you can begin by filling out your Information Tab, suggesting your friends and family become Fans by 'Liking' your Page (click the 'Suggest to Friends' link below your Fan Page Profile Image), and uploading Photos!
You Can Also:
Start Conversations on Your Discussions Tab with your Fans (aka Potential Leads) to learn about their needs and wants and answer questions they may have about certain neighborhoods or buildings, etc.
Create and Market Events like Open Houses on your Events Tab, and invite your Fans as well as your friends from your Personal Profile- the best of both worlds!
Create Photo Albums for Featured Properties and add links back to the property listing your website (very important for SEO purposes). Create Photo Albums for Events you host, charity work you do, etc.
Syndicate your Blog to Your Fan Page. Setting up an RSS feed from your blog to your Fan Page is a great way to get people noticing and reading your blog! We recommend using the Networked Blogs application, because it will automatically syndicate to your Wall and your Fans' News Feeds whenever you create a new blog post, and it will also catalog your blog posts on a Blog Tab so fans can easily locate and browse your blog right on your Facebook Page!
Add Property Searches to Your Fan Page. Contact Boston Logic for help with adding a Property Search Tab that is linked to the MLS searches on your new Agent Site, and installing 'Like' buttons on your Agent Site and blog.
Add 'Like' Buttons to Your Website and Blog. This is a little tricky and requires some programming knowledge to install properly. Read our blog about why these new 'Like' Buttons are great for your business and contact us for help getting them installed!
Add Links to Your Profiles to Your Website and Blog. You should also link to your social media profiles from your website and blog so people can easily connect with you more easily. The Sequoia System makes adding a Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn logo in your website footer as easy as filling out a field on a form. Read our Q&A Tuesday blog about Easy SEO on the Sequoia System to learn more.
Build and Maintain Your Network. Make sure to continue to build your connections. Take 15 minutes out of your day to comment on your Fans' and Friends' posts. Join/ create a few groups and participate in online discussions. All of this online activity will help others gain interest in you and your business, as well as increase hits to your website!
More Resources:
If you'd like more information about Fan Pages, you can visit our blog to view a slideshow from a recent LogicClassroom we hosted about Keeping Up with Facebook; how to leveraging Facebook for your business, including more detailed instructions on how to create a Fan Page and the latest changes to the Facebook Privacy Settings for Personal Profiles (to help ensure your clients aren't seeing your private information!)
To learn more about protecting your online presence and social media liabilities, read our blog on Taking the Social Media Plunge.
For some help working through your writer's block, read our blog on Ideas for Real Estate Blogs.
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Posted on October 18, 2010 Filed Under Help, real estate blogging, Real Estate Online Marketing, realtor internet marketing, realtor website marketing, SEO and Social Media, sequoia system | 1 Comment
Real Estate Website Q&A Tuesday: SEO and Sequoia 10/5/2010
For today's installment of Q&A Tuesday, where we discuss Frequently Asked Questions we receive from clients or potential clients regarding our Sequoia real estate website platform, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about website optimization. We are constantly being asked about search engine optimization and how our Sequoia websites can help our clients in their search engine marketing efforts.
Here at Boston Logic, we realize the importance of search engine marketing and optimization for your real estate business. Search engines are the way most people find information and services they want- and if your website is not optimized, it is less likely that potential clients will find you.
Even if you've never heard of Search Engine Optimization, a Sequoia website will make optimizing your web presence easy!
Q: How will switching to a Sequoia website help me with SEO?
A: The Sequoia platform was designed specifically with search engine optimization in mind! Sequoia is a cutting edge website platform that integrates the most advanced real estate website features enabling leading-edge marketing campaigns- and we're constantly improving it! Whenever there is a Sequoia system upgrade, your site is upgraded automatically, so your website will always be using the best technology in the real estate industry.
Q: I don't understand SEO. Will I still be able to benefit from the SEO features of a Sequoia website?
A: Yes! With a Sequoia website, adding important Meta Data (such as Page Titles, Page Descriptions, and Keyword Tags) to your website pages and creating custom URLs (essential elements of a well-optimized page) are as easy as filling out a field on a form! You don't have to be an SEO specialist or know HTML to improve your search engine ranking! Simply fill out the fields provided as you create your pages!
Adding Essential SEO Elements is EASY!
Q: Is there support available if I need help with my SEO?
A: Yes! Your Sequoia website comes with a very informative Users Guide tab you can access from your Admin dashboard. We are constantly adding easy-to-follow demos and step-by-step instructions to the Help Section of this blog, and articles on SEO best practices on our blog at RealEstateSEO1.com.
Here are a few suggested links to help get you started:
Optimize Your Site to Get More Traffic and Leads
Q: I heard that using Social Media could help my SEO; how do Sequoia websites integrate with popular social sites?
A: You heard correctly! Utilizing social media sharing and social media websites are integral parts of any good search engine marketing strategy. We are constantly upgrading our system to keep up with social media trends.
Sequoia websites also give you the ability to add Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn icons to your website's footer that link to your profile pages on these social media sites. Setup is easy! Simply copy and paste the URL of your profile page into the 'Social Media' fields on your 'Configuration' tab from your Admin dashboard, click 'Save' and your icon links appear automatically!
The more ways you give potential clients to connect with you, the better! We can also help you set up MLS and rental property searches on your Facebook Fan Page that connect to the property searches on your website, and help you set up an RSS feed from your blog to your social media profiles!
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Posted on October 5, 2010 Filed Under broker web design, New Features on Our Websites for Realtors, Q & A, Real Estate Agent Website Design, Real Estate Online Marketing, Real Estate Website Design, real estate website designer, realtor internet marketing, Realtor Web Design, realtor website marketing, realty web design, SEO and Social Media, Sequioa Real Estate Website Design, Web Design For Realtors, Websites for real estate offices, websites for realtors | 1 Comment
Q + A Tuesday: Email hosting for your website 9/21/2010
The other day, I added an entire page of Q & A about email hosting:
Here are some other questions and answers you may have:
Q: Does Boston Logic provide email hosting?
A: No, we do not provide email hosting in our realtor website features. We do however recommend Google for your email hosting needs.
Q: But I need email hosting and Google sounds great, but how do I set that up? Can you help?
A: We can help you setup Google email hosting on your domain. We charge $250 to setup an office with fewer than 20 agents and $500 for offices with more than 20 agents. This is a 1 time fee and or support staff has helped 100s of companies setup Google email hosting. They're quite good at it.
Q: Is Google email hosting expensive?
A: No, Google email is, in many cases free! If you want more storage or some other bells and whistles, there is a fee, but it's very reasonable.
Q: Will my email address be @google.com? or @gmail.com?
A: No, your email address will be @youdomain.com. If you already own that domain, we'll just transfer the email hosting to Google but the buyers, sellers, and renters you work with will never know the difference.
Q: If Boston Logic produces great real estate websites and provides amazing online marketing services, like SEO and social media, why not get into the email hosting biz too?
A: Email hosting is VERY different from real estate website design, web hosting, real estate seo, or any of the other stuff we do. Email is, in fact, a commodity. It's not a profitable business unless you have an extremely large number of clients or provide other hosting services too. Also, premium email hosting providers might make money, but real estate brokers and agents usually don't ask for premium (read: expensive) email hosting. So, we stay out of that game.
Sign up now:
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Posted on September 21, 2010 Filed Under Q & A, What's New | Leave a Comment
All About Real Estate Website Blogs Q & A Tuesday #1: 9/7/2010
Today will be the first installment of Q & A Tuesday. We'll be posting common questions about the Sequoia platform here each Tuesday. We get A LOT of questions. We know many of you would like to have the same answers. So, here we go:
Q: Can my website include a blog?
A: Yes, the Sequoia platform offers a blog as an optional component to the system. We HIGHLY recommend signing up for this component. Blogging is very helpful for search engine optimization. Blogging is also a great way to educate your customers and generate leads by positioning yourself and/or your company brand as an authority.
Q: How much does the blog cost?
A: The blog costs just $20/month with your Sequoia site.
Q: What should I write about on the blog?
A: Check out this blog and our real estate seo blog for TONS of ideas on what to blog, how to blog, how often, and lost of other useful information.
Q: Does Boston Logic Provide blog content?
A: Yes! We do provide blog content as part of many of our search engine optimization and social media campaigns. Depending on the size and scope of your campaign, we will produce targeted, keyword rich content for your blog. If you'd like to learn more about this, click here: Search Engine Optimization
Q: What about WordPress?
A: We can either launch your blog using our proprietary blogging software or we can develop your blog on top of the wordpress platform.
Q: What's the difference between the WordPress platform and the blogging component that's part of the Sequoia Real Estate Website platform?
A: The blogging component that is part of the Sequoia real estate website platform is an integrated solution. Agents and brokers have 1 account and 1 place to login in order to blog, manage leads, manage their site, access the intranet, and use all of the other features that the Sequoia system offers. If we launch your blog on the WordPress platform, then you're going to be adding another technology to the mix. We often find that clients do not want to train themselves and/or their team to use 2 different pieces of software. Other clients are comfortable with WordPress already and would prefer to stay with what they already know. So, we offer both.
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Posted on September 7, 2010 Filed Under Q & A, real estate blogging, SEO and Social Media, Sequioa Real Estate Website Design, Websites for real estate offices, websites for realtors | Leave a Comment
Drive more traffic to your real estate website with your Sequoia Blog! 9/2/2010
Why Blog?
Blogging is an important aspect of establishing a web presence for you and your website. Not only does it pump your real estate website design with keyword rich content that allows leads to find you through search engines, but it also helps you establish your brand identity and can color your business with a personal touch.
You'll now be writing for potential clients and people interested in real estate, so think about topics that you think they could find useful, or what you'd like to read about. For real estate SEO purposes, it is also helpful to center most of your blog posts around some of your keywords that you've identified with your real estate website.
Lastly, blogging is about being active. Read other blogs within your industry, have guest bloggers, and comment frequently. You'll be surprised how these things can increase your website traffic, and how you will become part of an online community!
Outlined below are some of the basics of your blog's toolbar. Feel free to experiment and explore other tools and capabilities that your blog has!
If you don't already have a blog integrated with your website, contact us and we can set you up with one for only $20 per month!
1. Log in to your website, this will give you the ability to create, edit and delete blogs.
2. Go to Settings > Bloggers in the backend to add the users you would like to have blogging capability
3. To blog, stay logged into your system and go to your blog (www.yourdomain.com/posts)
4. As a blogger, a link will be available at the top of your blog to "Create Post"
6. In the large white section, you will type your blog text.
7. To insert a link into the text of your post, simply highlight the selected text you'd like the link to be. Next, click the globe with the chain (i.e., "link") icon in the toolbar, and a window will pop up and prompt you to enter the URL for link. You can type this out or copy and paste it.
8. To insert an image, click on the yellow icon with the mountain in the foreground. From here, an "Image Properties" window will pop up.
b. Click "Browse", then select the image you'd like to insert into your blog post.
c. Your image is now uploaded to the server. Locate the file name in the list of images, click it, and hit "Upload".
d. Your image is uploaded into the "Image Properties" window. Click "OK", and your image is now inserted into your blog post!
9. You can also adjust the size of the image by double clicking it, and then clicking on any of the corners (which should have a white square) to drag your image to the desired size.
10. To change the image's alignment, (centering an image is recommended) click the image, then click any of the 3 alignment options on the toolbar.
These are the basics of your blog's toolbar. Feel free to experiment and explore other tools and capabilities that your blog has!
Okay, so you have a blog and are ready to start writing: now what do you write about? Or maybe you have been blogging for a while but now you are stumped? Here are some suggestions to get you started!
· Featured property listings. This is a great way to hand-select and talk more about certain apartments that you have, and potential leads love reading additional info on a listing.
· Attend a real estate conference or networking event and write about your experience
· Write a book review that can provide relevant insight to the real estate industry
· Browse through real estate blogs that you find interesting, and think about how you can take the aspects that you like and make them your own.
You can also visit our real estate SEO blog to read more about real estate blog post suggestions. And browse through real estate blogs that you find interesting, and think about how you can take the aspects that you like and make them your own.
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Posted on September 2, 2010 Filed Under Help, Real Estate Website Design, Realtor Web Design, websites for realtors | 1 Comment
LogicClassroom Announcement: Understanding the “Long Tail” Keywords
We hope you can join us Tues. September 14th at 5:00 pm for our next LogicClassroom (and free webinar) on "Long Tail" Niche Marketing.
You may have heard the Long Tail term in the past as it applies to optimizing your real estate website, but what does it really mean? How has it changed or improved in the years since the concept's introduction in 2008? And is it still a viable theory today?
In September's LogicClassroom, we'll answer these questions and more, as well as give you a quick refresher (or introduction!) course on the basics of optimization and real estate SEO. The internet has changed the way that businesses think about real estate internet marketing, and you should be up to speed. You need to understand The Long Tail, while also being able to achieve a balance with it in your online marketing campaign - and we can help!
You are welcome to attend at the Boston Logic office (view map), or participate through an online webinar. The class begins at 5pm.
To attend, please contact Katrina at 617.266.9166 or by email at ksierant@bostonlogic.com. Please specify whether you will attend the class at our office or online. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Posted on August 26, 2010 Filed Under Boston Logic, Help, LogicClassroom, Online Marketing Classes, Real Estate Internet Marketing, Real Estate Marketing, Real Estate Search Engine Optimization, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Web Design, Real Estate Web Site, Real Estate Website Design, Real Estate Websites, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization Classes, SEO Strategy | 1 Comment
Easy Google Analytics Installation with Sequoia
Google Analytics is a great way to measure the success of your real estate online marketing campaign. You'll have access to a variety of tools that will provide you data on how you can make your website more appealing to potential users. With Sequoia real estate websites, set up is easy!
First Thing's First: Set Up An Account!
Here's how to set up an account with Google Analytics:
Visit the Google Analytics home page and click "Sign Up Now" on the upper right, below the blue Access Analytics button.
Sign Up for Google Analytics using your email, and follow the prompts to get you started.
1) Enter your website, and/or blog, into the "website URL". Name your account.
2) Enter your contact information.
3) Agree to the terms and conditions, and then hit "create new account"
Activating Google Analytics on Your Website
1. Log into your website www.yourcompany.com
2. Select Settings > Configuration
3. Scroll down to Google Setting Options
a. There will be 6 fields you need to fill out
i. Google Webmaster Tools Code
ii. Google Analytics Tracking Code
iii. Google Analytics Login
iv. Google Analytics Password
v. Google Analytics Account
vi. Google Analytics Profile
4. Google Analytics Login and Password are the credentials you use to log into your Google Analytics Account
5. Adding Google Profile
a. On your Google Analytics homepage scroll down to "add website profile" and select
b. Select "add profile for new domain"
i. Your website should appear (if you have more than one website, select website you would like to create a profile for)
c. Enter a profile name
d. Select Create
e. Once your profile has been created, select Edit
i. Copy and Paste the Profile ID into your settings under Google Analytics Profile
6. Google Analytics Account
a. Account Name is located in the orange heading bar at the top of your overview page.
b. Type the name in your Google settings options exactly how it appears on your analytics screen
7. Tracking Code
a. The tracking code can be found next to your profile name in BOLD
8. Retrieving Webmaster Tools Code
a. Go to: http://www.google.com/webmasters/
b. Enter the same Login and Password that you used for Google analytics
c. On the homepage, select "add a site"
i. Enter your website (www.mycompany.com)
ii. Select Continue
d. A code similar to this will appear: <meta name="Google-site-verification" content="tx4q7cUBTzGeK6a5iVyMp8F2IQ8FpvGWK15CfnDk0vo" />
e. Copy ONLY the red text code in the above text
f. Paste text into your Google settings on your website under "Google Webmaster Code"
g. Save your settings in the CMS
h. It may take up to 24 hours for Google to be able to verify your website. Check back to webmaster tools occasionally.
i. You may need to select the Verify Button again
ii. A site is verified when there is a check mark instead of a caution box in the profile of your
9. All of your information has been attached to your website and within the next 24 hours you are able to start using Google Analytics on your site under the REPORTS tab in the backend of your site.
Understanding Google Analytics
Once you have Analytics installed, we recommend tracking your website progress at least once a month, by noting increases or decreases in visits or traffic.
Additionally, if you want to judge effectiveness of your real estate internet marketing campaign strategies, such as website ads or networking events, check in on Google Analytics to see if your traffic has increased after the marketing action / event.
Important things to note:
Once you have your account, you'll notice that Google Analytics provides you with a great deal of data. Click "View Report" to visit your dashboard of your account to view your website date. You can avoid being overwhelmed by information by focusing on these two major areas.
Go to Visitors section on the top left side. This general overview will tell you how many people have visited your website, how much time they are spending on it, and your "Bounce Rate", which occurs when people land on your site accidentally and leave. You want the lowest bounce rate possible
Now visit Traffic Sources. Here, you can see which Referring Sites are giving your site traffic, how many people are coming to you from Search Engines, and what Keywords people are using that is landing them to your website!
Contact us today to see how you can get started with your own real estate website.
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Posted on August 23, 2010 Filed Under Help, Real Estate Online Marketing, realtor internet marketing, Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Modal Windows : Myths, Fears, & Conversions
What's a Modal Window?
You may already be familiar with the Modal Window feature of your Sequoia website for realtors, especially if you attended our LogicClassroom about Maximizing Lead Conversion! We hope you've had your Modal Windows turned on since your site went live!
We have seen our clients' lead capture rates increase significantly time and time again once they utilize this basic, yet crucial feature of their new Sequoia website design for realtors.
A Modal Window functions similarly to a pop-up window in that it is a small dialog box that appears in the center of the screen above the contents of the page the visitor is on. Pop-up windows are easily dismissed or ignored, however, whereas a Modal Window requires the visitor's attention before allowing them to proceed to the rest of the website. Modal Windows will still appear even if the visitor is using a pop-up blocker on their system.
How Modal Windows Work:
On your Sequoia website, the Modal Window (once enabled) will appear when a new visitor uses a property search on your site. The search results will be displayed, but will be elegantly faded out and disabled so that the visitor can only see the list of properties that match their query, but they won't be able to click on any of the properties on the list for more information until they fill out the contact form in your Modal Window.
If the visitor tries to scroll down the page, they can see the extensive list of properties in the background scrolling, but the Modal Window will continue to hover over the disabled results until they fill out the form or hit the 'Back to Search' button.
The ability to see the extensive list of properties behind the window helps assure the visitor that you have the information they are looking for, and that there is a large list of properties matching their criteria to choose from upon submitting their contact information.
Some of clients have expressed concerns about implementing Modal Windows on their site. They are concerned that Modal Windows will drive visitors away from the site entirely and cause them lose quality leads. This could not be further from the truth! We've had clients disable their Modal Windows in hopes of capturing more leads without prompting visitors to fill out their contact information in exchange for listing information, only to have the clients turn the Modal Windows back on within less than a month of testing the site without them!
Modal Windows are becoming more popular for websites across the internet and users are getting used to the requirement to sign up for an account in order to access information on a large variety of websites- everything from social networking sites, to news archives, and even e-commerce websites. Visitors will see that you offer the information they are after with the ability to scroll the results behind the Modal Window, and if they are serious about finding a new home or apartment, will have no issue with filling out your contact form.
Enabling Your Modal Windows:
If you haven't done so already, here is how you enable the Modal Windows on your new Sequoia website:
1. Log into your website, and go to the 'Settings' Tab.
2. Select 'Configuration' from the sub navigation menu on the Settings Tab.
3. Scroll down the Configuration settings panel until your reach the section titled 'Lead Options'.
4. From here, you can simply check the boxes next to where you want to Modal Window to appear.
We suggest enabling the Modal Window for Rental, Sale, and Luxury Developments to get the most leads. To make your Modal Window less intimidating to visitors, you can leave the 'Require Lead Phone Number' option unchecked, so the visitor doesn't have to supply that information, only their name and email.
Now that you can see how easy it is to enable your Modal Window, we hope that you will make use of this great feature to help you capture more leads within your realtor internet marketing campaign!
If you still have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us for support!
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Posted on August 16, 2010 Filed Under broker web design, custom real estate website, Help, New Features on Our Websites for Realtors, Real Estate Agent Website Design, Real Estate Website Design, real estate website designer, realtor internet marketing, Realtor Web Design, realtor website marketing, realty web design, Sequioa Real Estate Website Design, Web Design For Realtors, Websites for real estate offices, websites for realtors | 1 Comment
Control Your Real Estate Website Visitor Access Through Access Levels
Do you have certain forms, pages, or content that you do not want a visitor to your site to be able to view unless they are an employee or have signed up for an account on your website for realtors? If so, you'll want to keep reading to learn how to utilize your real estate website's Access Levels to give you more control over who sees what on your website.
Once you have launched your new real estate website design, you have the ability to choose who can see certain pages on your website, such as an internal agent bulletin board. If you choose to have select pages that a visitor must be signed in to view, you page will not appear on your site until they log into their account, or an account that is created for them.
Remember, if you have questions, you can contact us at any time, or watch the comprehensive demo video on Editing Your Website Settings.
To edit the access levels of your website, follow the simple instructions outlined below!
Edit Your Access Levels
Here is the rundown on how to set access levels for pages within your Sequoia website:
1. Find the page that you would like to set an access level for and select 'Edit'.
2. The next page that will appear is the same page that allows you to edit your content.
a. Scroll down to "Who can see this page."
b. Select Show.
c. All boxes are checked by default, which means everyone is able to view this page.
3. De-select the check-boxes for accounts that you do not to have access to the page you are editing. The two most important accounts to note are Lead and Anonymous User.
Lead Management Tab
a. A Lead is someone who must be signed into their account on your website to view a page.
b. An Anonymous User is anybody that visits your site and does not sign into an account on the website.
4. After you have completed selecting who can and cannot view a certain page, select the 'Create' button if it is a new page, or 'Update' if you are editing a current page.
You page now has an access level associated with it! Just like the pages within your website, you may go back and change your access levels as often as you wish.
Questions? Comments? Interested in integrating this feature in a brand new Sequoia-designed website for realtors?
Contact us today, we'd love t o hear from you!
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Posted on August 9, 2010 Filed Under Help, New Features on Our Websites for Realtors, Real Estate Website Design, Realtor Web Design, Sequioa Real Estate Website Design, Uncategorized, Web Design For Realtors, websites for realtors | Leave a Comment
Create More Potential Leads With Dynamic Forms!
So far, you have optimized and populated your content, created keyword-rich town pages, and now understand the basics of managing your website. We are going to delve a bit deeper into your website, by utilizing a tool that will keep users who land on your website engaged: Boston Logic's Dynamic Forms Tool.
Within your CMS (content management system) you have the ability to create your own forms. This can include anything from collecting basic contact information, requesting an evaluation on a sale or rental, to inquiries of all types. Creating a form is similar to creating a page within your CMS, and you can apply it to anywhere within your website.
Our newest optional feature in real estate website design, Dynamic Forms lets you create customizable forms for your users to fill out. From simple lead capture forms and requests for information to full questionnaires and more, you can build your own forms with checkboxes, radio buttons, required fields, file uploads, calendar selections, and much more!
Don't have the Forms feature enabled on your website? Contact us today to get set up!
To begin creating forms for your site, follow the simple instructions outlined below:
1. Log into the backend of your website using the LOGIN button in the upper right hand corner of your site.
2. Scroll to the CMS Tab and select "Dynamic Forms"
3. Select "Create New Form"
4. Design your form by entering the information you would like to have appear to your site visitors. In the first part, include all instructions on what you would like include in the form.
a. You also have the option to select if you would like the lead capture modal window to appear before they fill out the form which prompts them to sign into your website first.
b. The email address that you include is where all form submissions will be sent to.
5. Don't forget to fill out the second half where you can choose which fields you want to include in your form.
a. You can choose if you would like additional fields to be required.
b. To re-order fields, simply click and drag the arrows next to the filed type titles.
1. Once you have completed your form, Select "Save Changes."
2. After your form has been successfully created you will see a message that states, "The form Request an Evaluation was successfully updated."
Your form will now be active in the dynamic form section! Edits can be made as often as you wish to the form.
To add your form to the front-end of your website complete the following:
1. Under CMS, select "Pages"
2. Select "Create New" on the right hand side above all current pages
3. Enter Name, Path, and Page header: Similar to adding a regular page to the website.
1. Leave Body Content Blank - Scroll Down to "Form" and select the form you would like to add to the page.
1. After you select the correct form, select "Create".
a. The form will now appear as its own page within the pages of the website!
2. A form can either be added to a menu or used as a link within the website.
a. To add a form as a menu item, it is going to be added the same way you add a page to a menu.
i. Go to Menu > Primary Navigation > Create New
ii. Enter Menu Text > Find Form Page > Enter parent if applicable > select Create
iii. The Form will appear as a Menu Item within your Menu Bar
1. To add a Form as a link, select Edit on the Page that it is to be added to.
2. Enter the text associated with the Form (typically the form name, ie. "Request an Evaluation")
3. Select the Insert/Edit Link Tab on right hand side of tool bar
a. In the URL, enter the Form's path name (ie. "request-evaluation")
b. Text will now be hyperlinked to your form.
c. Select update page. Text will now link to Form.
Congratulations!
Users can now fill out your form to gain more information from you, and you now have an increased opportunity to make contact with users and close more sales.
Boston Logic is here to assist you in your real estate website's success. You can also contact Boston Logic's support team at any time for assistance.
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Posted on July 29, 2010 Filed Under Help, New Features on Our Websites for Realtors, Sequioa Real Estate Website Design, Uncategorized, websites for realtors | 1 Comment
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