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2011

1) Property Details Pages Redesign. We’ve completely redesigned our property details pages – the new look is thoroughly modern and sophisticated, and shows off all of the great new tools available to users of the Sequoia system. Among the many upgrades, any attributes for a listing which are left blank in the MLS description are now hidden, so users only see actual, useful information. We’re now using a unified map tool to display not only search results and property details, but also useful data from our Yelp, Education.com, and Walkscore tools as well.

We’ve also added tools to every listing detail that let you share it on either Facebook or Twitter, and we’ve hidden the Schedule a Showing tool for properties with inactive statuses. In addition, property addresses on listing details now include the unit number by default (if the listing is one) to boost the page’s real estate SEO potential!

2) Type-Ahead Search Technology in Sequoia Back-End. On the back end of your Sequoia site, you now have access to the same type-ahead search technology we recently introduced for locations – only now we’ve added this for lead names as well! Rather than scroll through your long list of leads, you can now select leads for actions like messages, tasks, and events by simply starting to type their name and selecting it from the list of suggestions. This not only makes your life easier, but also makes any pages that used to have these drop-down lists on them load much faster.

Also, our tracking of lead’s Last Active dates now rely on a much broader set of criteria in order to give you as much intelligence as possible on your users. Now this date is updated whenever a lead performs almost any action, regardless of whether they are working with sales or rentals listings. This date also now only tracks activity initiated by leads themselves – agents updating lead info no longer gets tracked for these stats.

Get access to these features and more when you sign up for a real estate website from Sequoia: you will also receive automatic site upgrades and additional features whenever we roll them out.

Contact Boston Logic today to get started!

New Site Launch and New MLS Service Integrated!

RE/MAX By The Bay needed more than just another website. The leader in sales in their market, their online presence was in need of an update - and rather than simply keep pace with their competitors, they opted to take their real estate website to the next level with a custom design theme for the Sequoia platform!

RE/MAX By The Bay had been through several Web vendors with varying degrees of success, and knew that they needed to work with the best firm in the business in order to get the results they needed. Boston Logic, the clear leader in real estate software and online marketing for the real estate industry, was a natural choice. Working through several rounds of revision, we created a fully customized look and feel for their new website, www.homesinmaine.com.

With easy-to-use navigation and a fresh, clean look, RE/MAX By The Bay's new website is a perfect representation of the new direction of their online presence. In addition, the Sequoia platform offers their agents and brokers more functionality than ever before, simplifying the process of lead management and customer acquisition so that agents can focus on doing their jobs more effectively.

Creating a custom design theme for your real estate website truly lets you stand out among your competitors. Since RE/MAX By The Bay is already at the top of their market, their website needed to reflect this level of commitment to their clients and true competitive edge. A custom design theme on the Sequoia platform gave them all of that and more.

In order to serve RE/MAX By The Bay and other Maine real estate firms, we've recently integrated MREIS, the Maine multiple listing service, with the Sequoia platform. From the southern shores of Rhode Island all the way up to Canada, we've got you covered - serving every major MLS in between!

Another Boston Logic innovation allows RE/MAX By The Bay agents to maintain their own unique and functional websites, previously impossible due to an MREIS rule. We've built a custom search code generator for the Sequoia platform which lets each agent create their own search tool for use on their personal website. This lets individual agents unlock the power of their personal brand on the Web, marketing their exclusive listings as well as giving their customers the power to search for their new home as they see fit.

RE/MAX By The Bay is Maine's top producing real estate brokerage by sales volume. Founded in 1995, they have consistently ranked at the top of all Real Estate companies servicing the Portland Board of Realtors service area.

Contact a member of the Boston Logic sales team today at 617-266-9166 to learn more about how you can invest in the most cutting edge real estate website technology on the market today!

New Site Launch: Cabot & Company

Cabot & Company has been a Boston Logic client for several years. In search of more quality leads and better lead management and CRM tools, Cabot & Company upgraded to the Sequoia platform. Cabot chose to keep their existing design theme, but take the power of their web presence to the next level!

Cabot & Company wanted to give their agents the best tools in the business, as well as maximize their search engine ranking potential. With an existing design theme by Boston Logic, Cabot & Company chose a Mimic Theme for the Sequoia platform - letting them keep their unique look and feel while upgrading all of the functionality "under the hood" of their website.

Cabot and Company New Site Launch!

Choosing a mimic theme allows you to keep your existing design while upgrading the functional aspects of your website, as well as the potential for higher search engine rankings. This is a great option for anyone who wants to preserve their look and feel, while generating more leads on the web and working with the best tools in the industry!

Moving to Sequoia gives Cabot access to vastly more powerful tools, such as our recently launched CRM functionality, Sequoia's new lead management system, our easy-to-use LogicCMS, our proprietary content management system, which now features sidebar menus and HTML widgets, and of course the huge Search Engine Optimization potential built into every feature of the platform. Our sites are designed not just to help you manage your leads and workflow, but to get you more leads in the first place!

Contact the Boston Logic sales team today at 617-266-9166 to learn more about the Sequoia platform and our various design options.

Cabot & Company represents residential buyers and renters in Boston's premiere Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods and beyond.

New Sequoia Site Features: 2/28/2011

1) Rentals Search Code Generator Tool. Based on the success of our sales search code generator tool, we’ve built a companion piece for rentals searches. Any broker or agent can now generate a search form code from their My Profile page on the back end of their Sequoia site. Pasting these codes onto an outside site creates a search form, for either sales or rentals, which returns users to their Sequoia site to see the results of their search. Best of all, those leads get captured and assigned directly to the agent that generated the code!

2) Waterfront or Beachfront Town Pages. Real Estate Town pages can now feature Waterfront or Beachfront listings only thanks to checkboxes we’ve incorporated into the setup forms for these pages. Want to show off only your high-end properties right on the beach? Now your users can see these with one click once you’ve set up a corresponding Town Page!

3) Searching and Viewing Search Results Features. We’ve added a number of helpful features for searching and viewing search results. Companies can now choose whether their listings are sorted by price in either ascending or descending order – and this applies to search results, Town Pages, AND real estate Developments property profiles lists! Also, we’ve added a Bank Owned Only option to all advanced search forms – if you’re looking for a great deal, this can be a perfect way to start your search!

4) Email Updates. Daily Email Updates now feature up to fifty relevant listings in order to show your clients as many possible new homes as possible. In addition, both you and your leads can now view the results of these searches at any time right on your Sequoia site! Brokers and agents can see these searches on leads’ profiles on the back end of their Sequoia sites, and leads can visit their My Account pages to do the same. Viewing these searches shows all properties that meet the set criteria at the time the search is performed.

Keep checking back for more features for your Sequoia real estate website platform!

Not up to the latest real estate web design and real estate online marketing technology? Contact Boston Logic today to get started on your new real estate website design!

New Sequoia Site Feature Launches: 2/21/2011

1) Added MailChimp Account Service. We’ve added settings to pass your leads into another useful email marketing service – MailChimp. Just like the settings for iContact and Constant Contact, all you need to do is enter your account settings in order to start getting new leads in your MailChimp lists anytime they sign up for emails from your company on your Sequoia site. Please contact us for details on how to set this great new feature up!

2) CMS Format / Character Validation. CMS pages have been the beneficiary great new upgrade aimed at improving both the ease of creating pages and the SEO potential of the page itself. We’ve now instituted proper format and character validation for URL paths – only valid paths beginning with a ‘/’ and containing proper characters are allowed. This helps to make creating new pages easier, and also boosts SEO by disallowing characters that can hinder your rankings.

3) Display your Logo in your real estate website's footer. We’ve added a new option for showing a footer logo – if you want to display the logo you show in your header at the bottom of every page, or want to show a different logo (great for agent sites that need to display their brokerage’s logo but want to personalize their site further) you can now do so with ease. Just upload the logo to your Sequoia site’s Settings section and the logo will appear in the footer of every page of your realtor web design site!

4) New MLS Integration: MREIS and MRIS. We’ve recently integrated two new MLS services with the Sequoia platform! We’re now serving all of Maine with the integration of MREIS, and thanks to integrating MRIS, one of the nation’s largest MLS service providers, we are now also covering Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. in our property web design services! We’re excited to welcome new clients in these areas and look forward to continued growth into new markets!

A "Guarantee" that's Worth it's Weight in Dirt

I'm honestly astounded.

I know that we offer high quality products and services for the real estate vertical and I'm proud to say we're firmly the very best, but I'm astonished at just how low some of our "competitors" set the bar.

" We guarantee 60 visitors within the first two calendar months or it's free! "

This is the "guarantee" that z57 has right on their home page! I'd be embarrassed to put this sentence on this site or on BostonLogic.com. Down right embarrassed!

If you're reading this and you're a real estate website beginner, I'll explain in the next paragraph. If you're an educated web marketer or, really, have spent any time looking at online marketing traffic reports, you've probably already concluded just how poor z57's sites must be.

For the novices out there - nothing to be ashamed of - here's a reality check:

A website that sees just 1 visit/day is almost useless! Most of the real estate websites we launch start seeing 5 or 10 times this traffic within days.

Like selling a car and saying it will run 5 miles

Would You Trust This Guy?

z57 is, in effect, guaranteeing that they'll provide next to nothing. This is like selling a car and guaranteeing that it'll drive 5 miles. No thank you.

Here's what really gets my goat; These folks are praying on the lack of education that most of their potential customers possess. I think that's just plain dishonest. I couldn't do it and I don't think anyone who has ever worked at Boston Logic would ever stoop to this level.

Instead, we have 3 blogs working to educate our current and potential clients. We hold a free LogicClassroom every month. AND we'll honestly answer any question you might have and base those answers on web best practices.

If this blog post reads like a rant, well, it is. I hope it was illuminating, if not entertaining.

Creating Your First Sequoia Blog Post

The directions below are to assist you in creating your first blog post in a standard Sequoia Blog. If you chose to upgrade to a WordPress blog, you should refer to the Creating Your First WordPress Blog directions instead.

To create a Blog Post on your Sequoia website, you must first log into your new Sequoia website as a user that has been designated as a Blogger. If you are not a Blogger but would like to be, contact your office administrator to add you as a Blogger, or contact Boston Logic for support.

Once you log into the website as a Blogger, you will automatically be directed to the back end of the website, as usual.

Sample Sequoia 'Back End' Dashboard

However, to access the Sequoia blog, you will need return to the front end of the website. There will be a Home or Homepage link somewhere on the back end, usually either at the bottom or the top of the page. It will look similar to the image below:

Click the 'Home' Button to Return to the 'Front End' of the Website

When you return to the front end of the website, enter the blog like a reader would by clicking on the ‘Blog’ button from the Top Navigation Bar.

How to Create and Edit a Sequoia Blog Post

Click the 'Blog' Button on the Home Page to Visit the Blog

After you have clicked ‘Blog’, you will be brought to the main landing page of the blog that contains all the Published blog posts in chronological order. (If this is the first blog post, you won't see any posts listed yet).

At the top of the page, you will see a small orange icon and links to your Blog’s RSS and ATOM Feeds, which allows people to subscribe to your blog and receive notices when new posts are published.

Your Sequoia Blog’s RSS and ATOM Feeds

Below this Blog RSS Feed | ATOM Feed links, there will be a text link that says ‘Create Post.’ You will only be able to see this if you are logged in as a blogger for the website.

Click 'Create Post' to Start a New Blog

Once you click on ‘Create Post’ you will be brought back to the edit screen of the blog, which looks a lot like the back end of your Sequoia website. You will be able to add and edit your blog posts from this edit screen.

When you enter your blog Title, it will automatically generate a URL Permalink in the field directly below it.

Please Note: Until you are completely finished composing and editing your post, do not check the “Published” box found right below the Permalink field, or readers will see your blog before you want them to.

Enter and edit the body text of your blog post in the large space provided. Insert images and adjust formatting using the toolbar above the writing space. The buttons function much like the buttons in Microsoft Word. If you're not sure what a button does, hover your mouse over it and a description of the function will appear.

Insert Images & Format Your Blog Using the Toolbar

Be sure to add Categories that relate to your post; these can be found right below the blank space for your text. After a Category is created, it will be saved and available for future blog posts. It is important to categorize your blogs to help users more easily find topics that they would like to read about.

Once you have finished adding your Title, writing your blog, and tagging it with Categories, click the ‘Create Post’ button to preview your blog.

You can click the ‘Edit Post’ link at the bottom of the preview to make more edits to your blog post, or to return to the previous edit screen and check the ‘Publish’ box to post the blog 'live' if you have no further changes.

Edit Your Sequoia Blog Post by Clicking 'Edit Post' from the Preview Screen

Edit Your Blog Post by Clicking 'Edit Post' from the Preview Screen

Once you are happy with your blog, you can check off the 'Published' box. Be sure that you click the 'Update Post' button or the blog will still only be saved as a Draft.

Now you're blog is posted and viewable by your audience!

Learn the New Sequoia CRM! Sign up for 1/11 LogicClassroom NOW!

Boston Logic will be teaching an in-depth LogicClassroom on the recent upgrades to the LogicLeads component of our Sequoia Real Estate Web Sites.

Join us to learn how to utilize the new features and CRM functionality of LogicLeads to help you convert leads into deals! The LogicLeads system is the most effective way to stay organized, manage your time, and monitor your pipeline- and we've just made it more powerful and even easier to use!

We'll be discussing the new components of the CRM, launched just a few weeks ago - including Task Creation and Management, Lead Management, Event Creation, and more in this 30-minute class.

We recommend any clients currently using the Sequoia system attend this LogicClassroom on Tuesday, January 11th at 5pm.

Don't have a Sequoia real estate website by Boston Logic? This class is your chance to see how easy the Sequoia Dashboard is to navigate and to see a live demo of an exciting component of the software and all of its capabilities!

This LogicClassroom is a great opportunity to learn how to make the most out of your Sequoia website, to more effectively captures and manage leads. Don't miss out, sign up today!

You are welcome to attend at the Boston Logic Office (view map) or participate through an online webinar. The class begins at 5pm on January 11th. Don't be late!

To register for the event, please contact Angela at 617.266.9166 or by email at adavis@bostonlogic.com. Please specify whether you will attend the class at our office or online.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Feature Development Profiles on your Real Estate Website for More Leads & to Gain SEO Ranking! 1/4/2011

Development Profile Pages: Great for SEO!

Today, realtors know that new construction fetches a higher sale value. That's why so many of our clients want to feature condo developments, subdivisions, and high rise buildings on their site. So Boston Logic has developed a software component to help agents do just that!

Development profiles allow you to create attractive pages on your site packed with details on developments in your real estate market. Our software then populates these pages with the data that you've entered and we supplement with listings within the development pulled from your MLS.

Add the developments component for only $25/month, or for $250 per year!

Already have development pages on your real estate web site? Great! Follow the steps below to utilize this great feature on your real estate website design for both your leads, and for your SEO ranking in your real estate website marketing campaign!

Adding Development Profiles To Your Real Estate Website

1. Click the "Developments" sub item under the CMS tab
2. Click "Addresses" to the right of the development's name in the list
3. Click "Create New" in the top right of the address editing view
4. Enter address info and click "Create"

You can enter as many addresses as you like for the development; the more addresses you enter, the more search results will be generated by MLS. For example, you can enter "Tremont Street", "Tremont St.", "Tremont St", etc.

Addresses can be edited or deleted at any time by clicking on "Addresses" next to the development's name on the list and then clicking either "Edit" or "Delete".

To add pictures to a Development:

Click CMS - then Developments - then Pictures

1. Click the "Development" sub item under the CMS tab

2. Click "Pictures" next to the appropriate development's name on the list

3. Click "Create New" on the top right corner of the Pictures view

4. Click "Browse" to find the image on your hard drive

5. Enter a description for the image, if desired

6. Click "Create" to add the image to your development's page

To add Floor Plans or Listing Sheets to a Development:

CMS - Developments - Floor Plan

1. Click the "Developments" sub item under the CMS tab
2. Click either "Floor Plans" or "Listing Sheets" next to the appropriate developments' name on the list
3. Click "Create New" on the top right corner of the view
4. Title the document if desired, and click "Browse" to find the file on your hard drive (NOTE: These files must be in PDF format)
5. Click "Create" to add the document to your Development's page.

Questions? Contact us!

Improve Your Website's Presence with Online Directory Listings! 11/18/2010

The Importance of Online Directories

The goal of directory submission is to increase your real estate website's online presence, and thus, your sales. Links play a major role in determining your ranking position on Search Engines.

Obtaining inbound links in quantity and quality can immensely influence your search engine rankings. One simple way to obtain inbound links is to submit your link to directories. Online directories exist for the sole purpose of providing links to web users to various sites categorized under relevant topics. Directory submissions are an important part of a great real estate online marketing and website optimization strategy. Read more to understand how directories work, and to get started with your site submissions through Google Places and Yelp!

Why Submit To Online Directories?

Inbound Linking. Directories are a great way to accumulate valuable inbound links, build credibility for your company by increasing your online presence, and boost your real estate website design's visibility.

Increase Search Engine Ranking. Search Engines consistently consume information on these directories because the directory links are already established and considered a reliable source of information.

Increased Traffic. Major web directories are well ranked on search engines, so they attract lots of traffic on search engine results pages. Many users also go directly to these directories rather than search engines because it is easier to locate specific businesses due to all businesses being listed under appropriate categories.

Relevant Traffic. You will get highly relevant traffic, as users click on your business under the appropriate category or sub-category are actively seeking your products or services.

Get Started: Free Listings with Google Places and Yelp!

Google Places

Each business listing on Google is in fact a giant 'cluster' of information that Google gets from a few different places: Yellow Pages, for example, as well as other third-party providers.

However, the basic information that you submi t through Google Places is the information that Google trusts the most. This means that it will appear instead of any basic information that Google receives from anywhere else.

To make sure the basic information you submit is accurate, Google will ask you to verify it first by entering a PIN that will be sent to either your business address or phone number when you sign up.

You can add other information to your listing too, including a description of your business, as well as photos, client reviews, or information about hours and parking costs. All of this information will also appear above similar information from other providers. Click here for more information on how to sign up for and enhance your Google Places Listing.

Yelp!

Yelp allows consumers to share the experiences they've had with local businesses and lets business owners share information about their business with their customers. Simply put, it's word of mouth-- amplified. Boston Logic also wrote a great Yelp! blog post on how Yelp works and it's benefits, so make sure to check it out!

Some Stats and Features: Over 38 million people visited Yelp in August 2010 to make spending decisions. To help business owners get the most out of their online presence, Yelp offers a suite of FREE tools for business owners.

Communicate with your customers-- privately and publicly
Track how many people view your business page
Add photos, a detailed business description, up-to-date information, history, and specialties
Announce special offers and upcoming events
Recommend other businesses

Click here to Join the conversation about your business with your Free Yelp listing. Click here to Join the conversation about your business with your Free Yelp listing.

Your Turn: Do Your Homework!

Specific directories target only those websites based on a particular subject or field. No matter what your real estate business is, odds are that directories will be available that cater specifically to it. There are also regional directories available which may be highly useful if your online business targets a local audience.

You can submit to some directories for free while others charge a listing fee. Look for directories relevant to your website and industry and submit to them.

Good Luck!

New Sequoia Features: 4/15/2011

Related Links:

New Site Launch and New MLS Service Integrated!

Related Links:

New Site Launch: Cabot & Company

Related Links:

New Sequoia Site Features: 2/28/2011

Related Links:

New Sequoia Site Feature Launches: 2/21/2011

Related Links:

A "Guarantee" that's Worth it's Weight in Dirt

Related Links:

Creating Your First Sequoia Blog Post

Related Links:

Learn the New Sequoia CRM! Sign up for 1/11 LogicClassroom NOW!

Related Links:

Feature Development Profiles on your Real Estate Website for More Leads & to Gain SEO Ranking! 1/4/2011

Related Links:

Improve Your Website's Presence with Online Directory Listings! 11/18/2010

Related Links:

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