100 1 Percents

I have a feeling that lots of folks are chasing a non-existent silver bullet. They are performing at a level 'x' and they're looking for the special real estate internet marketing tool or technique or potion that will get them performing at 2x or 3x.

Well, I'm going to tell you something that you may not want to hear. What you're looking for just doesn't exist. If you want to improve your performance, you're going to have to do a lot of little things.

In the end, all of these little improvement, these optimizations, will add up. I like to assume that every improvement I make will increase my effectiveness by 1%. Every time I improve my technique or add a feature or crate a special offer or improve a campaign, I can expect a 1% improvement. So, if I want to double my effectiveness, I need to make 100 improvements. In general, I find this to be a pretty good rule of thumb.

A very successful salesman once said that the secret to his success was that he called people back. Well, you might be thinking, "I call people back." Well, do you really? How quickly do you call them back. How many times do you call them back. Let me give you a few guidelines that I think will each give you a 1% (or probably much greater) chance of improving your sales performance:

• Try to call every lead back within 1 hour. If you don't see the lead for a while, that's ok. maybe you were on a showing or driving or taking a swim. It's ok. Just try to get back to everyone in an hour. if you get back to that home buyer in 2 hours, don't hate yourself.
• If you don't get them on the first call, call again the following day.
• If you don't get in touch with the lead after 2 calls, call again.
• Call back 5 times, once per day, over 5 or 7 business days. Watch how many more of your leads you'll actually have a conversation with!
• Use a real lead management package - of course we recommend LogicLeads, but I'm not selling here - enter each lead into the system. Enter each planned follow-up into the system and catalog your showings, emails and call, even if all you did was leave a voicemail.

OK, if you're reading this and thinking," I already have a system like this and I execute it every time." Good for you! I bet you're also a pretty good producer. There's always room for improvement, but I think you can focus your 1%'s on other aspects real estate marketing, like blogging or newsletter writing.

But, if you're reading this and saying, "I know. I really should be better at following up with my leads and contacts." Well, it's time to make some small changes. Those 1% improvements really add up.

OH - I almost forgot.

I was reading Matt Cutt's post about Google factoring in load speed into their search algorithm. I should mention that I was reading High Rankings Advisor and found the link to the post by Matt. At any rate, Matt mentioned that fewer than 1% of sites would see a change in their ranking in the search engine results are a result of Google including load time in their 200 or so factors which determine search engine placement. Now you know where I came up with the title of this blog post!

by David

Posted on August 31, 2010 Filed Under Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Search Engine Optimization, Real Estate lead generation, leads, real estate | Leave a 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!

by Ashley

Posted on August 26, 2010 Filed Under LogicClassroom, Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Search Engine Optimization, Real Estate Website, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Strategy, real estate, real estate internet marketing | Leave a Comment

LogicClassroom: Bounce Rate Slide Presentation

by Ashley

Posted on August 12, 2010 Filed Under LogicClassroom, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Website, Uncategorized, Webinar, real estate | Leave a Comment

Next LogicClassroom Announcement: Befuddled By Your Bounce Rate?

We hope you can join us Tues. August 10th at 5:00 pm for our LogicClassroom on Understanding your Website's Bounce Rate.

You've been receiving your Monthly SEO Reports from Boston Logic (if you're signed up with us for one of our SEO / Social Media campaigns), or have been dutifully checking your Google Analytics for your real estate website each month. You may have noticed your website's "Bounce Rate", but do you know what a bounce rate is, or what it can mean to your marketing efforts?

In this LogicClassroom, we'll discuss what a Bounce Rate is, and what it can tell you about your
website. We'll discuss what you can do to decrease your  website's bounce rate, and how to encourage users to become more interactive with your real estate website. We'll also help you to understand what an ideal bounce rate should be for your website's market. We will cover real estate SEO techniques you can use to tweak your website to attract more relevant search results so that users can browse your site for exactly what they are looking for more easily. The longer you can retain a user, the more likely they are to contact you for your services!

You are welcome to attend at the Boston Logic office (view map), or participate through an online webinar. The class begins at 5pm on August 10th, 2010.

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!

by Ashley

Posted on July 29, 2010 Filed Under Help, LogicClassroom, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Website, Strategy, Webinar, leads | Leave a Comment

What Makes Real Estate Companies Grow

When you get to the bottom of it all, real estate companies can grow one of two ways.

First, they can raise their head count. If we assume an average number of deals/agents - then the more real estate agents on your roster, the more real estate sales your real estate company will be a part of and the more commissions the company will receive. You can raise your head count by hiring more real estate agents or by buying other real estate companies. Sounds simple enough. Revenue is pegged to headcount.

Alternatively, a company can work to make ALL of their agents more effective. Remember that average number of deals per agent. Well, let's assume that the company doesn't want to hire more agents, just have their agents do more deals. The goal would be to raise that average. If your agents are doing 10 deals/year, on average, and you raise the average to 12, all else being equal, the office will make more money. By the way, so will the agents!

This somewhat assumes that the office is working on a classic split model - or does it?

Let me propose something radical. The best way to hire more agents is to have successful agents at your office. If your company has a reputation of making agents successful, then agents will want to work for you! Then it doesn't matter if you're on a desk fee model or a split.

Broker/owners, just imagine - instead of having 25 agents who do $50MM in transactions/year. You only have 10 - and they do the same sales volume! Sounds easier to manage, doesn't it. Or even better. Imaging you had 25 agents, 10 of them did $50MM and get a better split, the other 15 do another $50MM. You win either way.

So, how do you get your agents to produce more. Well, this isn't rocket science. First, they need leads. They need buyers and sellers reaching out to them. The office needs to be noticed. You have to stand out from the other guys in town. Next, you need to give your agents the tools they need to close deals with those leads. I'm talking about lead management, I'm talking about online marketing, I'm talking about social media and a great real estate website to serve as the foundation for it all.

If all you do is work on hiring agents and you don't give them the tools to succeed, they will come and go. They will under perform. Agents thirst for support, they want leads, and they want a company that gives them both. Real Estate agents will stand by a company that helps them succeed. If the agent was making $50,000/year at their last company and is making $60,000/year at your company, they're likely to stick around.

Also, the agents in town will take notice. They'll see your brand and your agents involved in lots of sales, on dozens and hundreds of yard signs. The agents will want to work for your company because you have the best website and your site has the best search engine placement.

Our clients see it all the time. Agents today want to work with a company that gives them what they need. They want a brokerage that provides leads and promotes their services.

The result is simple. The broker wins, the agents win, everybody wins.

by David

Posted on July 21, 2010 Filed Under Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Software, Real Estate Web Design, Real Estate Website, Real Estate Website Design, Real Estate lead generation, Strategy, Wordpress, agent recruiting, lead generation, leads, real estate, real estate internet marketing | Leave a Comment

Real Estate Web Design

Boston Logic's offering of real estate web design pairs high quality websites for realtors with ease of use. Our leading real estate software, the ONE System, is now a more affordable, available for rapid deployment, and reflect the cutting edge work of the top designers we have working here at Boston Logic.

So...why Upgrade Your Website?

Efficiency. Not only will you improve the image of your website with custom real estate website design features and templates, but you will also save time with our easy and efficient lead management system. And more efficiency for you means closing more deals!

Quick Turnaround. Our ONE System real estate software behind each real estate website allows you to simply chose a theme or template, and your website can be live in just 24 hours!

Customizable. Because Boston Logic specializes in  real estate website design, each website theme is designed to offer a unique aesthetic. Whether your real estate office desires a website with a classic layout or a sleek, modern style, we have just the theme for you. Additionally, we offer all-encompassing themes of the real estate market: so whether you specialize in rentals or sales, small towns or cities, traditional or contemporary, we can match your business style with a theme that reflects you.

Access to Countless Features. Purchase of a high quality, functional, and aesthetically pleasing website also includes access to countless real estate website features innovated by our development team. Among the standard and optional feature upgrades available, Boston Logic websites are  SEO Ready, Google Analytics installed, Mapped IDX Search, Blog, Live Chat, Neighborhood Profiles and much more! A few more additional standard features that are included with your real estate web site are mortgage calculators, saved searches, virtual tours, ConstantContact integration, and college search. Still not enough? We also have optional upgrades like Yelp! neighborhood info, Development profiles,  Zillow property valuation, and Dynamic Forms. (Find a complete list of features and read more about optional upgrades at our Sequoia brand's website here).

So what are you waiting for?  Take a step in the right direction towards a new and improved real estate internet marketing campaign today!

Contact us to get started!

617.266.9166

by Ashley

Posted on July 20, 2010 Filed Under Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Software, Real Estate Web Design, Real Estate Website, Real Estate Website Design, Real Estate lead generation, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Strategy, real estate, real estate internet marketing | Leave a Comment

Logic Classroom from 6.8.10: Keeping Up with Facebook

Thank you to everyone who attended our last Logic Classroom on June 8th.

We discussed Facebook Fan Pages; what they are, why they're good for business, how to create one, and how to get people to 'Like' your page (aka 'Become a Fan').  We covered the brand new changes to Facebook Privacy Settings (yes, they changed AGAIN); how create 'Friend Lists' to categories the types of people you associate with on Facebook (friends, family, clients, etc.) and how to completely customize who sees what on your profile utilizing these lists.  Once your employees view this slideshow, they will know how to protect their privacy and be more willing to 'Like' the company Fan Page and interact with it.  This presentation was designed with businesses in mind, but is valuable to anyone with a Facebook profile!

If you weren't able to attend the Logic Classroom, you can view the presentation below!

We host a new LogicClassroom on the second Tuesday of every month.  Our next LogicClassroom will be on May 11th. Please email Katrina if you would like to attend or sign up for our Newsletter at the lower right-hand corner of our home page to receive reminders and information about the next LogicClassroom.

by Angela

Posted on June 9, 2010 Filed Under Facebook, Help, LogicClassroom, Personal Branding, Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Software, Real Estate Web Design, Real Estate Website, Real Estate Website Design, Real Estate lead generation, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Strategy, real estate, real estate internet marketing, social media | Leave a Comment

Tri State Realty Group launches new site on Boston Logic’s Sequoia Platform!

Tri State Realty Group had Boston Logic design a custom Sequoia platform site for their new web presence - adding a unique look and feel as well a few great new optional features we've created.

Adding to the already robust rental property search functionality built into the Sequoia platform, Tri State Realty Group opted to employ a customized graphical search map. This feature allows users to click on the areas of the map they wish to search, select a few quick parameters and get fast, accurate search results tailored to their specific needs. The tool can be customized to suit any desired range of locations and themed to match the style of your site.

In addition, Tri State added an MBTA Search tool to their rental property search roster. This tool, which can be added to any Sequoia site that already uses our Neighborhood Pages feature, allows users to search for rentals near any major MBTA line with one click. This tool can be readily deployed for any site that already utilizes Neighborhood Pages, adding to the already significant boost in search engine rankings the Neighborhood Pages component provides.

Tri State Realty Group specializes in residential sales and rentals in the Boston area.

by Ashley

Posted on April 18, 2010 Filed Under New Website Launches, Personal Branding, Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Software, Real Estate Website, Real Estate Website Design, Real Estate lead generation, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Sequoia Real Estate Solutions, Strategy, What's New, real estate, real estate internet marketing, social media | Leave a Comment

Platform User Guide Added!

All Sequoia sites now feature a comprehensive guide to using the system.

You may have noticed a new tab on the dashboard of your Sequoia site. We've added a thorough, written user guide that will walk you through all of the major functions you need to know.

Have a question about how to do something with your site? Look here first! We're constantly updating the guide as we add new features, and soon the guide will feature visual aids as well as the step-by-step instructions

by Katrina

Posted on April 16, 2010 Filed Under Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Software, Real Estate Website, Real Estate Website Design, Real Estate lead generation, Sequoia Real Estate Solutions, Strategy, What's New, real estate, real estate internet marketing, social media | Leave a Comment

Logic Classroom 4.13.10: Maximizing Lead Conversion

Thank you to everyone who came to our latest LogicClassroom session on Maximizing Lead Conversion!

We learned about the importance of the consistency of the user experience from when they begin their online search to when then land on your website, and various ways to KEEP them on your site.  We also talked about  lead capture and management as well as how to leverage social media, email, and other marketing techniques to help convert your leads into clients.

Don't worry if you missed this LogicClassroom session, you can view the slides below at your convenience. Enjoy!

We host a new LogicClassroom on the second Tuesday of every month.  Our next LogicClassroom will be on May 11th. Please email Katrina if you would like to attend or sign up for our Newsletter at the lower right-hand corner of our home page to receive reminders and information about the next LogicClassroom.

by Angela

Posted on April 15, 2010 Filed Under Email Marketing, LogicClassroom, Real Esate Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Real Estate Software, Real Estate Web Design, Real Estate Website, Real Estate Website Design, Real Estate lead generation, Strategy, lead generation, leads, real estate, real estate internet marketing, social media | Leave a Comment