Tips for a Jamaica Real Estate Website that Works!
4:31 AM Posted by Stephanie Treasure
But how is your website working for you? Does it bring in leads, inquiries? If it is working, it very well should be! If not, here are some tips for an effective Jamaica Real Estate Website
1) Make sure your contact information is accessible and clear This can cleverly be displayed on every page of the website or via a Contact Link on your site navigation bar. Offer your web visitors multiple ways to get in touch, such as phone/fax numbers, email address and a contact form. In keeping with the social media trend, your contact page should also alert the web visitor to your Facebook Page or Group, Twitter profile and/or Corporate Blog.
2) Property Search Engine You need to have a property search engine, visible from the home page or if possible from every page of the website. The search engine should have a segmenting function according to your listings. For example, an opportunity to search via Parish, Property Type, Price range, etc. This makes things easy and user-friendly for your web visitor who usually does not want to sort through all your property listings to find something that fits their criteria.
3) Use Pictures A picture says a thousand words. In the real estate business, property photos are essential. When you have a website, you need to use up the real estate (no pun intended) and include as many photos as possible. This is the platform under which the Jamaica Real Estate Guide was developed. People want to be able to see property listings in full colour pictorials.
4) Mailing List Signup Form I have noticed that many Jamaica Real Estate websites do not have a signup form to collect names for their database. This is an important, low-cost element in the agency marketing mix. An email list of persons who have made inquiries about properties, requested for alerts of new property listings or just asked for general information – is so valuable. This ready database can be marketed to over and over again. You can keep them abreast of new listings, photo opportunities or press coverage; ask for testimonials, leads and more.
5) Search Engine Optimized You may have heard this term before or its acronym “SEO”. When people are searching on the Internet for information about Jamaica Real Estate, they usually start with a popular search engine, like Google. Next they will use keywords or search terms like ‘Jamaica Real Estate’, ‘Buy a house in Jamaica’ or ‘Jamaica Properties for Sale’ to find what they are looking for. Now, here’s a quick test. Go to Google.com and type one of those search terms in the search box, then click search. Do you see your company website in the first page (top 10) results? Second page? Fifth page? If not, then your page is not search engine optimized for the most popular search terms people use to find Jamaica Real Estate. Studies have shown that most people do not go past page 2 of the search results to find information.
Some web design firms consult with SEO experts or Marketing consultants to help with optimizing their clients’ website. Check with your website designer to get your website optimized or you can consult with Butterfly Publications, publisher of the Jamaica Real Estate Guide magazine and website. You will notice that www.jarealestateguide.com is in the top 10 results for all the above mentioned search terms.
6) Update often Keep your website updated and fresh. Ask your website designer to install a Content Management System so that key persons in your firm can update the website when necessary. The Content Management System needs to be user-friendly and preferably managed only by the appointed persons in your firm for consistency and uniformity.
These are just a few tips to get your website working for you as a valuable marketing tool and provide a perpetual return on investment. For a free consultation or more information about any of the tips mentioned above, please contact us here. Also, take a look at some of the marketing services offered by Butterfly Publications, click here.
*Google keyword analyzer tool
Social Media and the Jamaica Real Estate Market
12:36 PM Posted by Stephanie Treasure
If social media is not currently a part of your marketing strategy, it needs to be. The Real Estate business is a lot about networking. Now with the advent of social media, the networking community has moved to the Internet too. Jamaicans are not only talking about their online social media networks, but they are quite active in it. To maintain and increase your company’s visibility, it is essential to join the conversation. Here are some basic tips to get started and expand your online network through social media:
1) Focus Choose the networks that you will be active in. If you establish 10 different profiles across as many platforms, your efforts look diluted if you are not active in ALL of them. Plus you will have a harder time keeping up with so many networks. Choose 1 or 2 maybe even three and become a pro user with them.
2) Leverage Post offline pictures from events like Seminars or sponsorship opportunities on the Social Media networks that you have chosen to become involved in. This gives you more of a spread for your sponsorship and advertising dollars. In the case of advertising, get artwork from your newspaper Ads or magazine ads and attach as a picture. This exposes your online network to your offline advertising in case they missed it.
3) Be Consistent If you have decided to start a blog and a Facebook Fan Page or Group for your company, be consistent with postings. Decide if you will update your blog once per week and make sure you update your Facebook Page with the posting as well. Exceptions of course can be made however, based on point #2 above.
4) Add value Submit content to your social media network of choice that will add value to your end user or prospect. Sure, you can use it as a form of advertising, but remember that the social media users don’t just want to be marketed to, but engaged. It’s a fine line, but try at all times before ‘posting something’ to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and if you think it adds value, then go ahead and post it.
5) Involve your staff, sales consultants, etc. They should be a part of your Facebook page, follow you on twitter, subscribe to or follow your blog or whatever platform you choose. This shows cohesiveness to your prospects and also expands your reach as you get exposed to your staff members’ network as well.
So get started today. It’s best to manage your social media strategy through one point person or project manager in your organization. Forward moving Fortune 500 companies have even created new positions around social media like Social Media Manager and Social Media Strategist positions. However, smaller and medium size companies have found success through outsourcing. This is the most feasible option for Jamaica Real Estate Agencies and Industry related companies in the current economic climate. It is less expensive and can also be better managed this way. Some local companies and individuals are already doing this to some success. For information on how we can help, click here.
Related Link on Social Media Marketing, Internet Marketing and Newsletter Marketing
Butterfly Publications - Print and Online Marketing for the Jamaica Real Estate Industry
12:12 PM Posted by Stephanie Treasure
Butterfly Publications offers the following marketing services for Real Estate Brokers, Building Societies and other Jamaica Real Estate Industry Companies.
Social Media Marketing
We help to build and maintain your company’s brand presence in the social media marketplace. After a careful study of your company’s current position, target market and offline brand recognition, we recommend and execute a plan of action for social media marketing and promotion. This includes:
- Social Media Strategy and Action Plan
- Social Media Profile Set-up and Management
- Facebook and Twitter Marketing
- Online Video Marketing
Internet Marketing
Do you have a website but not getting any leads? The concept of ‘If we build it, they will come’ does not work in the Online World. There are many no cost to low cost ways to promote your company’s website effectively to bring in leads, grow your business and build your brand. It is possible to let your website be your hardest working employee, because it can work while you sleep. A good Internet Marketing strategy is essential to make this happen.
Our Internet Marketing services include:
- Develop and Execute your website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategy
- Link Building Strategies
- Article Marketing and Submission to Social Media sites
- Search Engine Submission
Newsletter Marketing
Building a targeted and responsive list is key to service industries like Real Estate. Effective networking in Real Estate is important both online and off. When someone visits your website, they should be invited to sign up for a periodic newsletter and property updates. The same goes for when you meet someone offline. When you collect business cards, you should go a step further and invite them to join your email list. A good newsletter marketing strategy helps to keep your company in the prospects mind, can lead to referrals, brand recognition and business growth.
Our newsletter marketing services include:
- Set up and management of Newsletter Account
- Set up and programming of Autoresponders
Yes We Can!
2:25 AM Posted by Stephanie Treasure
The All New Jamaica Real Estate Guide has finally been released. If you
have not already received your complimentary copy, you should receive it
during the course of the week. This has been the most challenging issue to
put together yet, but we made it!
Marketing During a Recession
There is no doubt that the Jamaica Real Estate Market is feeling the
pressure of these tough economic times. As prudent business people
therefore, we look for ways to cut our spending, tighten our budgets and
weather the storm. However, one area that you should not cut too much is
advertising. It’s one of the first places we look when we want to cut
spending but it should be the last.
Companies that increase advertising during a recession are able to
increase market share and enjoy a better return on investment than during
the good times. Advertising dollars should be seen as an investment.
Uncertain consumers need the reassurance of strong brands during a
recession. Brands that are constantly in the various media, be it
newspapers, radio, TV or magazines. Think of it this way, when consumer
confidence is up and they are ready to spend, how will they find you?
The key is to strategize, maintain market spend, aim for more bang or
longevity for your buck and target your consumers. It is a known fact that
magazines offer longevity when promoting a brand. Readership is high since
it is not as disposable as newspapers and is passed around/circulated much
more.
Jamaica Real Estate Guide offers a Print and Online Solution for
Advertisers
Our reach is more effective than ever with 1.5 million Jamaicans online,
hundreds of thousands on online social networks like Facebook and the
search for “Jamaica Real Estate” is over 30,000 Monthly via Google
alone. JaRealEstateGuide.com is a fully optimized website which shows up in
the top 10 results across most search engines for Jamaica Real Estate. Our
readers can download our magazine for FREE online and read it in its
entirety from cover to cover. We receive magazine downloads from all over
the world.
Our print magazines continue to be distributed Islandwide via
Supermarkets, Pharmacies, Banks and selective Gleaner Inserts. We would
appreciate the opportunity to market your brand to the thousands of readers
of The Jamaica Real Estate Guide in print and online.
It is my sincere wish for your business and mine to survive and flourish
during these challenging times. So I will work with you in whatever way I
can to ensure maximum exposure for your business without breaking the bank.
Contact me today and lets meet to talk about the most economical way to get
exposure for your business through the Jamaica Real Estate Guide and
www.JaRealEstateGuide.com networks. Send an email to info [a] jarealestateguide.com or call (876) 337-8406
Best regards,
Stephanie Treasure
Top 10 Tips for Real Estate Agents Using Twitter
2:10 AM Posted by Stephanie Treasure
Social media is here to stay and everyone’s using Twitter. But if you’re worried about how to best use it, here are propertyadguru.com’s Top 10 Tips for Real Estate Agents Using Twitter:
1. Understand what Twitter is and plan before you tweet. Twitter is about posting short updates of less than 140 characters, which have been described by some as a little like a mobile phone text messages for the web. It’s all about telling your followers about what you’re doing at that moment. Look closely at examples of how others use it.
2. Every word matters. You only have 140 characters, think carefully about how you choose to spend them… Consider using
3. Personalise your Twitter account, but keep it professional. Make sure to think business and include all your relevant contact details in your profile, choose a relevant name, add a photo, include a short bio and make new friends or follow other relevant businesses using the “find people” function.
4. Tweet. You can’t just sit there – you need to be active. Twitter is social – so participate, and find your Twitter voice. Read propertyadguru.com’s article on Twitter: to tweet or not to tweet.
5. You need to be followed, and follow. But remember: it’s about quality, not quantity. There’s no point having the most followers if they’re not remotely interested in what you’re doing.
6. Think big and be creative with your Tweets. No one will care much for hearing about what you ate for lunch, but they might be keen to know you sealed a big deal, or have a great new property for sale. Whatever you tweet should be newsworthy.
7. Don’t overdo it. Think about the frequency of your posts. Nobody likes a spammer and the aim is to keep your social network alive and expand it through Twitter, rather than annoying people.
8. Learn the Twitter commands. Using the @ symbol before someone’s username is a reply and the user will receive notification. Using the # means it is tweet about a certain topic or event (#icny is Inman Connect New York). You also have the facility to send and receive direct messages that don’t show as a public tweet.
9. Think about how you can best use extra Twitter related applications. There are many such as: tinyurl.com, budurl.com, tweetdeck.com, twitterfeed, Twitter for mobile, twitpic.com, ffwd.com’s Twitter Connect for Video, or Facebook’s Twitter function.
10. Keep up-to-date with some of the fantastic twitter advice sites. twitip.com is jam-packed with useful information. UK comedian Stephen Fry has even been advising on Twitter best practice (and he should know, he has 100,000 followers).
But overall, just enjoy it.
You can follow us here at http://www.twitter.com/jarealestate
Originally published by Property Ad Guru
Jamaica Real Estate Guide Spring 2009 Issue
2:08 AM Posted by Stephanie Treasure
Download the latest issue of the Jamaica Real Estate Guide *FREE* plus previous online issues from our website at http://www.jarealestateguide.com
