All that a GraphicalData website user needs to do is create an account in Google,  sign up for Google Analytics and paste a snippet of code into an appropriate field in your admin center.

This is very easy to do…just go to http://www.google.com/analytics/ and if you already have a Google account for some reason, just use it. If not just follow the steps for creating an account and you are on your way.

Once you have created an account, you can then sign up for Google Analytics. Just a few more steps…and you will be done!

Once signed up a small snippet of code wil be displayed. You will need to copy the account number within this script of code and insert it into the appropriate place in your admin center…which will activate it.

After this process is completed, you will be able to log into your Google Analytics account from any Web browser and see up-to-the-minute real time statistics on everything you could ever want to know about your site visitors and their behavior. All kinds of charts and graphs and information.

This powerful Web-based statistics package was once a stand alone product and cost $100’s/month before Google bought it awhile back, and now makes it available to anyone for free.

Website statistics are highly useful if you have the ability to a) understand what they are saying about your site’s ability or lack of ability to convert visitors to clients, and b) they can be used to help create a strategic plan of action.

One of the best ways  to make your site “sticky”, and to generate inquiries to you is to develop your website so that sets you apart from the competition. If done correctly, it will make you appear “specialized” with unique knowledge and skills. Folks like to work with people they feel are knowledgeable and qualified in their area of expertise.

The July/August edition of the REALTOR Magazine addresses this in an article entitled “Own Your Niche“. This is a good read and certainly something to aspire to and work towards.

The first of many in a series on common grammar blunders to avoid.

You’re and your are two words-well, a word and a contraction-that are commonly misused. When rolling off your tongue, they sound identical, but in print, they have different meanings and must be used properly, not interchangeably. In contrast, the word yurt is almost never used when you’re or your are meant, after all, a yurt is a portable, felt-covered, wood lattice-framed structure used as a home by Central Asian nomads.

As a real estate agent, you may someday have occasion to use the word yurt, and I expect if you do, you’ll use it appropriately. On the other hand, I’m confident that everyone reading this has used both you’re and your in print, and at least one of you could use a refresher on when each should be used.

The contraction you’re is a combination of the words you and are. If “you are” would be appropriate in a sentence, then feel free to use “you’re.” Below are a few examples of you’re in action.

Correct: You’re going to love this view!

Correct: If you’re smart, you won’t pass up this opportunity.

Correct: You’re too late.

Incorrect: You’re wife needs to be at the signing as well.

Incorrect: You bet you’re life!

In the last two examples, the word your should have been used. Your is the possessive form of the pronoun you and is properly used to refer to something that belongs to “you.” If “you are” doesn’t work in a sentence, then your is the word you want. Here are a few examples.

Correct: Your husband will need to sign as well.

Correct: I’ll have the keys to your new home with me.

Correct: Your car is parked out back.

Incorrect: Your not going to believe this deal.

Incorrect: I think your going to like this.

As an agent, beyond selling listings, you’re primarily selling yourself and your services. It’s imperative that in print you appear like the professional you are. Correct grammar is a key component to looking professional in print. Here are a few final examples for you.

With the increasing popularity of video, both as a way to promote your listings as well as yourself, it is important that you choose a device that will produce the best quality, and that it is easy to use as well as being priced right.

I’d first like to talk about promoting your listings using video.  You may not realize it but video is becoming the new norm for listing virtual tours.  It is replacing the more two dimensional approach of still photos or even the over-used panoramic shots that are usually distorted due to the small room size.  The use of video allows the potential buyers the ability to feel as if they are walking through the house and if the agent uses narration they even feel like they’re getting a guided tour.  It’s the closest thing to actually being there.  This is great if the buyer is considering relocating and can’t be there to physically see the house.

» Continue reading “Promoting Yourself and Your Listings”

This post contains tips for optimizing the content on your pages for the search engines.

The search engines (Google especially) like enough content to sink their teeth into so that when they receive a search query from from a visitor, they feel “confident” in serving up their results. If you have not provided good, quality content, then they will feel less “confident” and you will not be ranked near the top of the results. So, first criteria…good content on your page.

REMEMBER THIS…if you have the right content on your page…telling your visitors what your site is all about and what they are going to find within your website, then most everything will take care of itself. What too many site owners try to do is use popular keywords or keyword phrases lots of times, create content that is redundant and not in proper context and expect their site to show well. Just be honest…provide good content…use keywords wisely throughout your site, and you’ll be surprised at how well your site will rise to the top…albeit slowly. WHY? The search engines want to serve up honest content…good content…relevant content. So, why not give it to them and benefit from it???

I like to make a larger, bold header at the top of the page which should contain the most important keyword phrase (and what the site is really all about), preferably in an H1 tag format.

I then like to follow up with a secondary, slightly less sized sub header emphasizing the rest of your website’s objective. For example “Bremerton Real Estate” in large text, followed up with “Also Focusing on Port Orchard, Silverdale and neighboring communities in Kitsap County”.

The rest of my content, including a photo or the like would then continue down the body of the page.

Now, tweaking that content a bit. Search engines perceive that top of the page “real estate” is more important than the bottom. They perceive “large sizes” of text as more important than small. They give more credit to emphasized text (bold for example) than not emphasized. So, it would benefit a website in rankings if one endeavors to meet these criteria.

My next post will include insight on working with “behind the page” criteria.

The number 1 way to increase your business……is to be in front of people. Some agents try to do this through geographic farming, standing open houses, door knocking or other prospecting means.

How about a new approach, do something you enjoy doing AND oh by the way you happen to sell real estate. When you work side by side with people, toiling over a common goal or conversing about common interests and you later do business with them, you will find that business to be more meaningful, successful and fun.

Volunteering from a business stand point is a multi-faceted activity. You win because you are meeting new people, you are building your personal brand and feel the satisfaction of volunteerism. The organization wins because you are bringing talents, contacts and energy to the group. The community wins because of the service you and your organization bring to the whole. Along the way you will do more business.

When you lead as a salesperson you often loose, when you lead as who you are as a real person, everyone wins. Try these ideas and get involved….get started win-winning.

» Continue reading “Get Involved to Get your Real Estate Business Going…”

Domain-based emails are provided by a 3rd party company that we use. The company specializes only in email services to large companies and do a pretty good job of it, as email services are a can of worms any way you look at it. When the total space gets filled, an automatic email is generated to you by the company indicating that an action needs to happen to free up space.

An email account is normally provided with 100 megabytes of space which is so huge I can’t tell you…unless one is working with major graphic attachments or the like. Actually it would not matter how much space is provided, sooner or later the space would get filled unless one tidies up occasionally.

For those of us that have an email that is associated to our domain name, or even have multiple email addresses, keeping track of which ones are filling up can be a chore. With all the spam that comes across these days, mailbox space is at a premium, and letting it go too long will result in messages not being delivered…and receiving the warning message to do some clean-up maintenance.

You should also make it a point to check your SPAM folders frequently, just to make sure the good things are being let in. Another option is to set up an automatic purge that will clear out messages after they are a certain age.

Checking email on a mobile device will not always remove them from the server itself. If you check emails via a mobile device, it is even more important to keep an eye on your available storage, as you would have received your messages via your mobile devise, but they will remain on the email server.  If regularly checking email from a mobile device, this is another good reason to set up a purge for your inbox. This way you can acquire your emails, and not have to worry about your available space filling up.

This would apply to any of our clients that have email through GraphicalData’s email provider. You can access your account at http://mailanyone.net/ and then use your user / pass to access your account.

If you should have any questions, feel free to call or contact our customer support department at 360-698-1725 or email support@graphicaldata.com .