Hands free search abilities.

This concept is one of my favorites. I was reading in Scientific American and there was an article regarding search engines, obviously this sparked my attention so I began to read the article, it was talking about futuristic visions of what search engines will have the ability to do. I love the idea of integrating search technology into your PDA or GPS, and the article started to talk about rover, if your not familiar with rover it is technology that intercepts radio signals from across the globe and transports them in to text, video or audio services into your GPS system highlighting certain things in the vicinity that you are traveling. Not only does this technology integrate into your GPS, but it also integrates into your PDA. Imagine going on vacation and not knowing what is what and rover is displaying potential points of interest on your PDA, maybe then you wouldn't miss anything? Now if rover has the ability to intercept a radio frequency and pinpoint such things. Why couldn't rover add search capabilities? For example not only do you get specific locations that may interest you, but maybe it will give you a list of other attractions that you could automatically connect to by saying "connect". I can’t wait until this type of technology is perfected and multiple radio signals can be transported into your GPS or PDA and you can be hands free literally having the ability to tell your GPS to pull up Google. By saying "Google" then say "search restaurants" and it would bring up a localized list of restaurants based on the location of your GPS. I feel this isn't far off. If it happens does it mean it was my idea....haha, I am sure it was thought of by the rover guys long before me.

Check Out Scientific American

Search from Anywhere?

Recently they have been making it possible for you to have an internet connection available while flying. How long will it be before you have the ability to search from your car? As wireless internet connections advanced through cell phones, how much longer will it be before you have the ability to search from a GPS in a car? I feel that they are waiting to integrate such technology until they can make voice activated search engines work properly. Can you imagine pulling up a Google search bar through your computer in your cars’ dashboard and then say search for "hotels in Atlanta" and then have a list of hotels in the specific area you are traveling. We feel that the realtors that want to survive in this industry better invest their time and money into the internet and those who don't will struggle. You think a large percentage of people are using the internet now wait until it is accessible from everywhere. How much will pay per click cost with this type of traffic being generated, how valuable will organic rankings be?

Specializing in Real Estate Web Design

More information about Search Engine Marketing

Blogger Mobile

After making it through the dot com bomb and then being acquired by Google, Blogger.com is now going mobile through their new system called Blogger mobile. How does it work? How can it be valuable to your real estate business and how long do we think it will be before people start to use it. We feel that this is just another step in the direction of automation; I mean everything being handheld and wireless. Blogger mobile is another avenue to save time and make it possible to post your blog entries through your text message function on your cell phone or transferring the content from your PDA or Blackberry. I myself think it is awesome, imagine not having to be behind your laptop or find a connection in order to blog entries which in turn means content and rankings. You can have something pop into your head enter it into your PDA or cell phone, transfer it and be on the road to being indexed by search engines. Or how about being on an office tour, touring a subdivision and entering important information regarding properties and having them updated automatically without having to get the data from your PDA or email account then log into your blog and post it. We feel that this type of technology is the future of real estate and the new consumer. We are seeing more and more consumer's start their search via a search engines and that is without the use of blogger mobile and the easy use of internet connections through cell phones. As we progress, the web will be faster and easier to access from everywhere and anywhere. With that being said shouldn't realtors invest in technology before it’s too late?

Think for the future.

Think for the future is a section of our blog that talks about positioning yourself for the future. Many questions will be asked many will be answered and many will be left until they can be answered.

Questions:

1. Blogging and text messaging.

2. Internet search capabilities in cars, airplanes, etc.

3. Voice activated search abilities.

4. Audio Blogging.

5. More Localized results.

6. Blog search engines.

Over the next few weeks I will be writing my thoughts regarding these topics. Some of the things mentioned will be facts and they will be sited as facts. Other things will be predictions.

Hope you enjoy.

Deep thoughts for realtors 4

Signs and Street Advertising 101

So I was driving to my office today and I saw some park benches and all I could see was what seemed to be a catch phrase and a huge picture. Right away I knew it was a Realtor. Once I got close sure enough it was a Realtor, however there was something else that I noticed when getting close, I noticed in much smaller print the Realtors’ phone number and in much smaller print I noticed their web address. And then I started to pull away in the distance and the only thing I could continue to see was the catch phrase and the photo. And this inspired my next deep thought for Realtors. What was this Realtor trying to accomplish, I assumed it was to generate a lead or maybe just brand himself. Thinking back all I could remember was the Realtors’ catch phrase. I couldn't for the life of me remember anything other than that. I will agree the Realtor had all pieces of the puzzle he just had them in the opposite order. Why you might ask? Think about this when was the last time that you were able to remember a phone number when driving by at 65 mph. If you are like me you probably ask the person next to you to remember this number and then recite it over and over in your head until you can find a pen or pencil or anything to jot it down. This has to make you wonder how many times has a young couple driven through your farm market and saw your sign writer and then proceeded to go through this same memorization dilemma. (Funny huh) I am not saying you have missed out on hundreds of clients but maybe one or two, which in turn means ‘mucho’ cash. (lol) With this being said make your web address the biggest. Isn't it easier to remember www.davesells.com or sandiegohomes.com or something like that? I know it’s much easier than remembering 858 769 4296 or something like that. I mean...really why do you think people get phone numbers like 1 866 431 LEAD? It is because when adding text to the number it is easier to remember. So brand yourself and think as if you were driving by when deciding your domain name and developing your print advertising.

For more Real Estate Marketing Tips

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Deep thoughts for realtors 3

"Please get an IDX"

My girlfriend and I were recently browsing around comparing prices between San Diego and Milwaukee, and San Diego and Portland OR. And I almost went crazy. Why you might ask? Well it’s pretty simple; we were finding it difficult to see property. We found it very easy to find real estate websites. There were all kinds from AA to Ihouse 2000 but still no property. 90% of the websites that we came across didn't have an IDX solution and if for some reason they did it was behind a contact form. Putting up a contact form and requiring a consumer to give there personal information is the fastest way to drive away clients from your website. Some people may argue this by saying, "if they were serious, they would fill out the form" I would like those who think this way to stop and ask yourselves this question. When you are in the process of purchasing a car what do you do? Well chances are you probably drive to a car lot and walk around and look at all of the pretty cars and then contact a representative in order to find out the price. Mmmm...If you were to show up at the car lot and have to fill out a loan application before browsing what would you do? More than likely leave the lot. With this being said, take down your contact forms and give the consumer the ability to shop through a MLS search so they can view hundreds of homes, if you give them all the homes in your MLS to browse through why would they leave your site, just like if you were to show up on a car lot with all the cars available in your city you would stay until you found the car your heart desires. So Realtors slow down, and think about how you shop and pretend you are trying to offer a service to yourself.

Get a MLS (especially if you are in Milwaukee)

here is an example of a good Maui Real Estate MLS SEARCH

Deep thoughts for realtors 2

"Give them what they want"

As the average online consumer becomes more savvy. We should restructure our websites in order to compensate for this change. For example a lot of real estate agents are littering their homepages with all kinds of tools and links. Like school, map etc. In the past consumers may have liked the fact that real estate websites offered these kinds of tools, but now these complicated homepages are drawing the consumer away. If the consumer does a search for real estate shouldn't we give them real estate instead of school info, Map info, etc? If the consumer was interested in map information he or she probably would have went to Mapquest.com in the first place. So with that being said reorganize and simplify and keep the focus on property, isn't that what you are offering anyway, isn't that what they want. With all of this being said, if you are a realtor take some time to think like your clients…and give them what they want.

Specializing in Real Estate Web Design