This is part of a new series I'll be doing that will give you tips on how to improve your blog with subtle changes and easy-to-implement techniques. The first tip I'm going to cover is replying to comments left on your blog.

There are several reasons why you'll want to reply to your comments. First, it shows the commenter that you actually read the comments you receive and you value them. Most of the time when people leave you a comment they come back to see if their comment got any responses. People get the warm fuzzies when they see that the blog author read the comment and actually responded. You'd be surprised to know how many blog authors don't bother to respond to comments, even though it seems like simple logic to you and I. Personally, when I leave a comment and it doesn't warrant a response, I feel ignored, and I find that rude. It's like when you leave someone a voicemail and they never call you back. Another reason to respond to your comments is that it can gain you additional comments. You can start a dialogue of sorts on your blog. If someone comments to you, you have the opportunity to respond and possibly open up a conversation (depending on the topic, of course). Then you can invite other people to share their opinions on the comment, and then you have a dialogue (or a debate, but we'll talk about that some other time). Not only does this dialogue get you more hits to your blog from people checking back to read the comments, but it also gives the commenting parties a feeling of community, as if they have made friends on your blog and they're sharing ideas and thoughts. That's another warm fuzzies type of feeling.

Now on to how to do it. First of all, you can't really respond to a comment like, "Great point, I love your blog!" and expect to start a conversation. You have to look for the right type of comment. If someone asks a question or makes a point that corresponds with your original point (the reason you wrote that post), then you can comment to get an intelligent conversation started. Sometimes it won't work, and the commenter won't return, and nobody else will comment. That's okay. You did the polite thing by responding, so let it go. Don't post an additional comment asking for more opinions or wondering where the original commenter has gone. It makes you look desperate, and nobody wants to look desperate. Another thing to remember is that you do not bother responding to mean, hurtful, or negative comments unless you are fully prepared to deal with the lashback. The blogosphere can be a harsh place. There are so many types of people with so many varying opinions, so make sure you can handle the heat if you're starting an arguement. When I get unpleasant comments, I usually just delete them and move on. To me, it just isn't worth the hassle of starting a huge arguement, and it makes your blog look unprofessional.

Good luck in your commenting endeavors, and try to remember a very important point. You will not get a lot of comments. That doesn't mean your blog is boring or you're unpopular. You're not writing a blog for the comments, you're writing it to boost your site and to introduce yourself to potential clients. The comments are just an added bonus.

Labels: Blog Project, Blogging Ideas, Commenting, CyberSunshine, Real Estate Blog

CyberSunshine is proud to announce the launch of a new Agent QuickSite, http://www.intownlifeatl.com/. Kevin Polite is an agent with Solid Source Realty, a metro-Atlanta based real estate company. The website is part of Solid Source Realty's Agent Quicksite Program offering agents a suite of custom tools created for the corporate site but custom tailored for an agent's personal website.



The site's features include a custom IDX property search of FMLS & GAMLS data, featured properties, real estate related articles, along with comprehensive school and neighborhood information. The site also features lead capture tools; an automated home search system, "First to Know" that sends daily email updates and logs their activity to a backend database, a content manager and design editing tool all within the backend control panel.

For information on the agent website program or any other products and services available, please contact us!

OK- a slight shift in focus here, but important none the less. Forgive us for straying from our topic, but this IS for a good cause. Does your love for animals cause you to ponder how to help alleviate the suffering of homeless pets in your community? Do you wonder if there is an organization that that can match your enthusiasm and passion to a good cause? The answer is a resounding YES!

CyberSunshine, Inc. is proud to sponsor the Animal Refuge Center (ARC), (http://www.animalrefuge.com/) a non-profit volunteer organization and sanctuary, providing a clean, safe, no-kill environment primarily for cats and dogs within SW Florida. ARC actively seeks their adoption to qualified individuals. Through public education and an active spay and neuter program, ARC strives to reduce the number of unwanted animals in the community. ARC also promotes animal welfare advocacy and cruelty investigations, as well as utilizing education as a major resource to reach pet owners on responsible pet ownership and kindness to all creatures.

In 2000, CyberSunshine donated an entire website with support and hosting at no charge to ARC of Fort Myers. The site allows volunteers of this organization post animals available for adoption to the site any time. It allows them to mark animals as adopted, add events, collect donations and more.

With the recent home mortgage crisis, not only are people losing their homes, animals are too. ARC needs help. In order to accomplish their goals it takes a strong staff complimented by a large network of dedicated volunteers and supporters. ARC is always looking to recruit more volunteers in Southwest Florida. They have many opportunities available; such as, planning and working special events, dog and/or cat care, dog and/or cat socialization, foster care, and maintenance and repairs.

If you live in Southwest Florida, please consider donating your time. If you are not local, and would like to donate to ARC, please visit their website at http://www.animalrefuge.com/ and click on the ‘donate’ link to the left of the page. It's safe and secure.

If you have interest in learning more about ARC and our volunteer program, please don’t hesitate to contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Lisa Morris, at vcarc@animalrefugecenter.net or visit our website at http://www.animalrefuge.com/.

Labels: CyberSunshine, News

Recently the annual Inman Real Estate Connect conference in San Francisco took place. If you’re not familiar with this conference, it focuses on real estate trends and news, and technology that can better assist you in your business. Here are some helpful tips from the conference:

• There are 5 million real estate listings in the US and Realtor.com claims to have 4.7 million of them, but people still visit 7 different websites on average when looking for real estate.
• The next wave of real estate consumers are those born between 1980-1995 (they are being called Millenials). They are the largest generation (79 million) and all grew up with computers. That is a good indication as to which direction real estate marketing is headed. This generation is focused on media to get their information, and you should use that to your advantage. Think videos, photos, blogs, etc.
• There is a decline in long form reading on the internet. Up to 50% of readers leave with each click to a new page. So even if you think it’s a clever idea to have “Read More” links and links to see more information about all your communities, you’re actually hurting yourself more than helping.
• Smart Phones are laptop replacements. Maybe now would be a good time to invest in a Blackberry or an iPhone.
• Print is not dead – 1/3 of the current generation (Millenials) still read newspapers and magazines.
• Find out where your buyers come from and market there (you may have to speak their language too).
• Listing sites may not be the best place to market property– behavior and geography targeting suggests otherwise. A Chicago developer went on an international road show to get customers. You may have to think outside the box to maintain a competitive edge.
  The lead generation companies are now in the blog and social media pools. Maybe you should be too.
• There are 11 months of unsold inventory nationwide, according to NAR’s June 2008 study.

Use down times as a chance to prepare. Many people are nervous about the economy. You may be finding you even have more time on your hands. Don’t panic! Do something! Use this time to prepare for when things turn around- because they WILL turn around, and when they do, you need to be ready. Work on your brand, redesign a logo, add features or enhance your website, think of new ways to recruit agents, and make assessments of where you’ve been and where you want to go. The worst thing you can do is sit around and fret about tomorrow. Use the time today to work towards a better future.