You can't deny that this country is obsessed with looks and beauty. Aesthetics are important, whether we like it or not. When you meet a new client, you are expected to be well-groomed and have an outfit on that matches at the very least, and you should look like a professional person that can be trusted. So if you go to all that trouble to make sure YOU look good, shouldn't you put the same effort into making sure your real estate blog/website looks good? Think about it... your internet self is seen more than your actual self, and by many more viewers. You owe it to your real estate website to make sure it looks fabulous at all times.

You may have noticed that CyberSunshine just got a fancy new makeover. We're prettier than ever now (Jealous? You should be!). Every few years you should get a makeover for your site, for several reasons. And here is a list of those reasons:

1. Your site looks outdated and old-fashioned. That's not good. It makes you look like you're not up to speed with the times, and nobody (especially not the twenty-somethings that are currently making up the largest buyers market right now) wants someone that's outdated. Your real estate website is your image, and it is a direct reflection of you and your services. Make sure you're presenting yourself in a way that matters.

2. Your site is cluttered. This is really bad. Nobody wants to muddle through your mess of links and blurbs about how wonderful you are, just to find your listings. Not to say you aren't wonderful. I'm sure you are. But you don't have to drill it into people's heads a thousand times with all the testimonials and the paragraphs your assistant wrote six years ago covering your degrees and accomplishments. Make the site nice and neat, and spell out clearly who you are and what you do, and do it in a short paragraph if you can. Nobody wants to read your resume. They just want a basic description about why they should hire you, and then they want to see your listing. So make it easy, and make sure your content is limited and your navigation is clear and makes sense.

3. Your navigation doesn't work, or other links are broken. HUGE mistake! Always, always, make sure the links work on your page! Every couple of weeks (or days if you're a little OCD) check out the links on your page to make sure they work, especially the important ones (Contact Us, Listings, Home Search). If your links don't work, the potential buyer is going to continue on to another site that came up on Google and not even give you a second thought.

4. The services listed are no longer services you offer, and your photo is from 1986. Okay, seriously, you do not still have a poufy bangs thing going on, nor do you rock the blue eyeshadow. And what's with those shoulder-pads? Are you a line-backer for the Cowboys? Make it a point to update your photo once a year. Misrepresentation is a mark against you, and when your potential lead meets you for the first time and realizes that a) that photo was not from last year's Halloween party, and b) you're nearly 25 years older than they thought you were, they are going to be a little perturbed. While you're at it, make sure your service and your specialty areas where you sell are actually accurate. Nothing turns a buyer off faster than calling your office for a specific neighborhood and finding out that you USED to sell there, but it's been several years since you actually have.

I'm sure there are other great reasons to give your site a face lift, but for now these are the best ones I can come up with. So check out your site, give it an assessment from a non-biased point of view, and determine if it needs some help. Then email me and I'll get you set up with a fantastic designer!

Labels: Blog Project, Real Estate Blog, Real Estate Web Design

This is probably the easiest thing you can do to improve the image of your blog. It sounds simple and silly, but it really does have benefits. An image can make or break your blog post. If you use the right image, it can attract readers. Images can also be used to make a point or to give an example. Here's a blog that strictly uses images.

I use images from time to time in my posts, but not too often. I don't see the need to use images frequently for my own blog, since it's more tutorial than anything, but you might be able to use images more for your blog. And that's great. You can certainly use an image in every post. I know of some series posts that require images. Here's an example of a good one. These kinds of posts are interesting, fun, and frequently shared, especially if the images are funny or really odd. People like to email interesting things to their friends and colleagues. Your blog can be one of those interesting things. On several blogs, I've seen a series where the blogger features a different mailbox, or a different local flower, or a local attraction every week. You don't have to make a series to use images, but it does make it easier.

I think the only "rule" I'd advise on this topic is to keep the number of images per post to a minimum. You don't want to have so many images that they overpower your writing. The image should accent your writing, not take over the post. Of course, also make sure your image isn't offensive or vulgar, unless you want to anger your readers!

Labels: Blog Project, Real Estate Blog, Website Tools

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