The Buyer Group PR + SEO News

Yes, it is a fact. About 80% of homebuyers begin their search on the
Internet. Linking press releases with video on YouTube gives us a new
way to engage a prospect and ultimately close a sale. The article, YouTube: A Modern Take on Real Estate Technology covers some excellent points about new technology adaptations influencing luxury real estate including YouTube. 

YouTube: A Modern Take on Real Estate Technology

By Kayla O’Brien

RISMEDIA, June 20, 2007-While it’s already a known fact that about
80% of home buyers begin their search on the Internet, there’s still a
large demand for originality among real estate Web sites. Virtual
tours, mapping technology, and neighborhood guides seem like a step in
the right direction, but agents are in need of a new differentiator.
That said, agents who want to lead the pack have begun creating
engaging videos, utilizing YouTube and other online marketing vehicles
to generate leads and ultimately close sales. Featuring qualities that
can’t be captured by still photos, these videos are the latest
cost-efficient marketing tool and they’re not alone. Thomas Harpointer,
CEO and founder of AIS Media, an Internet consulting company, discusses
the in’s and out’s of this new trend and what else we can expect over
the next year in leading technologies.

RE: As an expert in online marketing, can you explain how you feel the Internet is going to drive real estate sales in the future?

Thomas Harpointer: The big driving force behind the
evolution of real estate Web sites right now is Web 2.0. Web sites have
made the transformation from informational- driven brochures to
critical business tools, so the average broker’s role is going to
continue to grow in terms of technology and the Internet as agents,
brokers, and developers are starting to see the value of Web sites.
Buyers can peruse hundreds of homes on the Internet before hitting the
streets with brokers-helping to make their jobs more efficient.

Video is a key component to raise the bar, and a few years from now
it will be expected. Many agents are receiving the majority of leads
from the Internet, which is less work for them. The more tools that are
provided for the buyer, the more properties will be moved in a shorter
period of time.

RE: Tell me more about the concept of combining the
forces of real estate and YouTube. What advice can you offer to those
who are interested in utilizing YouTube?

TH: It’s still very new, which offers tremendous
advantage. Agents and brokers can create videos and post them on
YouTube as a hook into their Web site, driving traffic they wouldn’t
normally have. Plus, if you search a term on Google, there’s massive
competition, but there’s only 500 results for the same term on YouTube,
making you a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

Videos offer opportunities to highlight areas of the home, adding a
whole new dimension. With the equipment available today, you don’t need
to spend thousands of dollars on a camera. You can take shots, hand the
content over to someone who can edit it for a few hundred dollars, and
make a decent video.

Start by shooting on a nice day, turn the lights on and let the
house sell itself. Before you shoot, bullet out key features of the
property. No two properties are the same, so list everything that you
think is important to a potential buyer. Don’t waste content on a new
water heater, you can list that, but what about a back door terrace
that overlooks a stream? That’s exciting. Pick the top five elements
and remember that a video is much bigger in size, takes more time to
load. Some videos are 42 seconds while some run for a couple of
minutes. It’s up to the agent as to how long and comprehensive they are.

If a narrator has a good voice they can speak, but that’s upon
discretion. Keep it short, to the point, incorporate sound, use
lighting and be honest. Always remember the purpose of the video-a lead
generator.

When you create a video, add a watermark with your Web site address
to the bottom of the video, so you can get credit back to your Web site
and help marketing efforts. The name of the video should be a relevant
name, rather than “movie1.” Name it “Pompano Beachfront Property” so
that when it’s uploaded, Google will index the movie file name since
search engines search content for keywords, whether it’s picture or
video. Put your phone number at the end of the video, and give the
option for people to visit your Web site for more information.

RE: Do you feel these productions provide a substantial return on investment?

TH: There are two primary costs-the production cost
and the broadcasting of the content. Production varies from a couple
thousand to $10 to 20 thousand to produce, but if we were to run it on
TV, we’d be paying thousands more. Start at the top, take the most
expensive home, and it will have the biggest payoff potential. Instead
of investing in newspapers or new office furniture, agents should focus
on electronic media which is of higher value to customers.

RE: How does the development of Internet videos as
a lead generation tool change the consumer’s home buying and selling
experience? Do you feel these videos will replace the open house or the
role of the broker/agent in the future?

TH: It’s more exciting for the consumer. A video
creates the perception of reputation, quality of service, and good
strength. The best way to illustrate that is through a Web site, since
very few buyers initially walk into an office. They’ll do their
research online, limit the properties they want to see, and then make
an appointment to see those properties.

Open houses are going to continue to grow because buyers will still
need an agent. The Web is wonderful, but it won’t replace personal
interaction. There will also be more people at open houses. You can
advertise to the world through YouTube, expanding it to a much bigger
market. No one’s going to buy the house just by looking at the video,
but the more people we reach, the more that should show up.

Brokers and agents are of bigger use than ever before. Eighty-one
percent of those who use the Internet to look for a home also use an
agent. For example, in 1991, 19% of sellers sold their home without an
agent, compared to last year’s 13%.

RE: In addition to the creation of YouTube videos,
what other technology do you expect to see within the real estate
industry in the latter half of 2007?

TH: Mobile phones today have many capabilities-some
have video, most have text. Few real estate sites take advantage of
that, so we will see that in the second half of 2007.

The two most cost effective ways to draw people to Web sites are
through e-mail and RSS feeds. RSS blasts instantly drive traffic and
agents can do it. Once you have an e-mail address, you can update and
push information to visitors instead of waiting for them to come back
to your site. The magic behind RSS is that if people subscribe to that
feed, the moment you update your site, they’ll instantly receive
notification without the agent having to make an announcement.

RSS is going to expand threefold by 2008; it doesn’t cost anything
but time and knowledge. It’s overwhelming, but keep an open mind and
approach it with baby steps. If a video is going to be produced,
produce higher values first and get user feedback. A Web site is a
tool; the more you use it, the better you get at it. In order for it to
continue to work, it should improve over time.

Companies like AIS and other partners are there to work with
businesses one-on-one, to help understand the process of establishing
Web presence, become comfortable with Web technologies and grow as they
need. To effectively compete, there’s no way around it.

RE: Why should interested agents act now if this is of interest to them?

TH: It’s a very easy way to stand out from the
pact. Today video is exciting and the number one selling point is that
it helps you stand out from the pack-few sites are doing it. Buyers and
sellers love technology and want to feel confident when they elect a
professional and value is in the technology and sophistication of a Web
site. People form an opinion of a Web site in less than 30 seconds.

At this point, if agents have a basic site, it puts them behind
against competitor sites with virtual tours. Everyone resists change at
first. Not everyone had an e-mail address or Web site at first, but
it’s something that people expect now. Professionals that are serious
will need to embrace this technology-Web 2.0, video, and RSS feeds. I
would encourage agents to contact a professional Internet consultant to
help them make sense of all of this-update their Web site and get up to
speed on YouTube. Once you understand it, you’ll understand it always.

For more information, visit www.AISmedia.com.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

Good Landing Pages. Better Leads.

Lead generation is part of our PR strategy for many clients. As the
world of public relations broadens its horizons with search engine
strategies, we give guidance to creating effective tools such as
Landing Pages.

According to Marketing Sherpa’s Landing Page Handbook, improving your
landing pages can increase your conversions by 40% or more. Experts
say, optimized landing pages work even better — as high as 200%
improvements in conversion rates.

Top 10 Tips for Improving Landing Pages

1. First Impressions Matter
2. Have an Offer
3. Remove The Navigation
4. Use Graphics Wisely
5. Make Your Content Scan-able
6. Only Ask What You Really Need
7. Capture Implicit Information
8. Have Reasons to Give Valid Info
9. Say Thank You
10. Test… But Don’t Over Test

Perhaps the largest difference between business-to-consumer (B2C)
and business-to-business (B2B) pay-per-click is that the post-click
goal for most B2B marketers is to capture a lead, not make a sale. This
means that B2B companies must focus on converting clicks into leads as
much as they focus on getting clicks in the first place.

Landing pages
are critical to making this happen. From the prospect’s perspective,
clicking on your link is easy and doesn’t cost (them) anything. In
contrast, converting and becoming a lead requires them to invest their
time and energy to understand your offer and fill out your form — not
to mention risk unwanted marketing since you require they share their
contact information.

According to Marketing Sherpa’s Landing Page Handbook, improving your landing pages can increase your conversions by 40% or more. In our experience at Marketo, optimized landing pages work even better — as high as 200% improvements in conversion rates.

So how do you do it? Here are ten tested and proven tips you can use to improve and optimize your landing pages.

1. First Impressions Matter

When a prospect scans your landing page, they decide in just a few
seconds whether to bail or stick around. When making this decision,
they consider two things: “Does this page look hard or complicated?”
and (2) “Is this page relevant to my search query?”. Design, copy, font
size, and form length all influence the former. To influence the
latter, make sure your page (especially the headline) directly connects
to the search term. This means having dozens or hundreds of landing
pages — at least one per ad group and ideally one for your each of your
top keywords.

2. Have an Offer

Your landing page doesn’t need to sell your product, service, or
company. It just needs to sell your offer. Focus your page around a
single call to action, such as a free whitepaper or demo. Avoid the
temptation to include extraneous company information.

3. Remove The Navigation

This isn’t your home page, so remove your main navigation. Simpler
pages almost always work better for lead generation. In eye tracking
studies, the navigation draws attention away from your offer and
conversion action. Worse, each link is an invitation for the visitor
(which you paid for) to click away instead of converting. As Marketing
Sherpa points out, it’s tempting to leave those links just in case the
visitor wants to dig through your site and learn more. Drop this
fantasy. Your goal is to sell your offer, and the only thing those
links can do is reduce your conversions. You can always share
additional information after they convert, on the thank you page or via
your lead nurturing. (Note: You can make your logo link to your home
page, and you can include your footer navigation since it draws the eye
less than your main navigation. These links help the page appear to
visitors and to Google as part of a larger site.)

4. Use Graphics Wisely

Graphics are the #1 thing that draws the eye. Use them carefully
since the wrong graphic can distract from the offer and conversion.
Include a hero shot, e.g. a mock up of the white paper cover with the
title blown up to be readable. Two other tips: Let people click the
graphics to get more info (visitors often click on graphics) and be
sure to have a caption (besides the headline, captions are the most
read copy on the page).

5. Make Your Content Scan-able

People don’t read landing pages, they scan them. Write in bullets,
if you can. Be sure your copy sells your offer when someone scans just
the first three words of each bullet or paragraph. Bold key words.
Consider using interactive elements, such as an audio clip or short
video / demo, on your landing page. This can engage buyers who want
more info without making the page look overwhelming.

6. Only Ask What You Really Need

If you met someone interesting at a bar, you wouldn’t ask for a ton
of information like their annual income —you’d simply get his or her
contact information so you could build the relationship over time. The
same is true for landing pages. Every field you ask reduces your
conversion rate, so collect as little information as you really need to
route the lead and stay in touch. You can always collect more during
your nurturing process.

7. Capture Implicit Information

Use hidden fields to capture additional information about your
leads, such as the keyword used, the search engine they came from, and
the ad they clicked. You can also use “click paths” to capture implicit
information. For example, if you want to know the prospect’s industry,
add some navigation on the left that lists your top industries. This is
different than your site navigation. Prospects are likely to click on
the link for their industry, so take them to an even more targeted
landing page —and capture their industry as a hidden field.

8. Have Reasons to Give Valid Info

After conversion, don’t just hand the offer to the prospect – email
it to them. This is a great trick to ensure that you get a valid email
address. Also, be sure to place a link to your privacy statement near
to where you ask for their info.

9. Say Thank You

After a customer converts, take them to a thank you page. This is
important to track the conversion. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to
deepen the relationship by making another offer, promoting your blog,
asking for feedback, or running a poll. Up to 40% of prospects say they
are willing to share additional information after they convert.

10. Test… But Don’t Over Test

Testing lets visitors vote with their actions, removing any debate
about what works and what doesn’t. The most valuable things to test are
the headline, graphic captions, the submit button, form length, and
graphical elements. However, be careful not to over-test. A good rule
of thumb is to take the number of conversions you get per day and
divide it by 10. Then take your testing period in weeks and divide that
by 2. Multiply the two results together to get the number of versions
you can confidently test in your testing period.

Landing Pages Don’t Need To Be Hard

Given the dramatic ROI of having multiple targeted landing pages,
why do three out of four B2B companies still send clicks to the home
page? The main reason is a lack of resources —and getting time from web
developers is the most difficult resource to get. As a solution,
companies can leverage products like those offered by Marketo that
allow marketers to create landing pages with no IT. The Marketo online demo can provide a first hand example.

Worthing Place, Delray Beach’s newest luxury residential community is spotlighted in the  as a result of The Buyer Group’s PR efforts.

Delray Beach’s
Worthing Place showcases in the New York Times Friday Escapes
section - this coverage is a well deserved spotlight for the upcoming development.  Read on for the full story.

Worthing Place is an upscale courtyard-style community being developed by Southcoast Partners.  Situated on three acres of downtown Delray Beach, these luxury condominiums will feature 217 one, two and three bedroom residences.  Prices range from $369,900 to $749,900 during its pre-construction phase.  With an urban oasis of amenities including tranquil water and orchid gardens, business and fitness centers, sitting pools, fountains, rooftop sundeck, members’ only parlor, lounge and bar area, Worthing Place offers an attractive mix of socializing, relaxation and business.

Worthing Place

WHAT Residential project in a resort area.

WHERE Delray Beach, Fla.

AMENITIES A rooftop deck and a pool, among others.

PRICES Residences range from nearly $370,000 to about $750,000.

STATUS Construction is expected to begin early next year. The opening of the building is
scheduled for
2009.

DEVELOPER Southcoast Partners.

CONTACT (877) 330-3273 or www.worthingplacefl.com.

DETAILS Slightly less than a mile inland from Florida’s east coast in Delray Beach, which is about an hour north of Miami
and has a population estimated at 64,630, this project consists of 217
one- to three-bedroom condominiums in a five-story building. The
full-ownership condos, which owners may place in a rental program, will
range from 700 to 1,492 square feet and include balconies. The building
will have a central courtyard with the heated pool, a whirlpool and a
bar, as well as two other courtyards with fountains, sitting areas and
orchid gardens.
The first floor is planned to be filled with restaurants and shops.
Food and drinks will be served on the rooftop deck, and room service
from either the building’s restaurant or others nearby will be
available. Inside will be a private owners’ lounge with another bar, a
fitness area and a business center. An off-site beach club is planned.
A concierge will arrange services including in-room massages, dog
walking and housekeeping. Delray Beach is easily reachable from around
the country, with the Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports all within an hour’s drive.

BodyLogicMD
, a national network of anti-aging phtsicians and Buyer Group client
since 2003, released its blog today, making it the first blog
exclusively dedicated to bioidentical hormone therapy.  The Buyer Group
developed the BodylogicMD blog as part of its online public relations strategy.

BodyLogicMD Launches First Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Blog

(http://bodylogicmd.wordpress.com/)

The first blog dedicated to bioidentical hormone therapy debuts with an introduction from hormone therapy expert and BodyLogicMD founder, Paul Savage.

BodyLogicMD has a new way of communicating to women and men about treating hormonal imbalances including menopause and andropause (the male menopause). Through its new bioidentical hormone therapy blog, BodyLogicMD’s anti-aging physicians will discuss topics with those turning to the Internet as a source about the benefits of bioidentical hormone therapy, fitness and nutrition.

“BodyLogicMD’s bioidentical hormone therapy blog will act as one of today’s voices for preventive medicine. It gives us a channel to interact with our patients and the public,” said BodyLogicMD President Patrick Savage. “Bioidentical hormone therapy is an innovative and effective way to treat women and men suffering from the signs and symptoms of aging, including hormonal imbalances such as perimenopause, menopause, adrenal fatigue and andropause.”

The BodyLogicMD bioidentical hormone therapy blog will add to the growing list of hormone therapy, anti-aging, preventative and wellness related blogs. The features of the blog include:
•    Physician-authored posts focusing on three main areas: bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrition and fitness
•    Physician developed videos and relevant content from other sources
•    Links to information on menopause, andropause, and hormonal imbalances

Beginning today, BodyLogicMD is encouraging women and men to visit http://bodylogicmd.wordpress.com/ and help advance the education and discussion relevant to bioidentical hormone therapy.

About BodyLogicMD

Founded in 2003, BodyLogicMD is a national network of anti-aging physicians specializing in natural bioidentical hormone therapy integrated with fitness and nutrition serving men and women suffering from hormonal imbalance, menopause and andropause. Suzanne Somers’ latest book, “Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones,” features BodyLogicMD as an expert source. BodyLogicMD currently has 15 locations in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas and Virginia.