| More and more people are turning to the Internet to | | | | as follows:1. A person searches on a keyword or |
| find local resources. At the top of the list is the search | | | | phrase like, "Evanston Illinois Real Estate."2. As an |
| for real estate and agents.The experts predict the | | | | advertiser you bid for ad positioning on that term (1st, |
| next wave of the Internet will be local marketing. | | | | 2nd, 3rd position, etc). Obviously you bid on terms that |
| Currently the real estate industry is leading the way | | | | are relevant to your business and would be used by |
| with estimated online marketing expenditures | | | | potential real estate buyers in your area. There is no |
| exceeding $1 billions for 2005. That amount is | | | | limit to the number of keywords or phrases that you |
| expected to grow substantially over the next few | | | | can bid on.3. When the search results appear your ad |
| years.There are those realtors who have figured out | | | | is displayed at the top or right hand side of the page. |
| how to successfully market online, and are reaping the | | | | These ads are often referred to as "Sponsored" links. |
| rewards. What are those rewards? A source of new | | | | If a person clicks on your ad and goes to your site, |
| customers at a much lower cost per acquisition. As a | | | | you pay a price per click that you designated. The |
| realtor here are some facts that you simply can't | | | | appeal of PPC is that you control your costs by |
| ignore:More then half (56 percent) of all consumers | | | | specifying a cost per click and a daily expenditure. In |
| now use the Internet when buying real estate, which is | | | | addition, you are only paying for performance. You |
| up from 28 percent in 2000. When asked where they | | | | only pay when there is a click to your site.What |
| first learned about the home they purchased, 24% of | | | | makes PPC so appealing is the fact that it is so |
| buyers identified the Internet. That is an increase from | | | | targeted. If you select the right terms to bid on, you |
| 15% in 2004.Buyers who initially do their research online | | | | end up with prospects coming to your site that are |
| tend to be better informed. Equipped with their | | | | actively pursuing your services. That is the primarily |
| knowledge gathered from the Internet, they spend | | | | reason it is much more cost-effective than offline |
| significantly less time with their realtor, and preview | | | | advertising.I recently set up a PPC campaign for a |
| fewer houses then traditional buyers. In other words, | | | | realtor in my area. It took a couple of hours. The |
| you get an ideal buyer that requires less of your time | | | | Google ads went live immediately, and the Yahoo ads |
| and resources in making a purchase.What is required | | | | started two days later. In about a week I got a call |
| to profit on the Internet?In addition to having a | | | | from the Realtor. She said, "I don't know what you did, |
| functional and effective web site, realtors need to | | | | but we are suddenly swamped with leads." It is that |
| aggressively market their business on the Internet. You | | | | simple if done right.Fred Waters is co-founder of the |
| must have a presence where your customers are | | | | Local Online Marketing Association, where you can get |
| searching.One of the most effective methods for | | | | the Free Ebook, " The Indispensable Guide to Local |
| marketing online is Pay Per Click advertising. The two | | | | Online Marketing." Learn how your real estate business |
| major players of PPC are Google and Yahoo. It works | | | | can profit on the Internet. |