Builder Designs | Intelligent marketing for home builders

Good photos drive marketing. You may be superb at selling houses, and may have a great website for promoting your business, but how good is your photography?

Every listing deserves to be represented realistically and ‘show’ like it would in a walk-through in its photos. Bad pictures repel homebuyers and good photography is what sells. People are very visual and photos can tell a story that copy never could.

Many of the best realtors who do use professional photographers say its worth the investment, and they’re not fools. In a study done by Redfin last year, they took a data sample of over 100,000 listings that were for sale. They evaluated the selling price of homes that had pictures taken with a simple digital point and shoot and compared them to properties where the photos were taken by professional cameras and photographers. The end result? Homes that had higher quality or professional photos taken got a higher selling price – between $934 and $116,076 more than the homes that didn’t.

Putting up superior images on the web is extremely important to selling and to give you an edge over the competition. Producing a good photographic presentation inspires confidence and realtors are more likely to get referrals. There are so many MLS photos that do not represent the house well and are shot very poorly. You can’t expect satisfactory results by using a ‘point and shoot’ digital camera and walking around the property snapping away. Hire a professional, the chances are your listings will be looked at more and sold much quicker.

There are many new exciting developments in web design that are arising that are making a big splash. New CSS3 enhancements, web fonts and mobile optimization are to name a few. There are so many things that designers could get in over their head and lose sight of the main objectives when building out a website. Keeping these six fundamentals at the forefront of the process and balancing them equally is the key to developing any successful website.

#1: Usability. Sites with a bad user interface suffer from very poor rates of repeat traffic. No one wants to go back to your site if they can’t find what they want quickly. That’s why a call-to-action is needed in several consistant places that will help users navigate easily. Including a text-based site map is also important for complex sites.

#2: Accessibility. Making your website accessible to the widest possible range of users is extremely important, whether they’re using ancient technology or alternative devices such as mobile phones. There are many techniques web designers are developing to improve accessibility.

#3: Development. With exploding trends and innovation in this area, web designers and developers are able to cover normal web standards, AJAX and other traditional server side scripting by using even more powerful web applications.

#4 Aesthetics. Having a nice branded look and feel of a website is very important and is almost paramount to user friendliness. Using the right color scheme, contrast, styling and interface has a huge impact on user perception.

#5 Content. Having relevant, easy to read content and photos is what really will support the design and layout of the website. Good content produces good results and contributes to the overall success of the website.

#6 Objectives. Probably the most overlooked fundamental of the web design process and its success are the core values and objectives. What is the purpose of this website? What returns on investment are needed? This all stems from the core business model that absolutely needs to be set in place and rooted deeply behind any company and their website.

Web designers need to equally embrace all of these ‘pillars of success’ and understand what the main goal of the website is. Maintaining an overview and watching all of these areas in respect to one another is key to having a successfully designed and a successful business tool.

Reasons why is it beneficial, if not essential, for home builders to add a blog, and how to use it effectively.

Most homebuilders realize that having a website is a necessity, not just a luxury anymore. Creating an effective website doesn’t have to be complicated with flashy animation either, it can be very simple. By including powerful marketing tool by adding a blog, builders will further help market themselves. Having a blog is an easy, cost effective way to engage customers by providing content that is timely and informative. Because consumers do more and more research and shopping online these days, blogs are a great way to get noticed. There are some simple steps that builders can use to develop and use a successful blog.

Choose the Right Platform. Many people use Blogger, which is owned by Google but it might not be the best platform for a builder. Google could place AdSense on your blog site if it gets too much traffic (which could be your competition). Use WordPress instead. It isn’t too hard to figure out, has great help support and many free template styles to choose from and use.

Post Often. When you first get the blog set up, posting 3-4 times a week will have the search engines the loving the fresh new content. This will help drive traffic to your site, and build an audience. Make sure that you have an obvious place for people to sign up. There’s really no limit to the amount of postings, the most important is making sure the content is good.

Write Interesting Content. Writing can be difficult, especially if you’re not journalistically inclined. Your posts don’t have to be masterpieces. They should flow, be personal and tell about something interesting and fun that relates to you and your company. Engage people by building on a story that people will want to follow. Even have other employee’s comment on your posts. Remember, people want to see who’s behind the business. Part of marketing is being memorable.

Use Correct Links & Widgets. Use RSS feeds  and other widgets to update your website and other social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Also remember to use appropriate links that are relevant to your business (new home and real estate websites) that will improve your ranking.

One great thing about a blog is it can be used for many years, in marketing campaigns and for many other uses. An example of good blog content that is diverse and works can be found on sites like New Homes Directory or Consort Homes.  You may have to invest a little time and passion into keeping up a blog, but it could be one of your paths to a successful online business.

If your game is new home sales, then there could possibly never be a better time than right now to hone your craft, and that’s where Myers Barnes Associates comes in to the picture. Widely-regarded as the master of new home sales training, Myers Barnes has made his name and reputation as someone who can teach salespeople the most effective and important sales strategies in the new home sales industry. To date Myers has helped to generate billions of dollars in revenue for everyone from developers and builders, to some of the top corporations in the nation. Myers’ approach is commonly referred to as Evolutionary Profitability Services, which is a strategy that is derived from only the most rigorously-proven systems that have the highest rates of success.

Not your average career guru, Myers Barnes’ philosophy is not simply about energizing, but also about informing as well. It’s no secret that to be as successful of a salesperson as you can be you have to be well-rounded, and with a focus on pinpointing the necessary tools that help salespeople fuel their sales, Myers Barnes strives to teach people the most effective techniques known in the industry, and salespeople who put their faith in Myers Barnes’ encouragement are likely to find more useful information and pick up a sales skill set that only a lucky few in the industry possess.

If you’re interested in learning more about all there is to learn from Myers Barnes, please either contact Myers Barnes Associates, Inc. by E-mail at: sellmore@myersbarnes.com, or call 252-261-7611 to speak to a live person who can help get you started.  As Meyers Barnes himself says, “You can learn to sell in one of two ways: by training or by trial and error. Trial and error is a brutal teacher.”

I sometimes think people are speaking a foreign language with all the abbreviated words running amok in our vocabulary. Perhaps it dawned with the increasing popularity of cell phones and text messaging…or maybe it was the fact that we’re in such a hurry these days that we don’t have the time to spell or say everything as it is…it’s something to ponder. One thing I do know is that there are a lot of people out there who are confused by the terminology and thus I am asked quite a bit to explain what all of these things are and more importantly how do they affect the person who’s doing the asking.

So that being said, here’s my quick version of what these things mean in regards to our business and the people we work with and for on a regular basis!

CMS – Content Management System. Basically this is an administrative tool that enables clients to update portions of their websites via a web portal built into their site. Incredibly handy when you have a price change or want to update pictures, with CMS on your site you don’t have to wait for someone else to make the changes for you. The way we do them at Builder Designs, it’s as easy as typing in the information or linking the image you want and hitting save. You don’t have to be a web designer or programmer to update your site. It’s easy and updates are instant. I sometimes wonder if the C should really stand for Convenient!

ROI – Return on Investment. When you invest in something like a website, you would expect to see it bring in new business right? Otherwise what’s the point? There are a number of things you can do with your traditional marketing to get the word out there and drive traffic to your website. Did I mention that Builder Designs can help you with that? Not only do we build websites, we also provide marketing and consulting services to help you get your ROI. Read on…

SEO – Search Engine Optimization. If you build it, they will come. Not always so in the competitive world of real estate and the world wide web. Search engines and directories like Google, Yahoo, MSN, Aol and Ask all send out programs that read the code on your website and use that information to determine if and where you’ll show up if someone is searching for a relevant topic. So, if you build houses, you want to have your site optimized so that people looking to buy houses can find you quickly and easily. There are a number of things that can be done and without getting into too much technical detail, Builder Designs is happy to work with you to optimize an existing site or build you a brand new one that is optimized to bring you a coveted organic high ranking/position in the serach engine results pages!

SEM – Search Engine Marketing. As with most of your marketing efforts, SEM is where you pay to market your website and drive traffic via a sponsored advertisement. All of the major search companies have programs that allow you to purchase keywords and come up in the sponsored sections (usually at the top or to one side) on the search results pages. Where SEO is geared toward an organic (unpaid- natural) high results ranking, SEM is strictly the paid positions in a search. Often SEO and SEM campaigns are done in tandem with one another and analyzed of several months time to determine effectiveness.

PPC- Pay Per Click. This ties into any SEM campaign- in essence it’s exactly what it says. You pay a certain dollar amount every time someone clicks on your sponsored link. You determine what kinds of keywords you want to target and depending on their popularity, you’ll see a price you can expect to pay everytime someone sees your sponsored link come up when they search for those words AND click on your link. You don’t pay unless they actually click to visit your website.

Builder SEO which is a service we offer at Builder Designs, is a program where we can assist you with determine what needs to be done with your site in order to optimize it for organic rankings as well as analyzing a SEM/PPC campaign and evaluating it over time to determine if it’s helping with your ROI!

The world is such a fast paced and busy place, we hardly have time to speak in words that aren’t abbreviated anymore, but isn’t it nice to know that there are people and resources out there that will take the time to explain it to you? If you are interested in CMS, ROI, SEO, SEM, or PPC, give us a buzz. We’d love to talk to you or fill out a contact form on our website and we’ll get in touch with you.

BUYER BEWARE! One of these things is not like the other…

You know that saying about imitation being the best form of flattery? Well apparently we should be VERY flattered because another website company likes our work so much they copied it and are trying to pass it off as their own! Don’t believe me? Take a look below.

Builder Designs Website- THE ORIGINAL!

The Copycat Website - an uncanny resemblance they even used our logo!

On the screenshot of the copycat website, I blurred out the company and client names to protect their identities but you should know that their company works in the same industry and claims to provide expert builder consulting, website and design services to anyone in need of it. In fact the president of their company claims to be a “dot com” expert-how odd that an expert would need to take and use our site without permission! They have several websites out there, the domain where ours appears is one of many they maintain and market.

We politely asked the copycat people to take our content off their site but apparently they don’t want to (understandably… since they liked it so much they copied from us instead of trying to come up with original work of their own.), so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to remind buyers to be aware that sometimes things on the internet are not what they appear to be.

It’s almost like having a Stalker….creepy.

Remember that movie where the bad character began assuming the traits of the good one in order to steal her identity? Kind of the same thing here really. I have to say again that while it’s flattering that the copycat folks like our work so much they want to use it for their own company, it’s kind of disappointing to see that moral and ethical business practices have gone by the wayside for some people. Whatever happened to creating and standing by original work and building a successful business by being not just good at what you do, but truthful and honest at the same time? Pretty sad really. Granted, this is all just my personal opinion but a lot of creative work from all of our team members went into making our site and coming up with the content that you find within our pages. It’s oddly flattering and disconcerting to me that someone would stoop so low as to take our work.

So… What should you do?

If you’re in the market for a new website- particularly one in the real estate industry, whether you’re a home builder, realtor or developer- here are 3 things you need to know about Builder Designs.

1. We are an honest, ethical business.

2. We don’t and won’t copy other people’s work- including buying/using cheap templates and crediting ourselves for the design. When you work with Builder Designs, your website is an original!

3. We are really good at what we do!

Never take for granted that the sites you visit are original works created by the company you see displayed. Always ask! If you’re looking for Builder Designs – ask for us by name. Go to www.BuilderDesigns.com

Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations and never settle for less than the best!

“Why can’t I find my website on Google?”

That seems to be a common question I hear quite a bit these days and while the answer may be far from simple, the solution most certainly is. More and more people in the real estate industry are hearing those “magic” letters coming up in conversation these days: SEO. It stands for Search Engine Optimization and it can be key in getting your site to rank in Google, Yahoo, MSN and other popular search engines and directories.

WHY SHOULD A BUILDER, REALTOR, DEVELOPER CARE ABOUT SEO?

This year has been an uphill battle for most. In times of increased competitiveness and a tougher housing market, we’re all looking for ways to spend less, make more. Trimming the fat and finding smarter ways to spend our money in order to sell product. In my opinion, SEO is the best money you can spend hands down right now. If you have a website, it pays to be visible. As gas prices fluctuate, more people spend time browsing homes online. Half the battle is getting in front of people. This is where SEO comes into play for you. The resulting simple yet ideal scenario is pretty easy:

1. Buyers find you when they are searching online

2. They come to your site, like what they see.

3. They either fill out a form, call or come visit.

4. You sell them a house.

Sounds good doesn’t it?

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS SEO STUFF?

What is SEO? Without going into too much (boring) detail, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essentially taking your website, and making it easy for the search engines to read your website content, determine what it’s about and decide how it will show up when someone searches for information relating to that content.

What is a Search Engine? Websites like Google, Yahoo, MSN, Aol, Ask, Dogpile are what we consider to be search engines. Now, technically some are actually search directories, but all you need to know is that in general terms when someone talks about a search engine, they are talking about those wonderful websites where you get to type in an inquiry about any topic you can think of, hit enter, and instantly see the results of your query. It’s a glorious thing. Even more so when your website comes up in the search results!

Can SEO help? Most certainly if it’s done right.

Can someone guarantee placement on the search engines? In life there are few guarantees, and the same goes for promises of top rankings. You should be wary of anyone who does guarantee a certain ranking. However, any good SEO company (like ours) will let you give their program a trial run to see if the results work for you. Ultimately that is a win-win situation.

HOW DO I FIND THE PERFECT COMPANY TO OPTIMIZE MY WEBSITE?

1. Do your homework. Talk to companies and ask for references and examples of their work.

2. Make sure you only do business with companies that employ ethical business standards and practices. In this digital age, sometimes it’s hard to get a feel for the people you’re working with. Be wary of companies who bad mouth their competition or steal the work of others.

3. Ask them to analyze your site. See what ideas they offer to improve your rankings and research their work.

BOTTOM LINE: HERE’S YOUR SOLUTION

OK, so you’ve read through this information. You want to know what is the easiest way to take advantage of SEO on your site and you want to find someone FAST, someone you can TRUST, someone with PROVEN RESULTS. Well, you guessed it. You came to the right place! Builder Designs is the company you’ve been looking for, and our Builder SEO program is the solution you need. Don’t settle for anything less than the best in the business!

Call or e-mail us today if you want to give our Builder SEO program a whirl or want to learn more. You won’t regret it! 913-393-3367 or fill out our Contact Form

In a time of increasingly tight marketing budgets for most people in the home building and real estate industry, the number one question I’m asked these days is where can you get the biggest return on your investment? I don’t think there’s a black and white answer to this but I tell people their number one priority should be to make sure they have a really great online presence. Granted, I work for a website design and development company so naturally people would expect that from me. But even before I came to work here, that was my answer when people would ask. Why? Here are my top 3 reasons:

1. More people research new homes online than ever before. Over 80% is a statistic released by the National Association of Realtors in 2006. Imagine where that number is now as technology and internet access has become easily accessible and readily available to the public. As more people embrace technology, this number will continue to grow as people use their computers, laptops and increasingly their smartphones and portable devices

2. Having a presence on-line gives you credibility. People conduct searches now more than ever. If you are well represented online it tells your website visitors that you are accessible and not trying to hide anything. It tells them you are a professional and up to date with trends and technology. Best of all, having a great web presence enables you to have the ultimate showcase of your work- especially given rising gas prices. Those Sunday drives to go look around new home communites seem to be few and far between these days making it more important than ever to put your best foot forward online. If people like what they see and they are in the market to buy, it makes sense to have great pictures and information available at their fingertips. If they fall in love with the house online there’s a very good chance they’ll do the same once they visit in person

3. The gift that keeps on giving. As with any great marketing effort, there is cost involved in creating a really terrific website. What that cost ends up being depends greatly on what your personal needs are. The more bells and whistles you have built in, the higher the cost is likely to be. Regardless of whether you choose a clean and simple site or a larger-than-life complex site, you’ll typically find that your costs on having your site created are typically front loaded. That’s why I say it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Once you give yourself the gift of the website and follow it through from concept to creation, your costs become minimal- mostly hosting and maintenance until you decide to freshen up your site. Most people will do a design revamp every 2-3 years to add new features and freshen up their site to keep people coming back. The point is, averaged out over time, the cost for a website becomes minimal compared to other marketing venues that can be very pricey and lack the longevity of a 24/7 presence on the internet

Once you have a site you obviously have to find a way to let people know that it exists. There are hundreds of things you can do, some cost money and are also well worth the investment (Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Mailers etc.) and others are inexpensive if not free (e-mail footers, e-mail blasts, business cards, etc.). Any good web design company will be full of ideas that you can use to market your website. However, keep in mind that before you can market a website, you have to have one that your clients are inclined to visit. Make sure yours is a prime example of putting your best foot forward!

Since our business is focused on the real estate industry, it is very important to us to stay on top of what’s happening in the housing market. It’s often a point of discussion when we talk to various clients throughout the day. From a local perspective, we have been plagued by negative press for well over a year now-which is not only frustrating to us, but also to several of the area builders, developers and realtors we work with. It was refreshing to see our local newspaper, The Kansas City Star, dedicate an entire page and a half on Sunday to a round table discussion on the state of real estate in the Kansas City area. [Click here to view the article]

Granted, while it may not be all blue skies and fluffy white clouds in the local housing market, it’s certainly not gloom and doom either. Putting local market information and statistics out for the public to digest is the first step towards improving and balancing local perception. I’ve become used to seeing Kansas City lumped into what I think of as the “National Negative Housing News” category when it comes to media reports on television and in print. What the media has failed to do is identify the specific areas that are experiencing difficulty and separate the good markets from the bad. That’s what makes it twice as nice to see one local media outlet finally starting to take steps toward a more positive and proactive local view. Seeing and hearing positive housing news is a most welcome change.

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence.
To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” Pearl S. Buck

How many people can honestly say they look forward to going to work in the morning? (My hand is raised…me me me!) A day in the life of the members of the BD Team typically begins with me attempting to make a decent pot of coffee. Usually I do ok, but I’m a little nervous since my recent snafu in making a pot of super strong coffee (gourmet dark roast apparently doesn’t require quite as many scoops as the light stuff…). It was so strong apparently Spencer and Chad had to secretly water theirs down…Chad fessed up later. I had mine so masked with cream and sugar that it didn’t phase me a bit-until the caffiene hit me later. But I digress…there’s something comforting about starting out the day with that cup of coffee- the aroma wafting down the hall, taking the first sip and savoring the warmth especially in the cold of a kansas city winter. The familiarity of the routine is a nice counter to the not-so-routine days we usually have. As the coffee brews, all the members of the BD team roll into the office and we prepare to start the day after our morning production meetings, going over basketball games (big KU/K-State rivalry in our office!) and anything else interesting that might have happened since we last saw each other.

Every day seems to be different from the last which is great in our business since it keeps work from getting stale. There’s always something to do and while there are similarities on some levels, for the most part every task has it’s own unique slant. For instance this morning a new client came by and dropped of a very large decorative ceramic plate. They wanted to see what we thought of the colors and if that might work as a starting point for the colors their website will be based on. We were grateful that this particular client has exquisite taste and that the colors will look spectacular on her site- but what amazed us the most was that this client went out of their way to make sure that plate got to us so we could see it firsthand. That same client remarked that she was so excited to be working with us (the feeling is mutual!) which of course made us happy. We like it when people like us, it makes work so much more fun that way. And of course, when work is fun, we tend to look forward to coming to work everyday. Or at least I do…