Articles By Topic Alphabetical List of Articles		How To Use A Web Site To Catch Customers, Without Ensnaring Yourself By David P. Kowal Real estate professionals who are rushing to stake out their plots on the World Wide Web should keep the following aphorism in mind: Don't make vast plans if you're going to do a half-vast job executing them. Real estate agencies and others in the industry are establishing about 100 web sites a month. The National Association of Realtors, which plans to start up the Realtors Information Network this fall, is a catalyst for much of this activity. The NAR hopes to have half of the property listings in the country on line by next spring. Clearly, those who want to be players in the industry will need to establish their own web sites. But, in their rush to get there, most will fail to carry out the planning necessary to develop a successful web site. The following steps are necessary to establish a web site that will capture new customers without yourself becoming ensnared in the sticky complexities of the World Wide Web: 1. Hire a firm or consultant that understands marketing. Many of the firms that are developing web sites are technically proficient, but are clueless about marketing. Hiring a techie to build a web site is like hiring a mechanic to drive in the Indianapolis 500. Technical skills are vital, but marketing skills will determine whether your web site succeeds. Some astute providers of Internet services are even forming strategic alliances with marketing communications and public relations firms. 2. Develop a plan. Don't just establish a web site for the sake of having a web site. Your firm will need to determine why you need a web site and how you will use it. The firm you hire to set up your site should be able to carry out the research necessary to develop a plan. Your plan should include short-term and long-term objectives, and a flowchart showing how the information on your site will be hyperlinked. Carefully consider what information you want on your site. Do you want to register visitors and develop a database? Do you want to process transactions on-line? Is e-mail important? In addition to property listings, what kind of editorial information do you expect to provide? These are just a few of the questions that need to be answered. 3. Do it right. Even the best plan is useless if it is improperly executed. The real estate industry is visually oriented. Your home page should be colorful, attractively designed and easy to use. Hyperlinks should have a logical flow. Any information that is added to the site should serve a useful purpose. Remember that if your web site doesn't catch a user's interest in three clicks, the user will be gone -- never to return. Many firms go on line with minimal information and use irritating "Under Construction" icons to indicate that more is coming. Don't go on line until you're ready. Having an address on the World Wide Web with a lousy web site is like putting vanity plates on a Yugo. An ill-conceived web site can provide negative advertising for your firm. 4. Update information regularly. Your web site is a living document. It provides an opportunity for real time, 24-hour-a-day communication with potential and existing clients. If you don't regularly pay attention to your web site, neither will anyone else. To ensure that your site is kept up to date, keep your vendor on a monthly retainer. Make certain new features are added regularly and that existing features are updated. Respond quickly to comments and requests from site users. 5. Promote the web site. Print your on-line address on business cards, letterhead, ads, brochures, direct mail and other communications. Potential clients won't visit your site unless they know about it. The Internet is already being used by 40 million people, but keep in mind that most users are outside of your target market. Promote your site proactively within your local market. Also keep in mind that your site is only one tool in your communications toolbox. It should be integrated into an overall communications plan. It should complement other communications, not replace them. Following these steps will ensure that your web site, instead of being half vast, will be vastly superior to the sites established by your competitors.   David P. Kowal is President of Kowal Communications, Inc. of Northboro, Mass. He can be reached at kowal@kowal.com.  << back to article list   About KC. | .Free advice. | .Links. | .Contact us. | .Home ©1999 Kowal Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.   .