Adding a PDF to Your Home Page (video)
Watch this short video to learn how to upload a PDF document to the engageRE Agent Portal and then add a link to it on the home page of your website.
- Click the Site Builder tab, and then the Graphics tab along the bottom of the menu.
- In the pop-up window, click the Add Image button, followed by Choose File. Browse to the completed PDF or JPG form on your computer and click Open. Returning to the My Images pop-up, click Upload and confirm by clicking the Yes, I Acknowledge & Accept link.A new image will appear in the upper left corner of the Thumbnail area along the left side of the pop-up. Right-click on that image and select the Copy Image Address function (for Chrome – other browsers may label it differently, so refer to the video). Close the My Images popup window.
- Returning now to the main Site Builder window, click the Design tab and then the Layout tab.
- Find a text area somewhere on your home page where the link should go, and click the edit link next to it. Choose the Create/Edit My Own Content button if prompted.
- In the new content editor, position the cursor where you want the link to appear and click the Insert/edit Link button. The Insert Link pop-up will appear.
- Right-click in the URL field and select Paste. The address of the document should appear in the field. In the next field, Text to display, enter the desired label that will appear on the page. For the Target, choose “new Window”. Click OK to close the Insert Link pop-up, which will add the link to the chosen text area. Then click Submit to complete the edit.
- Click Publish to make the change to your website. You can confirm by clicking the View Website link.
Creative Ideas for Driving Traffic to Your Site
Build it and they will come.
...well, not really. A website that remains stagnant (regardless of how great it looks) is nothing more than a glorified business card. In order to start getting recognized in organic search engine results, it's important for you to remain vigilant, promote your site, and add new content on a regular basis. We will do our part by providing solid education and support, but it's important for you to remain part of the process by adding custom content and finding creative ways to drive web traffic to your website. After working with hundreds of real estate agents, we have learned a thing or two. Our staff has compiled a list of awesome and creative ways that can help you bring visitors to your website. As always, it’s really important for you to have great content in order to keep visitors on your site and convert them into solid leads and ultimately sales!
- Sponsor a coloring contest. Post a coloring sheet on your website, advertise to your engageRE contacts, and offer a gift card to the winner.
- Sponsor a small scholarship for a local college. Ask the college to provide a link on their website to your website site (having a “.edu” incoming link to your site is a bonus!).
- Have a monthly raffle drawing for home décor/fun new items.
- Offer a raffle for local baked goods: hand deliver the goodies to the winner.
- Sponsor a contest or raffle offering tickets to a popular community event (theater, ballet, concert, etc).
- Partner with a local animal shelter to sponsor a pet naming contest. For every entry, donate a small amount ($1 - $5) to the shelter. The winner of the pet naming contest gets bragging rights, and the shelter gets publicity and a small donation.
- Promote a $100 gift card giveaway. Add a button that links to the registration form, and draw one name per month from those who register (may be MLS or region dependent).
- Offer a $5 Starbucks gift card for everyone who registers on your site (may be MLS or region dependent).
- Partner with other agents who reside in a “vacation” location – promote each other’s listings.
- Offer weekly contests geared towards prominent sports teams and offer game-day giveaways (tickets, memorabilia, etc.).
- Post a photo each month of a location within your market area – visitors register to guess where it is, those that are correct could be entered into a prize drawing.
- Link all of your social media accounts to your site, and be sure to post things frequently and consistently. Don’t post too often – once or twice a week is ideal. Post new listings, open houses, or simply thanking everyone for their support. This would also be a great place to announce new contests or giveaways.
- Sponsor a local recreational youth sports team. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have all of the spectators see your brand on the back of those uniforms?
- Advertise your website in local media such as newspaper, magazine, or radio.
- Offer a raffle for a locally sponsored restaurant.
- Join a local business association. Many of these will offer a directory on their website that will link to your site. Examples: local Chamber of Commerce, Visitor’s Bureau, Rotary Club, etc.
- Offer for a discount on home staging.
- Develop a top-notch buying/selling guide. Advertise it on your social media sites. Set up a Squeeze Page on your website that requires someone to register to receive the document via email.
- Above all, don’t forget about traditional marketing methods such as local advertising, flyers, signage, etc.
- Have a door-to-door campaign with a small gift and flyer advertising your website.
Awesome Content Ideas for Your Website!
Having good content on your site is important for several reasons. If done correctly, custom content can provide rich keywords for search engines to index and rank your site. Another reason to add content to your site is to add value for consumers. Most real estate websites have access to the same MLS content which means that consumers can find homes for sale on many websites. What can you add to your website that will make it stand out from the crowd and entice web visitors to spend time on your site, register, and ultimately convert into a sale? After looking at hundreds of website, our staff has compiled a list of awesome content ideas. Remember that search engines love unique content, so take the time to write your own articles. Stick to what you know, and of course, what you love!
- Discuss how to prepare your pets and/or kids for a move (common problems, helpful tips, etc.)
- Add photos with captions for each community/SEO landing page.
- Highlight your personal charities with logos. Offer to make a donation to the charity of a client’s choosing at time of closing.
- Add a custom community page with links to local schools, businesses, and places of interest.
- Add a page that caters to Service members: include branch of service insignia to attract and appeal to comrades. Add content specific to the needs of military personnel.
- Office websites – write about internal contests or events happening in the office. Use this to encourage agents in the office to become more involved in local community events, clubs, and charities.
- Add a city landing page with links to neighborhood/condo searches.
- Highlight real estate market updates.
- Create a page dedicated to local sports teams in your area.
- Add a page dedicated to the history of the your primary market area (may also include searches for homes in historic districts).
- Create a page with a buyers list in order to match buyers with sellers.
- Include college affiliations to attract/appeal to fellow graduates and millenials.
- Focus on one specific demographic group. For example, you may have a page dedicated to the needs of physicans with searchs around the local hospitals.
- Add a page dedicated to a special niche such as historical homes, golf courses, lakefront communities, etc.
- Include Agent Insight widgets on SEO search pages.
- Add a page that highlights fun things to do in the area or unique facts about your community.
- Participate in local community activities in your area and post information/photos about those events.
- Consider adding custom videos to your community landing pages. This could be as simple as you talking about the community or offering a driving tour.
- List your top ten favorite restaurants in town and why you like each of them. Try to talk about restaurants off the beaten path.
- Include floor plans for popular new construction communities.
- Add a page for neighborhoods with parks (could include SEO searches for homes in those neighborhoods).
- Add a custom page with a list of frequently asked questions that agents get asked by their customers.
- Add a short, unique paragraph to an SEO search that describes the community in your own words. Borrow facts from another site if necessary, but write the content using your own words.
- Create custom content based on the customer’s buying cycle: dreaming, initiating, shopping, negotiating, transacting, owning.
- Use video! Interview some of your local politicians and/or restaurant owners and find places to highlight them on your website.
- Create a page that uses humor to discuss the do’s and dont’s of home buying. Use your own experiences with clients (sometimes you just can’t make these things up!).
- Write an article about the places in your community that offer live music, especially those that are free to the public.
- Consider adding a “Just for Kids” page that has fun games and links to local youth activities.
- Create a page dedicated to the local schools – highlight achievements such as championship games, local clubs, or academic excellence. Include property searches for each school.
- Customize your profile page. In addition to adding your certifications, make it personal. Talk about why you love selling real estate in your community.
- Add a Google calendar showing events being hosted or attended.
Tips for Selecting and Purchasing a Domain Name (video)
Why should you purchase a domain name?
- Drive traffic to your site – The more traffic to your website increases listing views, consumer leads, and can lead to more closings.
- Brand yourself – create an online presence. Branding affects how people perceive and remember you.
- Strengthen SEO – it is a key factor that directly impacts your SEO results.
Custom Domain 101
Why do I need a custom domain?
Branding yourself online with a custom domain is very important since your online brand affects how people perceive and remember you and is a factor that will directly impact your SEO efforts and results.
Where do I get a custom domain?
If you do not already have a custom domain name, we recommend that you register one as soon as possible. Based on our experience, we recommend GoDaddy.com, the largest provider of domain name registrations. We have found GoDaddy to be easy to work with and reliable, and they charge less than $15/year for domains. Once you have registered your new domain (or identified one you already have in your account), contact Premier Service support and we will take care of getting your new domain working on your Premier website.
What are some guidelines for considering the domain name I choose?
DO:
- Select a domain name that is short, relevant, memorable, and easy to spell.
- Consider including a location or keyword relevant to your market.
- Register yourself as the owner of the domain name with administrative rights.
- All things being equal, try and select a domain name with a .com extension
- Instead of using your name, consider using a combination of your location and relevant keywords. Examples include: joesellsnj.com, charlestonluxuryhomes.com, etc.
DON'T:
- Use the words "RE/MAX" or "realtor" without first reviewing the RE/MAX Trademark and Graphics Standards Guidelines.
- Use dashes, abbreviations, or numbers unless necessary.
- Choose a domain name that is difficult to spell out.
- Use a made up or purposely misspelled word.