e-PRO Tips

As a general rule, do not register a domain containing someone else's Federally registered trademark. The trademark owner might bring legal action to halt your use of their name. Registering the name of a famous person or company in a bad faith attempt to sell the name to that person or their competitor may violate the Federal Anti-Cybersquatting law. Learn more great tips in the e-PRO Certification Course.

Domain names can be up to 67 characters in length, including the TLD (63 characters plus .com, .net, .org, etc). Allowable characters are letters, numbers, and dashes or hyphens (-). Hyphens are not allowable at the beginning or the end of a domain. Spaces are not allowed between words - so, to distinguish one word from another when using your domain in a marketing setting, use upper and lower case. It's the little things that make a difference. Domains are not case sensitive. Use this tip to make your marketing materials easier to read and your brand easier to identify. Examples of using upper and lower case:

forbesbest.com
ForbesBest.com

epronar.com
eProNAR.com

jimshead.com
JimShead.com

The only valid characters for a domain name are letters, numbers and dashes (dashes cannot be at front or back). Other characters like an exclamation mark are not permitted; nor are underscores or blank spaces between characters. Domain names are not case sensitive, so mixing lower and upper case often gives your domain name a better appearance for marketing purposes. Learn more great tips in the e-PRO Certification Course

The most important consideration for real estate professionals (anyone for that matter) in choosing a dial-up ISP is that the ISP has a clean connection (access to the network that is characterized by limited or no line noise, no dropped lines and upline/downline transmissions at or close to capacity) through a local phone number or phone numbers for you to access with no long distance charges. If you travel, you will want a National ISP (an ISP that offers points of presence, PoP, not to be confused with Post Office Protocol) available through local phone numbers in a majority of US locations with many dial-up numbers around the country, and also an 800 number for remote areas. An important skill for the e-PRO is to be able to use the dial-up networking wizard (a program in Microsoft Windows that steps the user through the information gathering and setup to create an Internet connection through the user's ISP). The best way to find a good ISP is by word of mouth. Who do you know who has the same connectivity requirements as you and is happy with their ISP?

There are many ways to locate good, local ISPs. Visit www.thelist.com, where you can browse ISPs via area code, state, and more. Also, ask friends and business associates which company they use and if they are satisfied with the service they are receiving.

Consider the following when choosing and periodically evaluating a dial-up ISP:

• How many local dial-up numbers are available?
• Are access numbers available nationally (in the event you are out of town and want to access the Internet)?
• Are there 800 dial-up numbers available (in case you are at an airport or at a location where you have to access the Internet with your laptop computer at a pay phone)?
• What is the cost of the 800 number? ($6 to $8 per hour)
• What is the pricing for unlimited monthly service? (usually less than $21)
• Is 56-kbps modem access available?
• How many e-mail accounts per subscription?
• Is there an attachment size restriction?
• Is there a limit to the number of e-mail addressees per message?
• What is the storage capacity of your e-mail account?
• Are you notified when your limit is exceeded?
• Are senders notified when your account limit has been exceeded?
• Is there a charge for using your own Domain Name?
• Is there a 24 hour/7 days a week, toll free "Help Line"?

Remember, your ISP is the path through which you conduct your real estate business via the Internet. When shopping for an ISP, consider the following:

Reliability. Make certain your dial-up ISP has ample connections available so you don't receive any busy signals. Make sure that your ISP has a solid "uptime" record.

Responsiveness. Are support numbers easily found on their site? If you encounter a problem, can you speak with a human being who will walk you through solutions to your issues?

Space. How much space will they provide for your POP Account?

SPAM (electronic junk mail). Top-tier ISPs have filters in place to block SPAM before it reaches your POP account. Ask potential ISPs if they've configured their e-mail servers to do this.

Connectivity. Does the ISP provide cable-modem access, DSL, 56K?

Average scheduled monthly down time. How much time might be lost due to scheduled and emergency system maintenance? What is the average lost time per month during peak and off-peak hours?

It's your business. Connect to the Internet effectively.

The domain name you are interested in might not be available tomorrow. Domain names are issued on a first-come first-served basis. Once a name is taken, it is gone. Domain names are unique. Only one person or entity can hold a license for a particular domain. As a general rule, do not register a domain containing someone else's Federally registered trademark.

Companies and people are quickly realizing that a domain name is the foundation of one's Internet identity. It is becoming evident that having an Internet address is mandatory in today's real estate business, as important as having a phone number. Whether you decide to use the domain now or later, once registered no one else can use your domain name (for the duration of the license period). The smart business decision is to register your name and/or company name without delay so that the domain(s) will be available when you choose to use it, rather than find out someone beat you to it, and purchased it the day before. Many people buy several domain names and point them to their web site (called pointer domains).

Secure your Internet identity today. Buy your domain name now. You can park the domain until you decide to use it for e-mail or a web site. To use a domain, it must be hosted on a domain name server, which can then direct traffic to your e-mail account and web site.

If you don't have your own domain, then more than likely, your e-mail address is a User Name at the domain of your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Using Janie123@AOL.com as our example, Janie123 is the user name and AOL.com is the domain name. Every time Janie uses this address, she is promoting AOL.com.

Doesn't it make better sense to promote your own Internet identity rather than that of the ISP? If you are like most real estate professionals, your name plays a key part in your marketing efforts. If you are going to do business on the Internet, you must create an Internet Presence. To do this, you must obtain your own domain name.

A significant benefit of owning your own domain is a permanent e-mail address. You can change ISPs as often as you want and the permanent address does not change.

If Janie acquires the domain name JanieSmith.com, her permanent E-mail address can be Janie@JanieSmith.com and her new World Wide Web address can be http://JanieSmith.com

Note the consistency that her domain name gives to her e-mail address and her web site address. Consistency is a prime ingredient of your Internet marketing plan.

Tip: A significant benefit of owning your own domain is a permanent e-mail address. A permanent e-mail address gives you the ability to be on the quest for the fastest connectivity at the best price, without having to worry about changing your e-mail address. Your clients will always be able to reach you by e-mail, regardless of how often you change ISPs.

There are literally hundreds of web sites real estate professionals can use for domain registration. Keep in mind that different companies offer different levels of service with their registration service. Make sure you choose a company that has been in the domain and e-mail business for at least five years and a company that provides a high level of customer service. Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish" in the handling of your domain. Your choice of registrars has a direct impact on your marketing and communication on the Internet.

When registering a Second Level Domain, make sure you:

• Get a Registry Key or equivalent at the time of Registration.
• Purchase a multi-year license (up to 10 years) to minimize the possibility that you might forget to renew, and thus lose all the marketing investment you have in your domain name, and the lost business that would result from future undelivered e-mail sent to your old domain.
• Make sure the registration is processed in real time so no one beats you to the registry at the last minute and registers the same domain you were intending to register.
• Domains are registered on a first-come-first-served basis. In the event of a dispute over a domain containing a previously Federally registered trademark, the trademark owner generally would prevail.

If you do not own a second level domain, purchasing one should be the first step on your technology "to do" list. At the very least you should attempt to own your own YourLastName.com, YourFirstNameLastName.com or YourCompanyName.com. Buy it now before someone else does….it may already be too late. Make sure you are listed as owner (not your web designer).

If e-mail and Web services are already connected to your domain and you are going to transfer to a new registrar, be sure to use an experienced domain host to limit any possible interruption in e-mail and Web service during the transfer.

Make sure your Web side address and your e-mail address both reflect your domain.

Reserve, at a minimum, your name, if it is available. While it is true that many real estate professionals are thinking about the salability of their business in the future, many successful businesses were built around a name, which has the advantage of already being known by your past clients. Examples are names such as Sears, J.C. Penny, Arthur Young Ford, Dean Witter, Long and Foster, Weichert and many others. Your name is your brand and your brand is your name.

Point your cursor to your desktop and "right click" where there is nothing on your desktop. Notice the pop up menu. Every chance you get, "right click" and examine the options.

We can all become more effective e-mail users. Paying attention to how we address our e-mail and understanding certain protocols can save us from making unnecessary responses.

"To" addressee is the one to whom you are directing the communication or requesting action.

"CC" addressee is receiving the E-mail for information purposes only and usually need not reply.

"BCC" or Blind Carbon Copy (interesting that we use the paradigm of carbon paper in digital communication) is to be used when we want someone to see a communication and we don't want anyone to know that that person has received the E-mail. A good use of BCC is when we are sending E-mail to a list of people and we do not want to clog people's E-mail with hundreds of E-mail addresses in the Copy or the To box and to protect the privacy of the E-mail addresses of the recipients.

Web Forwarding - With web forwarding, you have the ability to point your domain to your web site.

A simple differentiator is to ask every one you meet for:
1. Their e-mail address
2. Their preferred method of communication - don't assume it is the telephone. Just asking this question will differentiate you from your competition.

Don't use free, Web-based e-mail as your primary business e-mail solution. It may be okay for recreational use, not for business use.

Send yourself an e-mail. Is your permanent e-mail address reflected in the header of the message? If you are using a Web-based system such as AOL, Yahoo or Hotmail, it will not be. If you are using free e-mail service, does the advertising at the bottom of the e-mail send the recipients of your e-mail to another business? Could it be your competitor?

To change to plain text in Outlook go to: Tools/Options/Mail Format. Choose 'Plain Text" from the drop down menu titled 'Compose in the message format'.

Use the multiple signature feature in your e-mail software to promptly respond to requests for common information using prewritten responses.

Select your Subject line language carefully. Make it an attention grabber. Many people block messages that contain objectional words in the subject line.

Create a permanent e-mail address today. All you need is your own domain and e-mail forwarding. For more information on obtaining a Permanent E-mail address go to: http://PermanentEmailAddress.RealTown.com

Use unlimited addressing to better manage your flow of e-mail. Ask your e-mail host for this functionality, which should be provided to you at no extra cost. A step above this concept would be aliasing in which the new e-mail accounts are set up.

An auto-responder used in conjunction with an automated e-mail signature or a web site report is an effective method of internet marketing.

If you want to reach people on the Internet, don't wait for them to go to your web site -- get into their "Inbox."

In viewing a web site framed within the main site, you might decide to find the URL of the framed site. If you go to bookmark the site to your Favorites, you will see that the URL displayed is that of the main site, not the one you want to save. Point your cursor to the framed page you want, RIGHT click the mouse, and click on Properties. You can then copy the URL noted and paste it into the location bar of your browser, open that site and then enter it into your Favorites folder.

Highlight in your marketing materials the following consumer demands that you believe to be the hallmark of your services:

• Speed
• Convenience
• Choice
• Value Added
• Quality
• Information
• Service
• Discounts

Conduct a Web site survey of your competition. Go to http://Google.com and search for your most successful competitors, by name. Below is the survey:

Web Site Survey Check List:
1. Determine the 5 market leaders in your area. This information is usually obtainable through your MLS.
2. Go to http://Google.com and enter their names (conduct a separate search for each)
3. With the search results, visit the web sites of the market leaders
4. Record the following for each of their web sites:
     A. Colors
     B. Content (Listings, theirs, much of the MLS, National)
     C. Design and ease of navigation
     D. Do they contain Privacy Policies?
     E. Is their e-mail address on each page?
     F. Any outstanding features you liked
     G. Is there a method for collecting e-mail addresses?
     H. Any Features to Avoid

Take a look at your Web site in different browsers and different versions of browsers….not all consumers use the same browser or version so it is a good idea to see how it looks to others using different applications.

For "copying" information right off your desktop, capturing Web sites for a presentation, etc., use:
PrtScn - Captures entire screen
Alt + PrtScn - Captures active window only

The image is now the "clip board" and can be pasted into an application such as Powerpoint or Word.

If your listings are on REALTOR.com, your listings may appear on other sites as well. Be sure to know where your listings are displayed on the Internet and include that information in your listings presentation.

Learn all you can about IDX (Internet Data Exchange) and VOW (Virtual Office Website) solutions available to you through your MLS or third-party vendors. Remember, Web Sites with listing inventory are "stickier" than those without listing inventory.

Many MLSs today offer an e-mail listing notice functionality which sends an e-mail to the person subscribed to the service whenever a listing that meets the subscribers search criteria is entered into the MLS data base. The value to the real estate professional, besides the providing of listing information to the contact, is that the licensee's name will be included in that e-mail notification. The secret to success in marketing one's self in the real estate business is putting one's name in front of people over and over again. You cannot do this too much.

The same way you would handle them in person, leads…provide information and service to the potential client. Use e-mail as the primary method of communication. Find out the bandwidth of the client…you don't want to send them large files if they are connected at a slow speed. Provide them with relevant information, and return all e-mail in a timely manner. At the same time, check their message for a signature or vCard that might offer their telephone numbers. If it is not there, it is appropriate to ask for them in a reply message only if you are giving them the information they requested. For example, you might say; "I am attaching the information that you requested. As an added benefit to you, please send me your contact information: telephone, address, etc., so that I can call you with additional details not listed in the flyer."

If you use Outlook, Outlook Express or many of the other top-tier e-mail programs, you can usually right-click (click the right mouse button once to be able to add the person to your address book. In Outlook Express:

*Right click on the sender's name or e-mail address and select "Add to Address Book"

You are offered a pop-up window with tabs for many different types of information (home, business, personal, etc.). The information in the header is already filled in. Add whatever additional information you can glean from the message (phone, address, name, etc) and save the record.

To make your site a more effective tool, find out what works and what doesn't work from your customers and clients by asking them the following questions and others you create as you continue to define your web presence:

1. How did you find my web site?
2. Did it load quickly?
3. At what speed are you connected to the Internet?
4. What features of the site did you find most useful?
5. Did anything about the site annoy you?

Make sure your domain host allows you to create all the Third Level Domains you want to create, and at no additional charge…….remember, there are three types of hosting; domain, e-mail and Web site hosting.

Join the RealTalk Online Community at http://RealTalk.RealTown.com and subscribe to either the RealTalk Digest or Immediate Mode. Digest is a periodic e-mail (one to two per day) with all of the contributions consolidated. Immediate Mode subscriptions will send you other member's contributions as it is released by the Listserv moderator. Immediate mode could result in 100 or more individual e-mails a day….which is no big deal if you're an "e-mail powerhouse".

Internet Planning Priorities Checklist

• Own your own domain
• Obtain a reliable, full-featured e-mail account
• Create a Permanent e-mail Address
• Investigate broadband options in your area
• Learn and begin to use more of the functionality of your e-mail software
• Build your e-mail address book
• Web Site Strategy and Web Marketing Plan
• Examine web options and allocate annual budget
• Make web site decision - make sure you can measure results