Insight Inbox

Mobile Marketing: Are Home Builders Behind the Times Again?

2009-06-30T14:57:48-05:00

If you could tap into a marketing venue that was surpassing the adoption of the Internet in the late 1990’s in both demographics and numbers, wouldn’t you take advantage of it as quickly as possible? Of course! The only question is: what is this marketing venue?

Believe it or not, it’s mobile marketing.

Mobile Marketing Stats

When you consider that 83% of the US is connected via mobile devices and that 40 million people are considered “active” mobile web users, it’s hard to deny the applicability of mobile marketing. (There should not be too many people asking “You think that mobile thing will catch on?”) We’re not just talking about high schoolers. It’s estimated that 80% of the market is over 25 years old, ranging from first-time home buyers to seasoned real estate owners.

Don’t expect those numbers to go down either. With iPhone’s ever-increasing popularity and several other competitors vying for mobile consumer dollars, mobile Internet is bound to continue this trend. Finding an audience for your mobile website or mobile application won’t be a problem. (Chances are you already have one!)

The Mobile Challenge

The challenge for that audience will be finding an effective new home mobile website or mobile application. The problem is, I only know 10 builders with a mobile presence. It’s akin to 1998 and 1999 when marketers believed that people weren’t looking for new homes online, when in fact, the reason they weren’t looking was that there weren’t any effective, lead-generating builder websites online at the time.

If you’re reading this blog post and thinking your website works fine on mobile web, crack open your mobile device and look at it right now. Most websites offer a lousy mobile user experience. At best, they’re kludgy. At worst, they don’t work at all because they’re too reliant upon Flash, JavaScript and drop-downs.

Maybe it’s time for a mobile make-over. Here are some questions to ask before you begin:

Who is going to build or redesign your mobile website or mobile app? If it’s your own webmaster, that opens up many more questions.
Who will support it long-term?
Who is going to make sure it is compatible with all mobile devices and software?
What’s the difference between mobile and text marketing?
How much should a mobile website or application cost me?
How will my information be updated on a mobile website?
Should I do this now … or wait? (This is not a trick question)

Let us take the mystery out of it. Contact your Builder Homesite sales rep at 866-651-8866.

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James Honeycutt

Blanket Ads Program Drives Traffic in Smaller Markets

2009-06-11T15:39:25-05:00

For years we've seen the steady growth in online advertising as marketers shift dollars to more targeted and accountable media. Online advertising has provided tremendous flexibility allowing even small companies to have a global presence in the digital world. To help drive more leads for home builders in smaller markets, NewHomeSource has implemented the Blanket Ad Program designed to increase online advertising in markets that may be too small for most publishers to consider.

The success of the Blanket Ad Program lies in increasing the share of voice (SOV) for home builders advertising on NewHomeSource. As the name implies, advertisers have the opportunity to 'blanket the market' providing the greatest SOV possible. The program has had very impressive results, with response rates higher than NewHomeSource's typical CTR. It has also provided a media where small and custom builders can compete against national production builders with substantially larger budgets.

Over 50% of NewHomeSource's traffic is from consumers who are relocating, and the Blanket Ad Program provides a significant value for homebuilders who can reach consumers across the country. The high SOV also limits impressions available in any market continually keeping those advertisers in front of consumers and their competition. The program was launched in the first quarter of 2009 and is now offered in over 50 markets on NewHomeSource.

For more information contact Thane Tennison, Ad Operations Manager for NewHomeSource at 866-651-8868 or at ttennison@builderhomesite.com.

CustomNewHomes.com is Live!

2009-05-14T17:37:46-05:00

Custom Home Builders take note: BHI has a new website focused on showcasing your work and connecting you with interested consumers in your market.

http://www.customnewhomes.com is a gallery-style listing site with detailed descriptions and large picture galleries.

If you are already listed with NewHomeSource.com as a custom home builder or as a Build On Your Lot builder, your listing on this new site is absolutely free and is provided in addition to your community-based listings on New Home Source. Some other details:

· CustomNewHomes is a site primarily created for the "traditional" custom builder market -- smaller, local builders.

· Your listing on CNH is free and will give you additional exposure to the custom home buyer

· Interested consumers click to your website, call, or submit email-based inquiries (sent to your "lead recipient" email address extracted from BHI Live data)

· Emails are not tracked as "leads" within NHS lead tracking, but are internally tracked for now

· Your info was copied from data available on NewHomeSource, but is to be separately managed in the CNH admin area

· An administrative login has been created for you. Contact: bldradminsupport@builderhomesite.com.

You're encouraged to go to the site to see your listing as we've entered it, and to login to edit or add information or photos

For more information, see our press release.

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Paul Gruber is BHI's Sr. Product Manager, and has been designing, marketing, and managing web applications, software, and websites for more than 10 years. Prior to joinining BHI in early '09, he held senior product manager roles at Affiniscape, Hoover's, and D&B

Manage Your Leads with BHI's New Strategic Partner, BuildTopia

2009-04-28T19:05:45-05:00

The new strategic partnership between Builder Homesite and BuildTopia, which was announced today, has made the lives of builders who use NewHomeSource.com a lot easier. While they may be used to getting great exposure online due to BHI's other partnerships with sites like Zillow, Yahoo! Real Estate, and AOL Real Estate, builders may not have been able to effectively manage all of the leads from those sites.

With BuildTopia's BTLead, builder can now have access to a web-based lead management tool that is feature-rich and designed specifically for the home building industry.

Read more about this partnership in this press release.

6 Ways to Generate Enthusiasm and Close the Deal

2009-04-10T17:21:46-05:00

All too often in the homebuying process, sales people take the rather passive role of either answering questions or stating facts, like how much HOA dues are and what incentives are available. However, the process of buying a new home is as much an emotional decision as it is a logical decision. Here are some "engagement tools" for creating an emotional tie to your homes with homebuyers.

Start with your Internet presence. Does your webpage copy engage the homebuyer and virtually inspire that anticipation of ownership? Let consumers know what kind of experience they will have owning one of your homes. Tell them what sets your homes apart from your competitor's.
Use real-life testimonials. Let your most satisfied customers speak for you and tell their own story. Consumers tend to trust the opinions of fellow consumers more than they trust your ad copy.
Provide Interactive Floor Plans to bring the consumer further into their attachment to your homes. Interactive floor plans allow the consumer to refine and perfect their ideal home based on the plans and options you provide. The more you can have them thinking "this is my home" the better.
New home and new home community videos are also wonderful tools for inspiring an emotional response in the home buying process. What better way to virtually place your site's users into your homes or communities than through video? Use a professional video production company to help you create the right atmosphere, embed just the right music, and capture the most eye-catching image stills and video.
Use the best practices for web usability to provide as much information as possible to your users in an eye-catching and appealing way. Remember, buyers in today's market do all of their research online before they ever visit your model.
Real-World follow-through. Carry your efforts for creating an emotional attachment to your homes into real-world tours of your model homes. Use language that reminds the home buyer of the experience they "will have" in their new home. Keep your on-site sales staff enthusiastic and motivated. Remember, nothing is more contagious than emotion.

If you use these few "feel good" tools, you'll create an experience for the homebuyer long before you start discussing pricing and lot selection. Get those buyers involved emotionally first, and the sale is made.

Please feel free to contact your BHI representative for further information on what we can do to help you.

Chad Bria
480-370-3141
cbria@builderhomesite.com

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Chad Bria has been in the Internet technology new home builder sector for over ten years, helping builders, ranging from custom home builders to "Builder 100" clients nationwide, with their Internet presence.

BHI March Stimulus Deals

2009-03-16T17:17:58-05:00

In this economic environment, we know you can use all of the help you can get. While we all appreciate the government's stimulus package, we figured you could use a little more help. So, BHI created a real stimulus package just for you to ensure a successful Spring and Summer selling season. In a nod to simplicity we decided to skip the 18,000 page document defining the terms and conditions of our package and have just listed them below. I hope you find these useful and stay tuned for more offers in the coming months.

70% OFF BANNER ADS

In select markets, we are offering an unprecedented $8 CPM rate, which is more than 70% off retail. Space is limited and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. You can lock into this rate for up to three months. See the list below for select markets* where this offer is available. Good luck, but you had better act fast!

BOGO ON VIDEO

With over 85 percent of users now having broadband access, video is a must for a builder's website. More engagement, more click-through's, more leads... need we say more. Video is a great investment in this tough market. So were going 2 for 1 in March. That's right! Buy one for $1,950 and get one free for all contracts signed during the month of March. Hurry to reserve your spot! But wait there's more (sorry no Ginzu knives this month)....additionally we're including up to 30 still images per video, saving you time and money, by acquiring all of your rich media content in one simple shoot.

For more information, call (866) 651-8866 or e-mail sales@builderhomesite.com.

*70% off on Banner Ads in Select Markets:

Los Angeles
San Diego, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Ventura County, CA
Broward County, FL
Vallejo-Napa, CA
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Merced, CA

Tim Costello
CEO, Builder Homesite, Inc (BHI)

11900 RR 620N
Austin, TX 78750
BuilderHomesite.com

Each One Reach One - One-to-One Million that is

2009-02-25T18:43:11-06:00

When you engage in social media your ability to reach others is greatly expanded through the power of RSS and online networking. You may be reaching anywhere from one to one million with well crafted, relevant messages and a strategic social media marketing program.

Corporate brands are now built and sustained online. Just look on the bottom of your next pair of Nike shoes. You won't find the address for their Web site. You'll see a permanent impression of the URL for their blog. Social networking is just that important.

Major corporate involvement in social media doesn't stop at corporate blogs. Businesses are also active in micro blogs such as Twitter; social networking including Facebook; video sharing on sites like YouTube; and photo sharing. Look online for corporate giants such as Target, Macy's, Home Depot, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and many others.

Manufacturers of building products are starting to take notice. Nora DePalma of Building Profits says, "Rheem Water Heating now has a microsite to narrowcast water heater information to a specific trade audience: kitchen and bath dealers, designers, remodelers and architects. We developed the campaign based on search trends, and generated several hundred subscriptions for newsletter. Of those leads, 65 percent also requested sales literature on the brand, and 5 percent requested an immediate sales call." With LNC Communications, Building Profits is currently building a blog to educate builders, building inspectors, plumbers and homeowners about a recent decision by the California Building Standards Commission to adopt PEX tubing into the California Plumbing Code.

Social media marketing, social media optimization and social networking are all individual components of an effective Internet marketing program, and today they are just as important to the success of your Web site and Internet marketing program as search engine optimization (SEO) was previously.

New home builders are also now learning how to utilize Social Media for a competitive advantage. Central Florida Homebuilder Highland Homes recently experienced social media marketing success. Kathie McDaniel, Broker, MCSP, MIRM, and director of advertising and marketing with Highland Homes states, "On average we sell around 35 homes per month; however, we sold 56 homes in December 2008 and 69 homes in January 2009 after cutting our marketing budget by 50-percent and launching a social media program." mRELEVANCE launched Highland Homes' social media program in November 2008 and immediately saw tremendous increases in referring URLs and keywords for the builder's Web site.

"Everything you need to know to be successful online is in your Web site tracking report" said Mitch Levinson, MIRM, CSP, MBA and managing partner of mRELEVANCE, the company that helped Highland Homes profit from social media. A presenter on Web site tracking and analytics at the 2009 International Builders Show in Las Vegas, Levinson likes to challenge seminar attendees to find the answers they seek within their analytics. He states, "We saw a tremendous opportunity to increase search engine traffic to the Highland Homes Web site through social media optimization. Not only did it pay off in terms of key tracking metrics, it paid off in terms of contracts and qualified traffic for the builder as well."

Named the "Community of the Year" in 2005 by the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, and awarded the 2006 Grand Award for Outstanding Development by the Georgia Urban Forest Council, Minerva Properties' Heron Bay Golf & Country Club is a master-planned community that is not only setting new standards for development in the Atlanta marketplace, but it is also leading the way in social media marketing. The interactive campaign launched by Heron Bay won an OBIE award from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association in the Best E-marketing – Best Interactive Application category for 2008.

"With the current state of the housing market, the Heron Bay marketing team was tasked with the goal of creating a cost-effective, impactful campaign," said Lisa Brutvan, President of Focused Market Solutions, the real-estate advisory firm that manages the marketing program for Heron Bay Golf and Country Club. "One of the greatest challenges in marketing a master-planned community is that marketing efforts must target a broad market, appealing to all price points and different life stages. This initiative was designed to reach a broad audience through a low cost high return on investment medium. We achieved this with web 2.0 tactics to drive traffic to our Web site."

One specific component of the Heron Bay strategy is www.HeronBayBlog.com. Developed by mRELEVANCE, the Heron Bay Blog is the perfect place to go to find events in Henry and Spalding counties. It shares Heron Bay Golf & Country Club news, as well as happenings in the greater community. During a four day time period over the holidays (12/28 - 12/31), The Heron Bay Blog experienced 225 visits for a single blog post. What attracted so much attention from consumers and the search engines? The Chik-fil-A Nugget Drop. Those searching online with any variety of keywords for this family-friendly New Year's Eve activity found the news they were searching for on the Heron Bay Blog.

Don't think that you have to launch your own blog to be successful at social media. Kelly Kenton Fink, Broker, MIRM, CSP and Regional Marketing and Internet Director for Bowen Family Homes states, "During four days of our Dollars for Dreams Home event, the Atlanta real estate blog www.AtlantaRealEstateForum.com was Bowen Family Homes' number one referral source due to strategic posts promoting our sales event."

"Finding the right external blogs to post content on is just as important to your social media marketing strategy as having your own blog," states Levinson. "To make your social media program effective you will need to discover the right mix for your product. Just as key words are unique to your building company or new home development, your exact social media mix will be unique to you and relevant to your audiences."

Still not sure about your return on investment? Recent research by Cone finds that 60 percent of Americans engage in social media. And of those, 93 percent believe that companies should be present in social media. Of huge importance, 85 percent think that the company should interact with their customers through social media.

So you are ready to get started in social media, but aren't sure what to do. Here are six simple tips for getting started.

Blog – even if the blog is "just" your Web site's news page
Social networking on Facebook – launch a personal profile and a corporate page
You Tube – post all of your virtual tours online
Online Public Relations – repurpose your PR for online distribution
Email marketing – include social media in your email marketing strategy
Cross promotion and netweaving – link it all together. Your social media marketing efforts will be more powerful if properly promoted and linked together.

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Carol M. Flammer, MIRM, CAPS, CSP is Managing Partner of mRELEVANCE, LLC, a firm that combines the power of Internet marketing, social media and public relations. She is creator and publisher of Atlanta's favorite real estate blog, www.AtlantaRealEstateForum.com. Flammer speaks nationally, conducts workshops and creates strategies on social media for home builders, developers and others in the construction and real estate industry. You can find all of her social networking sites at www.CarolFlammer.com or visit www.mRELEVANCE.com for tips and tactics for engaging in social media. Follow her on Twitter @AtlantaPR.

mRELEVANCE has promoted a wide range of projects including single family, master planned, townhomes, active adult, condos, retail, commercial, mixed- use projects and a variety of green and LEED certified projects. Services include strategic public relations, media relations, writing awards and newsletters, social media marketing, Internet marketing, email marketing and a full range of search engine marketing and optimization services.

New Home Promotions - A Little Effort Goes a Long Way

2009-02-09T15:28:52-06:00

Content is still king online. Better content on your website and on your distribution websites for new homes drives better results. Whether those results come in the form of leads, website traffic, or engagement and time on your website, it ultimately means more customer contacts, qualified traffic into your communities, and new home sales. In a series of entries over the next month, we will share with you new research on the power of content to drive action.

Today, let us talk about one of the easiest ways to drive these actions. This costs you nothing and the effort is slight. You already have promotions and incentives in your communities. These offers may be in print media, online or simply as flyers. By moving this information online, customer actions increase leading to traffic and sales. Here’s what you can do right now, today.

Gather your promotions. Look at any offers you may have in print and gather those that are being offered locally.
Summarize each offer for the Web. This is easy. Keep it short, clear, and specific. Include a time limit and a call to action that you can track. For Example: "Up to $40,000 off select inventory homes if you close by March 31st. 2009. Call 888-555-1212 to learn more."
Add the promotions to your website and NewHomeSource.com through your datafeed or by adding them using BHILive.

Take these steps now and your promotions will not only work better on your website, but will be highlighted in NewHomeSource.com at no cost to you to drive additional traffic and sales. Make this part of your marketing process and sell more homes today.

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Blair Kuhnen

Social Media: Engage in the Conversation or Be Left Out (Part 1)

2009-02-06T17:59:37-06:00

Part 1: Introduction to the Social Media Concept

"Social Media" – from confusion about what exactly it is to hesitation even talking about it, the term gets a variety of reactions from homebuilders and manufacturers. For those home builders and manufacturers who are aware of what social media is, it is a hotly debated topic. Perhaps some of this reluctance to use this new tool comes from a lack of understanding of its current use and potential. I hope to shed some light on exactly what social media is and how some people are using it to connect with people their business may never have connected with before.

From the World Wide Web to Web 2.0

During the early years of the Internet, companies were in a similar position as they are now with social media; trying to figure out how they can use this new technology to help grow their business. Once we got past the days of blinking text and marquis announcements, we arrived at an age when it was suddenly unthinkable for a company to be in business without a website.

However, websites during what has become known as Web 1.0 were just a collection of online brochures – one-sided conversations which told visitors to your site who you were and how to contact you, but demonstrated very little interest in what they had to say.

Then, almost overnight, Web 2.0 was upon us. Internet users suddenly expected to have a voice of their own. The reviews and forums of the past evolved into user-generated content, blogs, Facebook fan pages, Twitter discussions, video responses on YouTube … In short, that precious control over the corporate messaging that companies enjoyed for so long became public domain in a big way.

The Conversation is Happening. Are You In It?

Social media has been called a "glorified time-waster" by some, but, like all advances in technology, despite the critics, it has continued on in its pace until almost everyone has a Facebook page, a YouTube channel, or, at the very minimum, a LinkedIn account.

People use these online tools to connect with others in their industry, reconnect with old classmates or long-lost friends, promote their favorite causes, or express their opinions about the latest trends. And inevitably, the best form of advertising (or worst, depending on your viewpoint) occurs when hundreds or thousands of people begin talking to each other - word of mouth advertising.

This is particularly worrisome for the home building industry because there are so many variables in putting a new home together. From materials distributors to sub-contractors, a lot of what goes on during the construction phase is out of the homebuilder's hands. And when John and Jane Smith move into their brand new home and something breaks within the first few days, they don't remember (and then complain about) Mr. John Q. Subcontractor, who's really to blame for the problem. They remember and complain about ABC Home Builder, who's name is all over the contract and warranty.

Companies can be skewered in a matter of seconds by an angry mob, or, conversely, a product line or new home community can be the next viral flavor of the day due to social media. Many new home builders are hestitant to enter the social media realm due to the former possibility, and that is completely understandable. However, at this point, the conversation is already happening beyond your control. You can either not be in the conversation and let someone's opinion speak for you, or you can jump in and work to build, repair, or rebuild your reputation ... and maybe even gain fans in the process.

End of Part 1

Next time, I'll discuss how to enter the social media conversation, including the tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and how to properly use them. I'll also provide some examples of companies that are doing a good job of using social media to build their brands.

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Keith Goode is the Search Engine Marketing Manager for Builder Homesite Inc. and can be reached at kgoode@builderhomesite.com

The Online Video Game: How to Get Started

2009-02-03T12:02:53-06:00

One thing SEO practitioners will tell you is that to truly grow your site’s traffic, you need to appear on multiple top-level domains (TLD's). In other words, don’t just show up on the first page of results – dominate it.

The world of Web 2.0 offers lots of ways to accomplish this, including creating a Facebook fan page, a MySpace page, or a Twitter account for your brand (and we’ll cover these in future blog posts). However, if you want to create buzz and attract users that are more likely to answer your call-to-action, you need to enter the video game.

Online video, while a relatively new marketing tactic, will dominate many companies’ marketing budgets for 2009, according to eMarketer Daily.

And why shouldn’t a potential new home buyer want to see a video of your new homes? Buying a home is one of the most significant events in a person’s life. You can be sure they’re going to want all of the information they can get their hands on.

Here are a few points on video search engine optimization (VSEO) to consider before entering the new home video game:

Your video should be interesting and/or informative. Dull, self-promoting videos won’t drive the kind of traffic you’re looking for. If you want your video to go viral (which is a good thing), be interesting, unique, funny, or very informative.
Video production quality should be as high as you can manage. Amateur, shaky videography on low-end consumer-grade cameras may work for skateboarding videos, but they don’t work very well at representing your company or your products. If you don’t have the time or the budget to produce high-quality videos, allow me to make a quick plug for BHI Media. They’ve been producing top-notch videos for 3 years, and their prices are extremely competitive.
Optimize your video with keyword-rich descriptions, titles, and tags. Whether you’re posting on YouTube, Revver or Vimeo, you want to make sure users can find your video. Engage them with a catchy title, and include enough keywords to make sure you show up on relavent searches. Some people will even provide a transcript of the video to make sure there is enough keyword coverage.
Distribute your video to more than one site. It’s easy to think that you only need to post your video on the dominant video site, which is and has been YouTube. Don’t forget that your best viewers may be on other sites, such as Revver, Vimeo, Motionbox, Yahoo! Videos, Google Videos, or MySpace Videos.
Optimize your video on each site you upload it to. While you can use tools like TubeMogul to distribute your video to all of the major players in the video game, you really should modify the title and description slightly on each site to avoid running into duplicate content issues. … Why is this important? You can increase your odds of showing up multiple times for searches in Google and Yahoo!, thereby increasing your video’s exposure.

These are just a few tips to get you started. There are more advanced tips for fully optimizing your videos, but you have to be in the game first.

While VSEO is simple in theory, it can become quite time-consuming. If you want someone to handle your production and video search engine optimization (VSEO), contact Brad Smith at bsmith@builderhomesite.com or to go http://www.bhimedia.com/.

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Keith Goode is the Search Engine Marketing Manager for Builder Homesite Inc. and can be reached at kgoode@builderhomesite.com