Recent statistics indicate 75% of home buyers and sellers were satisfied with their agent/broker relationship and insist they would use them again. Another statistic reveals that only 15% of them actually do. What's the deal? Why the discrepancy?

It all boils down the art and science of keeping your name, face and occupation in front of potential buyers and sellers on a continuous basis so that YOU AND YOUR SERVICES COME TO MIND when they are ready to buy or sell.

One of the most powerful, least expensive ways to accomplish this task is via the Internet. The idea is to create or redesign a web site that offers much more than just real estate related information - information and services which speak to a variety of people in your local area for a variety of reasons. The idea is to create a site which will get visited on a regular basis BY THE SAME PEOPLE so you have more opportunities to get keep your name, face and occupation in front of them when they discover they may have a need for your services.

Here are a number of local traffic generation ideas you can incorporate:

• Create a "Community Calendar" or "What's Happening" section on your site which allows vendors, merchants, churches and other event sponsors to post notices of their events. This database of information should be searchable by topic and/or date by all your site visitors.
• Offer a "Electronic Greeting Card" library which allows visitors to send electronic greeting cards to their family, friends and co-workers. Consider offering a function which allows people to post their own photos to add to the electronic library.
• Create a "Merchant's Special" section where you allow local merchants to offer coupons, rebates or special deals to those who visit your site. This section could be easily structured so it is maintained by the merchant. You could even have these merchants sponsor your site.
• Offer a live traffic report.
• Create a section which allows people to post classified ads - FREE.
• Offer a section which allows people to post notices of their upcoming garage sales. Include a feature to allow other visitors to search this database by area or date.
• Offer a library of taped church services, delivered via streaming audio.

You get the idea.

The key to taking your web site to this level is to promote each FEATURE of your web site - not just the real estate section. Keep in mind the idea is to create a site which will, in time, become very popular and which is visited REPEATEDLY by the locals. Then, when they are ready to buy or sell - - YOU have already established a strong, "top of the mind" position.

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Published: June 24, 1999

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Robert Fore only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.

Robert Fore is the president and CEO for Realty Profit Systems. He is a nationally recognized marketing trainer and strategist who specializes in combining the proven principles of direct response marketing with the cost-effective, worldwide penetration of the internet. Realty Profit Systems publishes the Online Real Estate Marketing Report at http://www.hometeam2000.com and offers a free, weekly e-zine of real estate marketing tips at http://www.top10realty.com.