Posted by tburke on April 12, 2003 at 10:06:48:
Most people use websites as electronic brochures or
catalogs. Smart ones use thme to build relationships.
Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by Bill Taylor
Posted by Bill Taylor on April 06, 2003 at 21:09:30:
I am looking at having a website for my investing and selling end of my real estate business. I am looking for other investors websites to get some ideas. Is anyone willing to give me their web addresses so I can see them?
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by LeRon Ford
Posted by LeRon Ford on April 08, 2003 at 20:44:29:
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by js-Indianpolis
Posted by js-Indianpolis on April 08, 2003 at 17:14:48:
I’m looking at two right now, and have been for a while. I’m not sold on the idea that they’re all that important for what I’m doing. However, I know for certain I’m not going to run my own. Been there, done that, in the old business. Never again. It’s a job in itself.
So here’s the two I’ve narrowed it down to so far. www.ibuyhouses.com charges per county. For my two counties, I’m looking at $100 a month, and $1000 setup. Yeah, OUCH. The $100 a month, I’d do. I need to get over the $1000 BS fee though. It will take them a few minutes to upload my info, and put up a link. However, you gotta pay to play.
The other one I’m considering it www.quickoffers.com for $35 a month, ~$125 setup. Can’t recall exactly, but that’s close. I like their content more, design less. I think ibuyhouses.com has a great image, and is super simple. What do you do? I buy houses. Could be easily remembered from a billboard, even passing at 55 MPH. Great logo too. Red White and Blue will never go out of style.
So what should I do? Been debating forever. Bottom line, will each one produce the same results? Will they produce any results? I’m willing to give it a shot, even with the high setup. However, I would really hate to create an image around one, and then not stick with it. It’s not just the $$, but all the flyers, business cards, etc. that I’d be getting too.
Help me decide. Which one do you like better? How about we both get in at the same time, and ask the webmaster for a deal on the BS, I mean, setup charge?
Hope this give you something to think about.
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by joe
Posted by joe on April 07, 2003 at 10:57:31:
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by Jermaine-DC
Posted by Jermaine-DC on April 07, 2003 at 09:27:57:
www.NJ-REO.com… - Posted by Ben (NJ)
Posted by Ben (NJ) on April 07, 2003 at 08:05:11:
very reasonably priced and easy to deal with. Let me know if you need a number.
Not my site but - Posted by Gerald-DC
Posted by Gerald-DC on April 06, 2003 at 23:26:26:
look at shilohproperties.com
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by Rob FL
Posted by Rob FL on April 06, 2003 at 22:39:22:
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by investorrob
Posted by investorrob on April 06, 2003 at 21:51:11:
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by David Krulac
Posted by David Krulac on April 06, 2003 at 21:14:57:
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on April 08, 2003 at 18:20:44:
>>>How about we both get in at the same time, and ask the webmaster for a deal on the BS, I mean, setup charge?
I like names such as ibuyhouses.com or webuyhouses.com. Easy to remember. I think $1000 setup fee is worth it especially when you consider the costs of marketing and recognition. Stick with dot com tho, not .net, .org, .us, .biz, .this, .that.
Imagine the amount of money needed to brand JSpropoerty.com compared to ibuyhouses.com.
Anything but dot com will send people to dot com.
800 FLOWERS has built a billion dollar business using just their phone number. How many people you know dial 612 flowers, 770 flowers, 587 flowers, or other Flower numbers?
The same for 800 got junk. I don’t care how many other junk buying companies are out there, 800 got junk will be the first on my list.
From a marketing standpoint both quickoffers.com and ibuyhouses.com are excellent names.
People that own names like quickoffers.com and ibuyhouses.com are the leasing companies of the future. If you can afford it, lease it now before someone else beats you to it.
Cheerz,
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by js-Indianapolis
Posted by js-Indianapolis on April 10, 2003 at 16:24:03:
Do you use a particular website for leads? selling? anything?
I’m not sold on the website being the greatest way to spend my $1000, and $100 a month right now. I suppose if I didn’t have a million other places to put my funds, I’d just bite the bullet, and give it a shot. However, with my advertising budget right now, I’m thinking $1000 gets a lot of flyers out, as well as multiple other things.
The other thought I have is whether or not I’m going to create my image as something of a giant, REI empire, or simply as me. There’s pros and cons of each image. Right now, I’m getting a positive response from buyers and sellers by just telling them the truth. I’m just a one man show, I call all the shots. People like the fact that they can deal with just me, and not “corporate policy”. On the flip side, I’m wondering how much better I might do, as to lead generation, if I project a more professional, “big time” operation. Not sure which way I’ll go just yet.
I don’t think there’s one right answer. However, last REI club meeting I attended, someone brought in two signs. They had taken down their cheesy, hand written, pink posterboard sign for lease option, and replaced it with a very professional looking, house shaped corrugated sign, with perfect vinyl lettering. They reduced their number of calls to almost nothing, with the company image. Seems people were more apt to call on an individual, looking to sell a home, than a company. It’s all about people’s perception of getting a deal, I’m thinking. No?
Just kinda thinking out loud here. Whatcha think?
Re: Your own personal investor sites? - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on April 10, 2003 at 17:44:33:
Well, that depends on your plans and understanding of the web. I don’t think the emphasis is on size but more less recognition. Small companies can stand out just as well as large corporations. How much are you willing to spend to get notice?
I am not suggesting that you drop everything to sign up for ibuyhouses.com or quickoffers.com. I
think, if you can get an exclusive territory, that it would be easier for sellers to remember you. So much emphasis is on using bright business cards, neon signs, photo mailers,
unusual postcards, …why do you think?
Big companies call it branding. The little guys call it recognition.
I’m not much of a flyer person. The return on time investment isn’t high enough, I don’t think. I am even less interested in bandit signs. The only time I might consider anything close to flyers would be newspaper inserts. Have not tried this yet. I am considering leaving the real estate business and focusing 100% on trading and traveling. Maybe teaching too.
I close about 20-30 flips a year. Almost all come from word of mouth, shoppers, and leads generated from my affiliation with the nodiscount company. They have marketers promoting their sites 3offers.com and buyerscompete.com. Leads are passed on to local affiliates. I also use newsapers and postcards to promote their sites.
I am not as interested in leads as I am in selling homes. You seem to focus on lead generation but what are you doing to follow up on 'em leads? This is where a website can come in handy. But then you might be going after sellers that are in tight situations. I go after anybody that wants to sell.
70% of the marketing are done with companies like ibuyhouses.com, 800flowers, or 800 got junk. You see it once and you remember it for years. On the other hand, JSbuyshouses.com might be a little challenging. If you have a billion or more you can brand anything including yahoo.com but if you’re small you might have to settle for $5 million a year with marketingtips.com.
I dont’ think it makes that big a difference whether you’re a one man show or major corporation. Just get your message across and be ready when sellers are ready.
Reminds me of the kid that sells lemonade on the sidewalk. He makes money off people passing by but he doesn’t make as much as the local Dairy Queeen.
The costs to run Dairy Queen is higher but what if you could lower your costs with a website that you own or one that has been established.
I am puzzled when people say that the web doesn’t work or that nobody uses the web for selling or buying homes. A better question might be “what and how are you using the web?”
It’s the same when someone says that creative real estate doesn’t work. Well how and what is that person doing?
Cheerz,