If you’ve ever had your unsaved work on a flyer lost because your session expired while you were writing a long description, then you know how frustrating it can be. That’s why we recently introduced an autosave feature in the Flyer Editor and Photo Editor that automatically saves any work you’ve done on a flyer after 29 minutes of inactivity (or activity only in the description field). It’s still a good idea to click the Save Draft button every ten minutes or so in case you encounter a network problem or some other error, but the autosave feature provides added security against losing work you’ve done. 

Note: The autosave feature only applies to the Flyer Editor and Photo Editor.

I had coffee a couple of weeks ago with Jim Guise, who used to be a regional sales manager for Auto Mart Diablo Dealer. Jim has helped us better understand and support the needs of the used car market. Jim did a great job explaining some of the inner works of user car dealerships. “Turn” and Making Money According to Jim, a used car dealer’s profits really lies in their turn. “Turn” is a term used in the industry to represent the amount of time a used car sits on the lot. In general, if a user car dealer is able to turn a used car in 10 to 20 days – they make money, if they turn a used car in 20 to 30 days - they break even, and if it takes 60 to 90 days to turn a car – they loose money.
Acquiring Used Cars Used car dealers usually acquire their cars one of four ways:

• On a trade, when a customer trades in an old car towards the purchase of a newer one
• From a user car wholesaler, who purchase excess inventory from banks and other dealers
• At an auction, where dealers pay to have the car in the auction, and dealers pay to buy used cars
• From a private party, usually through classifieds

Marketing Used Cars Once a used car dealer acquires a car, they will spend on average about $300 in marketing cost to the car off the lot. “Low Gross” dealers will try and make at least $500 of profit on each car. “Middle gross” dealers look to make $1,200–$1,500 per car. “High gross” dealers, who look to make $3,500–$4,500 in gross margin per car, are rare in today’s economy. Used Cars and the Real Estate Market The down turn in the real estate market has actually hurt the use car market in recent months. Most affected are used car dealers in previously hot real estate markets like California and Florida. For example, San Francisco bay area BMW dealers who might have sold 1,000 cars in a 3 month period last year, are off the mark by as much as 70% in the same 3 month period this year! In the past, many home owners would refinance their home and use the proceeds to buy a new or used car – those days are gone for now!

So How Can vFlyer Help?
So how does vFlyer help a used car dealers become more successful in the increasingly competitive marketplace?

• Making your Product Look Good According to Jim, “You have got to make your product look and seem better”. Jim correctly notes that potential car buyers no longer “pack up the wife and kids” and cruise down to the local auto dealer”. Instead they start their search online! The Internet has become their ‘virtual lot’ and buyer are armed with more than just the MSRP! Auto dealers have the option of having their classified ads look ordinary or extraordinary – that’s where vFlyer can help!
• Bigger is Better Jim made an interesting point that in order to capture more of the consumer’s time and attention, bigger is better! Bigger photos, more photos, more information and more options! At vFlyer we allow you to include more photos in your gallery! You can customize flyers to add more information or options. Use the premium layout to make your ads really stand out! Use enhanced HTML templates for Craigslist that feature large photos on Craigslist and more!
• Market Cars on the Internet In the past, the biggest bulk of a used car dealers ad budget went into newspaper. With the advent of the Internet, this has all changed. A medium-sized dealer these days has a monthly marketing budget of $35K-$45k and as much as 25% to 35% is being spend on Internet. Cost-effective vFlyer allow you to significantly improve online distribution without the high cost associated with other marketing options. With vFlyer, you can get your entire inventory online the same day. Unlike TV and radio, the Internet is a point of sales (POS) vehicle that can work in conjunction with brand advertising to increase customer acquisition.

Dan Lenehan recently joined the vFlyer crew as a Customer Success Representative! We’re excited to have Dan on board to help our customers resolve problems they’re having and maximize the benefits of the vFlyer service. As for Dan, he’s busy educating himself about all the ins and outs of our products and services and is thrilled at the opportunity to communicate with customers across the country. You can reach Dan or someone else on the support team by email at support@vflyer.com.

vFlyer now automatically syndicates to partner Backpage.com. In the past, users could cut and page HTML templates directly into Backpage.com, but now, thanks to a new a partnership with Backpage.com, the process is automated!

Now flyers in the real estate, vehicles, services, general merchandise, and jobs listings can automatically be syndicated to Backpage.com.

Simply click the Enable Partner Sites link in Automatic Submissions section of Edit Flyer to enable Backpage syndication.

Although most of the posts on our blog deal very specifically with the goings-on at vFlyer, the industries we serve, or our customers, every once in a while I like to do a “big picture” piece on some aspect of technology. One of those areas that recently go my attention was the subject of “killer apps”. I recently got a call from blogger Steven Groves about Google’s OpenSocial announcement and got into a great conversation with him on that very subject.

I also read Steve’s post on the Future of Real Estate on OpenSocial, as well as a post by Zillow’s Drew Meyers titled What Does OpenSocial Mean to Real Estate on the GeekEstate Blog. There has been similar chatter about the Facebook application platform and I myself did a post on how the iPhone can Revolutionize Real Estate.

It seems that that everytime anything that looks like the “next big thing” comes out we ask ourselves who will build the killer app for that next big thing and what does it mean to Real Estate, or finance, or fill in the blank?

The purpose of this post is shed some light and share my personal thinking on the subject of killer apps – what they are and what they are not. I think in general we put too much emphasis on killer apps and here is why:

• There is no “killer app” for the “next big thing”!
  The next big thing is (or can become) the killer app – as long as the makers of the next big thing can get all of us entirely focused on building applications (killer or not) for the next big thing – the means become the end and thus we cause next big thing to become the closest thing to a killer app. LifeDev echoes the same sentiment!
• It’s about “killer technologies” not “killer apps”
  In reality, killer apps tend to represent technologies or application classes, as opposed to specific applications made by specific companies. A couple of examples: Xerox – but how many of you use a Xerox brand copier?  yeah, that’s what I thought.  Fax – here and gone, again no brand comes to mind. Cell phones – whoa, too many brands to name. Tivo – okay, here is a brand that in a way has become yet another “Xerox”.   For example, I use a DirectTV DVR but I call it a “Tivo”, so there! The moral of the story is that unfortunately (or fortunately) when killer apps do appear they tend to benefit the copy cats more then they do the originals.
• Do “killer apps” actually exist?
  Honestly, when was the last time you actually saw the mythical beast known as the killer app.  As I made mention in my previous point, most killer apps really represent killer technologies.  That said, great apps abound and as developers improve them (as we do here at vFlyer), some have a chance of becoming killer apps.
• Is everything a “killer app” or just “killer features”?
  Anil Dash of Six Apart has an interesting perspective when he says “In social networking, we won’t see a single killer app is because there will be thousands” - which supports the next point I make. Many applications today (especially mini apps and widgets that propagate social networks) are really features – and I encourage developers to seek out and incorporate some of these killer features to create better apps.
• One man’s “great app” is another man’s “killer app” (and vice versa)
  I am a big fan of great apps, I think services like Facebook, Zillow, Trulia Voices and of course vFlyer are all great apps. I love them all! They are best-of-breed, well designed, aesthetically pleasing and even fun to use. Professionals and consumers alike need services and applications that help them save time or money, generate income or revenue, and become more productive or entertained – we should focus more on great apps we can build or improve that can become killer apps for certain groups of users.
• “Killer app” mentality can lead to bad business decisions and wasted effort
  Consider the following: Bay Area VC fund Bay Partners recently launched a investment fund for startups building killer apps for Facebook called AppFactory! Unless you are ALSO an investor in Facebook (last time I checked they weren’t), this isn’t a great idea and only fuels killer applicationitis. I would encourage developers and entrepreneurs to spend time building those great apps than imagining killer apps. Consider this: its easier to turn a great app into a killer app, than it is to turn a great idea into a killer app.  You still with me?
• So what does all of this have to do with me, you ask?
  That’s a good question. If you find a killer app, it means someone else already built it! If you build the killer app, someone else will copy it. If you figure out what the next killer app is, you probably won’t tell anyone!  Heck, just because you know what a killer app is, doesn’t mean you know how to build it! If you actually build a killer app, it is probably going to be my mistake. The closest most people will come to a killer app is talking or blogging it.  All in all, you don’t have to worry about killer apps, because they’ll take care of themselves!  Enough said.

There you have it! My arguments against the myth of killer apps. No, I am not trying to be a software development kill-joy, just a pragmatist and my advice to all is:

• Instead of looking for the next killer app go build the next great app.
• Copy killer features to make even better great apps.
• If you do find the next killer app, create a copy
• If you come up with an idea for the next killer app, immediately call me. 

One of the real estate categories we support on vFlyer is vacation rentals. The Internet in general and online classifies specifically are transforming the vacation rental market by creating a global market for vacation rentals. This has led to increased competition as well as created some new opportunities.

Another trend affecting property rentals is shorter rental periods. ‘Short term’ rentals are becoming more popular with Baby Boomers who have busy schedules. U.S. workers are taking fewer full-week vacations, opting instead for shorter stays.

Higher transportation cost is changing the way people plan vacations and is creating opportunities for rental property owners. Author Christine Karpinski in her book on vacation rentals encourages property managers to advertise on the Internet and concludes that “Americans pinched by high gas prices can still enjoy a getaway close to home by staying at a vacation rental for a fraction of the cost of a hotel room.”

vFlyer allows vacation property owners and managers to quickly and easily to promote their properties on leading online market places such as Google Base, Oodle, Edgeio, Vast and others! With ski season is just around the corner, now is a great time to create real estate flyers for your vacation rentals!

Here are some vacation property rental examples on vFlyer:

• Heavenly Valley Chalet (Tahoe, CA)
• Pine Tree Lodge (Tahoe, CA)
• The Lazy Bear Cabin (Tahoe, CA)
• The Pine Tree Lodge (Tahoe, CA)
• The Hideaway (Tahoe, CA)
• Four Seasons Aviara Vacation Rental (Carlsbad, CA)

Drew Meyers of Zillow recently invited me to be a contributor to GeekEstate blog. For those who don’t know, Drew is involved with community building and relations at Zillow has was pioneered many of the company’s efforts in social media marketing including the Carnival of Real Estate (which we hosted last week) and the GeekEstate blog.

The GeekEstate Blog was started as a resource for real estate professionals who want to learn more about how they can grow their business through smart use of technology. The blog claims that its “varied authors are geeks” - which I guess makes me “geek” or perhaps a former geek in recovery. In any case, I think its a unique idea that exemplifies how the community element of blogging can draw on the knowledge and experiences of broad range of contributors and cover an even broader range of technology related topics in real estate. Check it out today!

I has happy (but not surprised) to see that Jim Cronin, founder of Real Estate Tomato recently made it to Inman’s list of 25 Most Influential Real Estate Bloggers: 2007.

I have known Jim for a while but got to meet him in person at the Inman Blogger Connect earlier this year. I have long admired Jim’s approach to bringing Realtors online, especially his innovative use of ‘coaching’ and education. I decided to give Jim a call yesterday and do a quick podcast interview. I briefly talked with Jim about his company and popular Real Estate Tomato blog, how he got involved in blogging and any advice he may have for follow blogger. As always, Jim has some great advice for real estate bloggers (and blogger want-to-be’s). Click on Podcast icon below to hear the entire podcast.

Congrats as well to Kevin Boer (3Oceans Real Estate), Joel Burslem (Future of Real Estate Marketing), Patrick Kitano (Transparent Real Estate),Joseph Ferrara and Rudolph D. Bachraty III (Sellsius Real Estate Blog) and Glenn Kelman (Redfin)who also make the list!

vFlyer Team is one of the new collaborative services available in the latest release of the vFlyer platform. Many successful real estate agents use real estate assistants to help them in their business. The practice is so common that the NAR has a dedicated set of resources on the subject! Additionally, in many small and large real estate offices it is not uncommon for individuals to collaborate and work on listings as a team, or in some cases, share a vFlyer account. Now it is possible for you to share your account with both assistants and other team members in secure and scalable fashion.

vFlyer Team enables this type of collaboration by allowing you to invite team members and give them secure access to your vFlyer account. These “vFlyer Assistants” can then login, create, edit and publish flyers on your behave. Since each of your “vFlyer Assistants” has their own login and password, you do not have to compromise the security of your account by sharing your personal login and password with the entire office!

Using vFlyer Team is simple, and this service is available to all current subscribers (if you are using vFlyer Personal you will need to upgrade your account). You will notice we have added an Assistants tab under your Account menu. This tab allows you to add up to 5 assistants (if you need more, let us know) by simply inviting them to your account using their email address!

You can always resend the invitation, or remove (delete) assistants from your account. Once invited, your “vFlyer Assistants” will receive an email with a link that allows them to activate their invitation and initiate access to your account. As always, we would love to get your feedback on our new set of collaborative services.

We have been super busy the last couple of weeks! vFlyer now comes with powerful collaboration and delegated administration services aimed at enabling real estate and sales teams and organizations to support multiple accounts and users on the vFlyer platform. These include:

• vFlyer Team: Invite and allow “assistants” to access you account, create, edit and publish flyers!
• vFlyer Agency: Create and assign sub-accounts to agents or sales professionals in your agency or firm.
• Multiple Account Support: Access two or more accounts without having to switch accounts.

Visit our vFlyer Support Wiki (Collaboration) to hear more about these new and exciting services. I will devote the next couple of blog posts to covering some of the new collaborative features in more detail.

Job Openings are one of the top five product category on vFlyer! Both employers and recruiters are using vFlyer to push job openings to vertical job search engines like SimplyHired, Indeed and Jobalot as well a horizontal players like Google Base, Vast, Oodle and Edgeio. vFlyer templates can also be used to post jobs on Craigslist!

vFlyer allows you to take advantage of trends such as increased direct employer posting, the growth in the number of vertical job search engines, and candidates increased reliance on the Internet as part of their job search. Because vFlyer automatically exposes your job openings to the leading free classified ad marketplaces, we save you time and energy and increase the size of your pool of potential candidates. Here are some job opening examples in various market segments:

Other Job Trends:
Recent reports state that over 50% of recruiters surveyed said that they either currently use or intended in the future to use online social networking as a method of recruiting candidates that’s why it’s a good idea for recruiters (and employers) to post their vFlyers (or links to the vFlyers or gallery) on social networks like MySpace, ActiveRain, Facebook, LinkedIn and others.

Finding great people becomes even more important in industries such as real estate that are going through challenging periods. Recruiter Mya Borgman of The People Link makes a great point when she says:

A growing number of brokers and lenders are using vFlyer not only for listing property and promoting services but also to announce job openings.

Technorati Tags: Jobs, vFlyer

There has been a lot of talk about the pros and cons of single property websites. Single property sites are a growing trend among Realtors where the address of a property serves as its primary URL (so a listing at 5977 Morgan Place would have the domain name5977MorganPlace.com) and become the focal point for online marketing for that listing. Some cynics argue that such sites are expensive and not valuable from an SEO standpoint – but I would like to counter these myths associated with single property sites!

#1 – Single Property Websites are more about customer satisfaction than SEO
Not everything in life is about SEO! Sellers love single property website because they makes them feel good – and for a Realtor, a happy customer is good thing! Joel Burslem at the Future of Real Estate Marketing in his post on the same subject exclaims:

I agree with Joel that single property sites probably make the most sense for high-end or unique properties. In the last couple of months, I have been tracking single property sites in my area (see my Flickr album) and almost all of them where expensive, high-end properties carried by brokers that cater to those markets in my neck of the woods (Alain Pinel, Coldwell Banker, i.e.). I think the Real Estate Tomato says it best, when it writes:

Most Realtors agree. Paul Eastwood, for example, comments on Trulia Voices:

Most prospective buyers search for a home using real estate sites and search engines like their local MLS, Realtor.com, Trulia, Propsmart and the like – they generally don’t use Google to find a home – yet another reason why its not about SEO! I would argue that a Realtor that keeps his or her customers happy is going to get a lot more business then a Realtor who only cares about SEO - after all, 44% of buyers come from referred and not SEO. The good folks at Blood Hound Realty make a similar case in their post - [a custom web sites] might not Google well — but it doesn’t have to…

#2 – Single Property Websites don’t have to be expensive
True, there are companies out there that charge an arm and a leg for single property sites – but don’t be fooled, single property sites don’t have to cost a small fortune – after all, its only the domain you should be paying for. vFlyer’s Domain Plus, for example, is only $9.95 (per year) a domain for subscribers (free when you purchase an annual subscription). Joel Burslem at the Future of Real Estate Marketing makes a similar point about the cost of single Property sites and remarks “Tech-savvy Realtors will take one look at the price and scoff. $3000 for 50 sites?”. I talked about the cost effectiveness of Domain Plus in my original post on the service.

#3 – Single Property Websites make properties easy to find
I would argue that is is a lot easier to remember an address than it is to remember the first and last name of a Realtor or the name of a local real estate firm you have never heard of before! The Real Estate Tomato concurs saying:

According to NAR, many buyers still find their home by driving-by and seeing the sign! By adding the URL to your single property site to your real estate rider you can “connect the property to the website” – allowing your property to get maximum exposure to drive-by traffic in the neighborhood! Kevin Boer of 3 Oceans Real Estate comments, after Tackling the Single-Property Website Conundrum:

#4 – Single Property Websites are about great property marketing
At the end of the day, single property sites are about great property marketing! Services like vFlyer are designed to help Realtors do a better job of marketing their listings, and using a single property website only helps to demonstrate your marketing–savvy and technology-savvy. The end result is generally a quicker sale and happy seller and hopefully more business around the corner!

Why Domain Plus?
MyTechOpinionnotes that “vFlyer is offering competitive pricing for their single property sites.” and goes on to says:

Other press and analysts made similar observations. Our goal for the service was to provide “easy to use” single property site functionality as part of our “One-Stop Shop” approach to marketing real estate listings. After receiving numerous requests from both Realtors and FSBO’s we added Domain Plus to our growing list of convenient services.

Single property sites aren’t for everyone but they are a great marketing tool you can use to better sell properties and snag potential customers. And if you are vFlyer subscriber, its a great and inexpensive add-on to your flyer or gallery!

Related Posts and Resources:

• Blog: Domain Plus - Adding Domain Names to Flyers and Galleries
• Wiki: Domain Plus – Overview, FAQ and Resources
• Examples: 1240westmain.com, 5977MorganPlace.com, 582IndianLakeRd.com
• More…

Technorati Tags: Single Property Websites, vFlyer

As part of a promotion we are doing this month around the launch of Domain Plus, users that sign up for (or upgrade to) an annual subscription will get one or more FREE Domain Names in additional to the regular discount (2 free months of service). Here is how the promotion works:

• vFlyer Starter – 1 FREE Domain Name
• vFlyer Basic – 3 FREE Domain Name
• vFlyer Premium – 5 FREE Domain Name
• vFlyer Professional – 10 FREE Domain Name

This promotion is good until the end of this month (Aug 31, 2007). Simple sign up for or upgrade to any vFlyer annual subscription and a credit will be issued to your account that will appear at the top of your Domain tab. To use your credit, simply search for and purchase a domain and the credit will be applied towards the purchase of that domain.

Related Posts and Resources:

• Blog: Domain Plus - Adding Domain Names to Flyers and Galleries
• Wiki: Domain Plus – Overview, FAQ and Resources
• Example: http://www.1240westmain.com
• More…

Technorati Tags: Domains, vFlyer