August 31, 2010
In today’s market, building a strong online reputation is increasingly important. So many people begin their search for housing, cars, services, and other products on the web now that your web presence becomes as vital to your brand as the manner in which you conduct business.
The moment you sign up for a vFlyer account, you are instantly given a live, stand-alone website called an Account Profile. This page serves as your listing inventory, displaying links to all of your published vFlyer listings in real time and making it easier to cross-sell your listings to prospective customers. For many vFlyer users, the Account Profile becomes their website, and there are several things that users can do to optimize their Account Profiles:
- adding contact information, a photo, company logo, a description of the business, and (for business subscribers) links to external sites
- applying a custom theme to it (again, only for business subscribers). This is especially effective if you have a custom branded theme such as this one.
- adding search and sort functionality, which enables prospective customers to more easily find listings that fit their criteria
- mapping a domain name to it, made easy through our Domain Plus service
Your Account Profile is, by default, also integrated into your flyers through the “More Listings” or “View Other Flyers” link, another reason to make it look sharp.
So that’s the skinny on the Account Profile. If you want a more detailed tutorial on how to set it up, here’s a new video we added a couple weeks ago:
Setting Up Your Account Profile
November 7, 2007
I did a post a couple of days ago about the continued growth of single property sites powered by vFlyer but forgot to mention the number of small business also using Domain Plus to create primary of secondary sites that link to their vFlyer galleries and flyers. Here is a short list of recent examples:
October 30, 2007
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Every once in a while I like to highlight some of the Single Property Websites that subscribes are enabling using the Domain Plus service. Domain Plus enables real estate and online sellers quickly and easily at a custom domain name to a flyer or gallery. The service is inexpensive and in fact annual subscribers can 1 to 10 free domains with their subscriptions. Here are some recent single property sites:
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September 1, 2007
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As I mentioned in my post on the benefits of Single Property Sites, more and more Realtors are turning their property listings into its own website and using it as the focal point for the online marketing activities! Domain Plus simplifies this process by allowing you to add a custom domain to any flyer in a few simple clicks! Here are some some great Flyer Domains examples that demonstrate this growing trend:
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August 23, 2007
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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 suppose as a point of differentiation over other agents, especially if you’re competing for a high-end, luxury property, then appealing to a seller’s ego and telling them you’ll build them a unique website could secure you that listing.
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:
In terms of word-of-mouth referrals, its a very tangible and visible sign of the efforts provided on behalf of sellers (“my listing agent created a website just for my property”).
Most Realtors agree. Paul Eastwood, for example, comments on Trulia Voices:
These new tools can be a great aid to the listing agent when trying to win the listing…If you are only paying a few dollars per month – then this might well bring great value to agents looking to both win listings and attract buyers.
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?â€. 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:
Considering the URL of a property website is commonly the street address (i.e. www.123AnySt.com ), it provides for a unique and easy-to-remember web address.
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:
If done well, a website provides a convenient place to get out your marketing message. The property I reviewed yesterday, for instance, has its own web site — www.655-14thAvenue.com — which is very easy to remember.
#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:
vFlyer can save you more time than ever now by giving you an additional marketing option with minimal set up time. Even the best multi-taskers will appreciate the ability to create listing ads, distribute them to leading online marketplaces, and purchase custom domains all in one visit to vFlyer.
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:
Technorati Tags:  Single Property Websites, vFlyer
August 16, 2007
I just wanted to highlight two great recent Domain Plus examples: www.1731chansonplace.com and www.yourpittsburghrealtor.com – great choice of domain names!
Technorati Tags: Domains, vFlyer
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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:
Technorati Tags: Domains, vFlyer
August 13, 2007
Last week, we launched Domain Plus with support for .com and .net top-level domains (TLDs). This week, after a number of inquiries on supporting additional domain names, we have added support for .info and .biz top-level domains (TLDs).
According to the Wikipedia, the .info top-level domain (TLD) has actually been the most successful of the seven new domain names, with over 4 million domain names registered (March 2007) since its introduction in 2001. Additionally, over 1.6 million .info websites are in active and dedicated use. .info means information in about 37 languages which makes it fairly intuitive. As a result, its has been quite popular with single property websites, especially in situations where a .dom domain is taken. vFlyer user Renee Burrows talks about two of her own .info domains in a post she recently did on the importance of having a web presence. (www.9760Havasupai.info and www.5314AzureView.info).
The .biz TLD was intended for domains to be used by businesses. According to the Wikipedia, it was originally created to relieve some of the demand for the good domain names available in the .com top-level domain. It is currently the second most popular of the new TLDs.
So, for those of you who asked, you can how check for the availability of .com, .net, .info and .biz domain names and map them to any flyer or gallery using Domain Plus!
Related Posts and Resources:
Technorati Tags: Domains, vFlyer
Real EstateRealEstaterealtorinman
August 10, 2007
Last week we announced an innovative new service from vFlyer – Domain Plus – the ability to map one or more domain names to your gallery or flyers! Today, I am happy to announce Domain Plus is live!
Domain Plus allows subscribers to search for available domain names and then map them to either their gallery or any one of their flyers (non-subscribers will need to upgrade to use the service). Using this service you can create single property websites (http://www.1240westmain.com) that map to an individual flyer or quickly deploy a primary or secondary website by mapping a domain name to your vFlyer gallery. You can access Domain Plus by clicking on the Domains tab. From this screen you will be able to search for and purchase domain names, or manage existing ones.
Visit our vFlyer Support Wiki for more information on Domain Plus, including frequently asked questions (FAQ), examples and other resources!
Related Posts and Resources:
Technorati Tags: Domains, vFlyer
Real EstateRealEstaterealtorinman
August 3, 2007
Earlier this week, we announced Domain Plus, a new service coming next week (August 8th) that enables vFlyer subscribers to find, purchase and host Single Property Websites without leaving the vFlyer site!With Domain Plus, subscribers can purchase and attach any number of available domain names to their flyers (micro-site) or galleries!
One of the latest marketing strategies used by agents and brokers is to buy domains for their listings and map them to a Single Property Website. Agents find that clients love this. They also find that the site becomes a focal point for their online marketing for this listing.
Single Property Sites
There has been a lot of interest and discussion on the topic of Single Property Websites recently. Personally, I prefer the term Custom and Vanity Domains, because I think it more accurately describes the activity, but regardless of which term you use, the idea is similar: Using the address of a property as its primary URL for that listing – so a listing at 450 Crestview Ave in San Carlos, CA would have a domain like: www.450crestview.com
Over the weekend, I will shed more light on the pros, cons and misconceptions on Single Property Sites. I think they are a great marketing tool that Realtors can use to differentiate especially high-end properties and I will tell you how and why.
Cost Effective Solution
Competing offerings range from $49–$99/listing for 5 listings which comes out to $246-$496. With vFlyer, 5 domains (at $9.95/domain) plus a vFlyer Starter annual subscription (at $99.50/year) comes out to only $149.25 – a 30% to 60% savings! For those that have more than 5 listings, the savings are even greater.
Positive Market Response
Our announcement has been greeted very positively by market leaders. Mike Borland of the Kelsey Group, a leading strategic research firm, applauds the move and says:
Like the rest of vFlyer’s product line, this is a seller-centric tool that aims to reduce the amount of cost and friction for real estate agents to market themselves and their properties online.
Vivek Puri of the StartupSquad also agrees and adds:
This can very well save the non-technical folks from the pains of putting up their own website for each property they want to promote. Besides that they can promote their listings to now include a customized link that can be easily mapped back to the property flyer and linked to the agent’s personal gallery at a far more reasonable cost.
More on Domain Plus: Domain Plus Resources and Information
July 14, 2007
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A recent trend we have started to notice is real estate professionals using vFlyer to create essentially single property flyers!
Another great and inexpensive way to put vFlyer to work for your property!
The has been a lot of talk in the past about single property sites. Personally we are big believers in the concept and would love to get your input on how many people currently use or are considering using single property sites and flyers.
Joel Burslem’s recently wrote a great post titled Do Single Property Websites Sell Homes? that examines some of the potential benefits of the approach.
Stay tuned for more on the subject!
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Added 8/23/2007:
Single Property Sites – Dispelling the Myths and Embracing the Benefits!
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asperling @ 8:09 am 
omuoto @ 2:11 pm 
