Month: October 2014

By: Dan Bagby, BDX Content Manager

Google My Business was launched as a way to manage your Google listing and Google + profile. Find out what it means to homebuilders and how to take full advantage of the new Google listings portal.

Google1

Since Google Maps was created, it has confused business owners and marketing professional alike with several portals to add and edit business listings. Claiming and verifying locations multiple times became the norm as Google released new ways to claim you page causing business details and reviews to disappear. With Google My Business, it seems these issues have been resolved. The portal combines all remaining services such as Google + and Google Places, allowing business owners to claim their locations one time and control their business listing, Google + profile, YouTube channel, and see insights from one dashboard.

There are several benefits to using Google My Business. First, by completing a profile for your sales center, community, or other location, builders can be found in the 7 Pack on the Google Search results. This is a section of the Google result page dedicated to local businesses usually showing 7 businesses.

Google2This also allows customers to rate and interact with the builder. With a few reviews, stars begin to appear below the listing, giving companies even more attention in the search result pages on Google. These listing can also help customers find the new home communities they are looking for on Google Maps, eliminating the frustration that comes when destinations do not appear on smartphones or other device used to get directions.

How to get the most out of Google My Business

  1. Claim your listing

The first step is to verify your listing. Go to Google My Business and search for your location. You will either need to claim an existing business or create a new listing. You will then be prompted to verify by receiving a verification code by postcard or phone call.

New communities will likely need to be sent a postcard to verify ownership. You can receive it at a sales office onsite, a construction trailer or a model home. If you have additional sales offices away from the community, claim those pages as well.

  1. Complete your profile

Once you have requested the verification code, you can start completing your business listing. From the dashboard, click edit where you will be taken to the Business Info page. Fill out this page including business hours, description, and add photos.

Google3

  1. Continue to stay active

Once Google My Business is set up, continue to manage the Google + page. Post from the same dashboard to share pictures, blog articles, news and updates about your new homes and communities. Check back to view the insights that show number of impressions, clicks, and how people are interacting with you on Google +. Use the reviews section to reply to negative reviews and thank your raving fans. If you have videos, load them on YouTube and connect your channel to this page.

Google4

  1. Link to your profile

Once your listing is complete, add a link to your Google + page from your website. If you have multiple locations, link to them from a location specific page on your site such as the contact us, driving directions, or community pages.

  1. Create citations

A citation is any site online that has a company’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) such as Yahoo, Yelp, YellowPages and SuperPages. By claiming listings around the web you create citation that will increase your rank within local search results. Claim the listing for all your new home communities using the exact NAP as the business info in your Google My Business page. To get a list of important sites to claim you can use Moz Local. Search a business name to receive a list of missing, incomplete, inconsistent, and duplicate listings to create or correct.

Taking these steps will increase local visibility and give home builders more control of their look and reputation. If you have any questions about local online marketing or reputation management services for builders contact us at info@thebdx.com.

Couple with House iPadIt is becoming evident today, more than ever, that builders need to be tracking and engaging with potential home buyers from their first click online to closing the sale. There are several factors that have changed the way home buyers shop today, as well as several different strategies and tactics you can use to connect with these buyers. But first, let’s understand why there is such a great need for interactive selling and engagement tools. Here are the three things to consider:

FIRST, THE OMNI CHANNEL

You’ve probably heard of this term before- and its increasing popularity is driving the movement to better market to consumers. Basically, the Omni Channel can be defined as a client having several interactions with a brand through multiple devices.  Home buyers are no longer just searching a couple of places for information on new homes. They are scouring the internet, researching options and forming opinions. Now, builders constantly have to interact with consumers, as seamlessly as possible through several different mediums. Creating a succinct home buyer experience that repeatedly drives interaction and promotes a strong brand resonance is imperative. For our builders we offer several integrated technologies to help you take advantage of the Omni Channel (more on that later!)

It is important to remember that it isn’t enough to just have a website anymore. Buyers need to have a consistent experience across multiple screens or devices. For instance, buyers may get excited about their potential new home and want to share a tour of the home to their friends and pull up YouTube on their mobile phones. Or, they may want to use their computers to design a custom home and play with adding different available options. Either way, home buyers are craving customization and want this technology to be available to them, whenever and wherever.

SECOND, THE SALES CYCLE

It is also vital to understand that the typical sales cycle for home buyers has gotten longer. Now, it takes about 9-12 months from the time someone starts looking for a home to when they close on a house. And what does this mean for builders? Builders need to have personalized, targeted and responsive nurture campaigns centered on these leads. One phone call a week after a lead walked in is a good practice, but typically, if that is all you do, it is nowhere near the realistic amount of effort and time it takes to nurture a lead to close.

THIRD, CREATING A VISUAL SENSE OF PLACE

Remember, the purpose of your website is not to sell anything, but rather to “hook” consumers on your message and convince them to take action. We accomplish this by creating a visual and emotional sense of place, creating personal attachment, and sense of urgency.

In order to engage a customer, the best practice is to gain their trust and give them the tools they crave. Through each section of your website, buyers are becoming more involved with your products and hopefully the end result is selecting you as their builder. Let’s explore some different and creative ways to start connecting with your home buyers!

COMPELLING COPY: One of the easiest ways to start attracting shoppers online is having compelling content, or written materials/articles, available on your site. Blogs highlighting your company’s values, special promotions and even a community diary detailing how your community has progressed is another great way to capture buyers’ attention. Don’t forget social media! Connecting socially will enhance your online presence and open an interactive relationship with your buyers.

GORGEOUS ART: Including high quality renderings and detailed floor plans help create a more effective visual sense of place. Renderings are now of amazing quality and more affordable than ever. You even have several options to choose from to showcase your homes in the best light ranging from photo-realistic, night, twilight, watercolor and standard 3D. Think you can tell the difference between a Real or Rendered image? Click here to find out!

CAPTIVATING VIDEO: Video is becoming increasingly popular; over 180 million people watch over 36 billion online videos per month. Did you know that just 1 minute of video is worth approximately 1.8 million words? Think of the impact you could be making by adding a home tour or company introduction to your website’s homepage! For even more added importance, video listings receive 41% more clicks that plain text listings.  Ideas for using video in your marketing strategy include:

  • Model home/Community Tours
  • Company History
  • Company Philosophy
  • Meet the Team
  • Message From the CEO
  • Green Features
  • Buyer Testimonials

Any of these can be accomplished professionally and within budget. Contact us to learn more at info@thebdx.com.

INHERENTLY INTERACTIVE: Take it up a notch and add interactive elements to your sales process. This can be achieved with interactive virtual tours that allow buyers to explore your homes before they are even built. Online design centers allow buyers to play and share their creations with their friends before they move in.

A USEFUL USER INTERFACE: A successful user interface will allow for a specific call to action. So now you have the buyers in your model home, what technology options do you have to offer them? BDX’s salesArchitect iPad application is a portable solution that allows sales professionals to present builder and community  information while utilizing interactive maps and site plans to visually explore community inventory. Our Envision product also allows for a mobile design experience tailored for home builders.

With the digital landscape of home shopping evolving, stay ahead of the curve with BDX. Contact us today at info@thebdx.com to learn more about our innovative sales solutions.