Appraisal Marketing

When using XSellerate to market your business, there are some basic marketing "do's and don'ts" to know about. In this article we discuss these nine topics as they relate to leaving positive impressions with both existing and potential clients.

Getting your website ranked highly in a search engine is a little like pasta sauce. There are many ingredients, but no exact quantities or formula for success, and even a less than perfect result will be better than nothing in the short term. It’s not as if the web is going away or that fewer people will be looking for appraisal services online in the future. So, let’s talk about what goes into making your website a success when it comes to search engines.

This edition’s Appraiser XSite spotlight leads us to Alex Olmo of SunbeltAppraisal.org, a customer making all the right moves when it comes to web marketing and running a business. Alex’s site design is simple and inviting, yet rich in content that attracts search engines.

Sites that had sent out an XSellerate campaign in the past 30 days received 3 times the hits than those that hadn’t and received 40% more leads.

“I swear if I get through this market downturn, I promise I’ll keep on marketing so I’m never this scared again of not being able to pay my mortgage/car payment/alimony/etc.” Yet not surprisingly, here we are in this “refi mini-boom” and many appraisers who have been marketing as fast and as furiously as possible for the last year have slowed down or stopped entirely.

Too many appraisers mistake a website as a mere yellow pages ad or online billboard when the reality is a website should also play a key role in how you service your clients and run your business. Since we’re smack dab in the middle of our 23rd successful year in business, let’s point out 23 ways an XSite will help you be successful, too.

We hear it all the time. XSite owners and appraisers in general are always asking us, “How can I get more leads out of my website?” Lately, my answer has been, “Well, how is your website fishing for leads? Are you using a single pole with a fishhook, or are you casting a wide net?”

The holidays offer a great opportunity to reach out to contacts and prospects to drum up more orders.

Believe it or not, you have access to change what Google says about you. Just like every page has its own content, every page has its own Page Title and Page Description. The Page Title is your Google listing. It’s the link in blue that shows up as the main entry for that page, and it’s also what a user will click to come to your site.

Here’s a story about one appraiser who makes working for AMCs work for him. Many appraisers choose not to work for Appraiser Management Companies (AMCs) because, they complain, the top priority of AMCs is getting appraisals fast and cheap — with quality a distant second. This story is about one appraiser who disagrees and has found a way to work with AMCs ethically and profitably

In the middle of a challenging market, appraiser Anthony Lamandre is htting some of his highest income levels ever. Anthony was kind enough to share his time and explain the tactics he's been using that have lead to his continued success.

An appraiser’s website should be informative and educational. We’re happy to keep our customers from reinventing the wheel when it comes to things like an appraiser glossary, what different designations may mean, a home buyer checklist, etc. Our pre-built content is one of things customers tell us they like the most about XSites. Sometimes people start with our pages and customize them a little, and other times, what we’ve provided works just fine.

A great blog goes a long way to increasing your non-lender business, boosting search engine rankings and establishing yourself as the real estate expert in your area. Here are five quick tips:

Successful marketing isn’t easy. Lukewarm messages will be ignored or not seen by decision makers in the first place. Overly aggressive messages might turn prospects off. You want to find that sweet spot where potential clients develop a positive perception of you and your services and decide to do business with you. You’ll need to be prepared, professional, determined, and avoid some common mistakes.

HUD announced last month that during the first quarter of 2008, FHA mortgage originations doubled, going up to 181,900. And they also changed their FHA approved appraiser guidelines, opening the doors to more appraisers. As many appraisers nationwide look for ways to broaden their available services, this is welcome news indeed.

I love it when a customer does something original with an XSite. It’s inspiring to see customers do things out of the box with their business and then extend that innovation onto the web. So, when we found Hillary Koester’s http://www.TaxAppealExpress.com, I knew we needed to spotlight her efforts.

What if you could pay for your yellow pages ad only when someone called you from it? That same idea is what makes pay per click such a good investment for appraisers.