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Dear Todd,
As you have just learned, it takes more than information to
engage Website visitors. They need a reason to make the initial inquiry
and it is incumbent upon you to give it to them. Most people looking for
real estate information do so with every intention of being "passive" during the
information gathering phase. To turn a passive visitor into an active,
fully engaged participant takes something special, something well... compelling.
Compelling Offers That Turn Visitors Into Leads
A compelling offer is a special package, piece of information,
document, or item that will likely be viewed as extremely valuable by your
visitors. So much so, that they will be eager and willing to complete a
form on your site for the privilege of receiving it (usually at no charge). The whole purpose of the compelling offer is to
incentivize your visitors to
"engage" you by requesting the thing of value in the offer.
The types of compelling offers you make on your site will
totally depend upon your target market. For example, if you specialize in
working with golf properties, your site's compelling offers are going to be
quite different than those found on a site that focuses on helping first time
buyers. Let's take a look at some possible compelling offers for each of
these target markets to illustrate this comparison:
First Time Buyers Compelling Offer Ideas
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3 Negotiating Tips You MUST Know Before Making Your
First Offer! - receive our special report on 3 critical negotiating
tips that will help you win the home of your dreams for less.
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How To Beat Everyone Else To The Best Listings! -
join our "VIP First Buyer" club to beat out others to hot new listings.
-
Avoid Financing Disasters Without Paying A Dime!
- Listen to a financing expert as he explains the differences between
fixed and adjustable loans and which one may be best for your unique
situation.
-
How To Buy Your First Home With No Money Down! -
receive our special report on how to purchase your home with no money
down.
Golf Property Buyers Compelling Offer Ideas
-
Tee Off On Us - receive our special voucher to
play nine holes on us at one of our fine area club courses.
-
Hear The Local Course Skinny From The Pros! -
Listen to our exclusive interviews of local pros as they share the "ins
and outs" of the area courses.
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How To Beat Everyone Else To The Best Course
Listings! - Join our "VIP Player" club to beat out others to hot new
course listings and receive a special invitation to meet with the area's
major club membership directors.
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How To Make Your Course Home Your Best Investment
- Receive our special report on which course properties experienced the
greatest appreciation.
Notice how each compelling offer was specific to its respective
target market? You will also notice that each compelling offer was framed
in the form of an attention-grabbing headline. This is crucial, because if
you can't get their attention to at least read the offer, they simply won't
bite.
Ask For Something In Return
One form of the "Law of Reciprocity" states that anytime you
give something to someone they want to return the favor. Here is how you
apply this principle for maximum effect when using compelling offers. Whatever the offer is, it requires delivery via e-mail or "snail" mail. In
either case you will need to gather some contact information before you can make
the delivery. Every compelling offer needs to be connected to a form that
the visitor completes in order to receive the item of value. Now this is
important: don't force them to fill out anything more than they need to receive
the item, otherwise you may actually erode their trust. However, by all
means do give them the opportunity to tell more about themselves, what their
interests and concerns are, etc. You may be surprised on just how much
people will share with you online if your site approaches them the right way. This also means having a highly visible link to your privacy policy that assures
them their information will be kept private and not shared with anyone.
Structure Of A Successful Compelling Offer
When you consider making a compelling offer on your site make
sure it contains all of the following elements:
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Targeted to a specific niche market
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Is considered extremely valuable by members of your target
market
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Is unique to you (i.e. only you are offering it)
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Uses an attention-grabbing headline
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Uses a request form that invites the visitor to share their
information yet assures them it will be kept private
Turn Every Webpage Into A Selling Machine
Ideally, you want to have at least one or more compelling offers
on every page of your site. Ironically, the vast majority of real estate
sales associate sites include no compelling offers whatsoever. However,
there are a few that take it to the extreme. For example, check out
http://www.craigproctor.com where he
has no fewer than 25 compelling offers on his home page alone! (I mention
this simply to show an example of someone who really "gets" the power of using
compelling offers --no other comments implied or otherwise are being made about
his site design or its effectiveness.)
If you want visitor inquiries that convert to new clients, then
give them a reason to interact with you. Providing well-thought-out,
targeted and unique compelling offers is the most powerful reason I can imagine!
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