Here are some FAQs regarding US Home Searcher and your zip code marketing pages. If you have a question not addressed in these FAQs, contact us via the form included on THIS PAGE and we’ll be happy to add it.
- How Much Does This Cost?
We understand how challenging the real estate business is and have created a program that just about anyone can afford.
Your current cost for each hand-coded and search engine optimized page is only $5.00 per zip code per month! (As of Feb 2012.)
If you team up with another real estate professional and split the cost, your cost will only be $2.50 per zip code per month!
- How Long Do I Have to Commit to This Program?
You are under NO OBLIGATION to keep your account active for any length of time. Of course, we DO urge you to be patient and let the organic search engine optimization get established for your zip code pages for at least six months. Our organic SEO process is a long-term approach; not the quick fix like out competitors who charge an arm and a leg.
- Do I Share Leads with Other Real Estate Professionals?
Unlike our competition each zip code page is yours EXCLUSIVELY. You can share the page with your real estate professional partner such as your mortgage broker if you’d like. When visitors fill out the contact form this information is given only to you and whom you choose. Visitors will not be inundated with multiple calls.
- I've Been in the Real Estate Business for 17 Years and I've Never Heard of You.
Simply put, we are a start-up and have only just begun. US Home Searchers began as a partnership between Jim Wagoner, a real estate professional like yourself – with a dozen years under his belt, and Aaron C. Yeagle, a web developer whose company Transmutation Sciences has built hundreds of websites with a large real estate client base, in June of 2011. US Home Searcher.com was launched in August of that year. We continue to seek new ways to help you market your business and create added value while keeping the costs to you as low as possible.
- When Will I Start to See Leads?
We can’t give you an easy answer for that but here’s what we know. Our focus is on what’s called organic search engine optimization. Organic SEO is a much slower process of building traffic than PAID SEO aka Google Adwords and similar paid traffic programs. How quickly your page moves into those first two pages of the search engines is dependent on the level of competition for the same key terms in your area – and, of course, how well we did our SEO work. We’ve seen clients get leads within 6 weeks and some just starting to get leads after 6 months!
- Do You Guarantee the Number of Leads I’ll Get?
While we would love to tell you your email box will be filled every morning, we can’t. Human nature and the variables of the current market and search engine algorithms are simply too complex. Writing a great passion statement and including a call to action will certainly help get visitors to your zip code pages to contact you.
- How Many Leads Can I Expect Each Month?
There are a lot of variables here: how many visitors we can get to your zip code pages, whether they find a home they are interested in, and whether your passion statement / bio helps them feel connected to you and they’re encouraged to contact you. Please see “Do You Guarantee the Number of Leads I’ll Get?” for more details.
- How Does My Zip Code Page Create Leads?
Our focus is on what’s called organic search engine optimization. Organic SEO is the process of managing and manipulating the code and the content of a web page in order to gain the best positioning possible on the search engines for a given set of key terms. That’s why we hand-code and manually optimize each and every zip code page … so we can get you into those frist two important pages of Google!
- Do You Screen Your Leads?
No. We do not filter or edit the leads. Our Organic SEO techniques utilize key terms that target consumers who are likely to be seeking a new home. Does this mean every lead is 100% perfect? Of course not.
- What Do I Do When I Receive a Lead?
The contact forms require name, phone and email information; the first thing you should do is call! … and as quickly as you can. Be certain, when following up on a lead, to mention US Home Searcher. For example, “Hello Rachel. My name is Richard from Summa Real Estate and I was just notified by US Home Searcher that you were seeking information about real estate in Portland, Oregon. How may I be of assistance?” This will help them readily establish why you are contacting them. It’s especially important if you have not been able to respond until a few hours later.
- My Map Isn't Showing Any of My Listings!
We use RealBird Pro as our listing map of choice because of its low cost ($99.00 per year vs the $.5 million with MLS). It’s low cost derives from the source of listings … USERS! All of the listings you see on Realbird have been entered by RealBird Pro users. If listings aren’t visible it’s because no one in your area has added them. You may want to sign up for a RealBird Pro account and add your own listings.
- What Should I Include in My Bio?
Remember that your bio is your opportunity to connect to the potential home buyer visiting your zip code page. So be up-beat and extroverted. Write it as if this person was right there in front of you. Talk about your PASSION for real estate and all the EXCITEMENT buying a home creates. Be sure to include, at the end, a direct call to action, such as “Use the convenient form on this page and I’ll contact you right away!” Whatever you do don’t be boring.
- Can I Include My Phone Number, Email, and Website in My Bio?
The first question 99% percent of our customers ask is “How many leads will I get?” and we’d be unable to answer that question if a home buyer could contact you directly. We’ve made the decision to funnel all potential leads through email and SMS text messaging so we can track leads and gather data that will help us do a better job of helping you.
- What Can I Do to Help Get Leads Faster?
Great question! First and foremost, LIKE our Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment with a link to one of your pages. If you leased several zip codes, paste a link for each one individually over the course of several days. Include the links to your zip code pages on your website. Tweet links to your pages. Email your clientele links to your pages. If you REALLY want to be aggressive, we can set up an internet marketing campaign for you with Google Adwords or on Facebook. The budget can be kept low and still benefit your business.
- I'm Sorry ... But I Want to Cancel.
We’re sorry to see you go but understand that sometimes budgets can get tight and something’s gotta go. Currently, PayPal manages your subscription. In order to cancel your recurring payment, a subscription, or automatic billing with us, you can cancel your pending payments:
Log in to your PayPal account.
Click Profile near the top of the page.
Click My money.
Click Update in the My preapproved payments section.
Click Cancel, Cancel automatic billing, or Cancel subscription and follow the instructions.
You can get more details HERE. If you can’t find the transaction, contact PayPal’s customer service.
