New online business

djlender · 11-24-2004, 01:38 PM

My wife and I have started our own online business. It's a simple concept. We are going to give people who are selling their homes themselves (For Sale By Owner's) an outlet on the web to showcase their homes. I've designed the site ( www.visithomeconnections.com ) and my wife is doing the flyers and setting up contracts. We are going to offer three packages. We thought this was a very unique idea since we don't know anyone else who is doing this concept. I looked on the net and didn't really find anything. We don't have any clients right now because we are just starting.
I would like any ideas or suggestions about how best to market this business. I am considering putting an ad in the local newspapers 'Real Estate' section and the wife thought about buying and putting out yardsigns around the area. Any ideas on the web that won't cost an 'arm and a leg'?
Oh! And any comments on the site's design is appreciated! Thanks!!!

littleFella · 11-24-2004, 01:44 PM

Great idea, but not a new concept at all.

http://www.forsalebyowner.com
http://www.forsalebyownercanada.com
http://www.propertysites.com

and countless others

<edit: typo>

voxunity · 11-27-2004, 02:53 PM

>And any comments on the site's design is appreciated!

scroll text shouldn't be on a visible page spot

djlender · 11-29-2004, 10:25 AM

Ok, I guess I knew we wouldn't be the only one out there doing this idea but I knew the field was scarce where we are and I think we would provide added features that you wouldn't get in the run-of-the-mill FSBO website.
Also, what is meant by scroll-text and where on the site did you see that?
Thanks

www.visithomeconnections.com

Soren · 12-26-2004, 06:34 PM

djlender,

Newspapers are good but only if they allow you to post ads for your site in the classified section with a link (unless you have a huge budget for traditional ads)

From my experience keep it local...

-Contact some current sellers to post some Free Ads (no one wants to post on an empty board, nor are visitors likely to return)

-Put up flyers on Bulletin Boards (post office, coffee shops, community centers, churches)

-Get in contact with anyone individuals selling their home would ask for advice (lawyers, financial advisors, bankers, city goverment). Let them know of your service and ask for a recommendation.

-Join your local Chamber of Commerce

Best of Luck!

djlender · 12-27-2004, 02:05 PM

Thank you, Soren for the helpful advice.
CHEERS!

weblaunch · 05-07-2005, 01:48 AM

Hi,

It's a nice concept, but I think you'll need a lot of resources to promote it. Have you visited http://www.buyowner.com/ ? I think you're aiming for a similar service, no?

Good luck on your venture!

borkboing · 12-27-2005, 11:30 AM

It is always about the numbers.

Get as many inbound links from important local sites as possible. For instance, if you are in Dallas, try to get a link somewhere on Dallas.com, shopdallas.com... you get the idea.

Consider cable tv. If there is a local news station, that would be ideal. You may not have to have an expensive ad, you can sponsor something.

Best of luck!

theChronic · 01-02-2006, 02:37 PM

Use a shorturl system so that users house will be like yoursite.com/theiraddressnumber.htm and then have your users promote your site by mentioning that if it will help them sell the house by putting the link to their page on their newspaper/magazine ads

just a thought

<Admin Edit - Removed Link>

**John Scott** · 01-02-2006, 02:50 PM

TheChronic - please stop putting irrelevant links in the body of the post. You can have up to two links in your signature file.

Klaas Koopman · 01-02-2006, 04:36 PM

Hmm link doesn't seem to work for me, but interesting idea. Well it doesn't mather if there are more that have thesame idea, try to first cover your idea locally, by getting people in your neighborhood and village/city to know about your fantastic service! Then slowly move to other parts/villages/cities etc!

Cause I've seen many services/companies expand like this. They first start locally then worth of mouth get's their companie named everywhere which means getting more and more clients outside of their village/city!

theChronic · 01-02-2006, 08:09 PM

Will do, sorry about that. I was just trying to see if I could tell a difference in putting a random one in each time as compared to having it in my sig (http://www.v7n.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23144) and figured if I could have it in sig it'd be alright. My bad

Peace
John

Dustin07 · 01-04-2006, 11:54 AM

I hope you guys are still working on this idea. I'd be happy to join you and promote it in our area. I've been researching the idea for sometime now and there is a DEFINATE need.

Agents are charging FAR tooo much and the rate of FSBO homes is going through the roof! early promotions will require a lot of leg work, and I would consider signing as many FSBO owners for FREE (or very close) for the first couple of months just to get substance on your site.

drive around town, check the classifieds, and find the FSBO's. put them on your site, maybe only start with ONE town at a time so you can advertise in that ONE town to start.

again, I hope you push this idea because your competition is HORRIBLE. no, it's not a new idea, but it IS an idea that has yet to blossom.

good luck, and contact me if you are interested in anyform of partnership. I'd love to contribute somehow. that, and I'm thinking of putting my house on the market in the next month. I'd be happy to give you some 'substance'.

Dustin