'Edisto Island Real Estate Sales Interview'

Edisto Island Real Estate Sales Interview

By Interviewer at 08/12/07 11:40

Name of your website?

Edisto Island Real Estate Sales

Your name?

Matt van Bakergem

Your Location (city, etc)

Edisto Island

Please give us a short summary of your website?

Real Estate related site on Edisto Island and Edisto Beach, SC. I have created the site myself and add to it on a regular basis. I add statistical data on previous sales.

What inspired you to launch your own website?

As a real estate professional, it is a must to have a web site these days. Sitting in the office can only generate so much business. The web site and proper promotion can provide a worldwide audiance.

When did you launch your first website, and what was it?

1998? It was a site on personalized cartoons. A totally different business than what I am doing now.

How did you decide on a name for your website?

I first used my last name.com but then recently started using one with the name of my area in the name. Not sure if it helps, but it is at least a little easier to remember.

What makes it different from other, similar offerings?

I think the fact that I did it myself and is not just a "canned" site is good. I update it often and don't have 20 bells and whistles attached. It is simple and easy to use.

What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)

My goal is to have the site in the top of the search engine and be able to obtain a high % of leads searching for real estate in my area.

How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?

My biggest sales have come from my web site. There is no way to quantify the time/income ratio. It has been a good investment.

If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?

I would cross promote the site and create more awareness via other media.

If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?

Yes,

I could always refer business and coninue to serve my clients at a high level.

What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?

Incorrect formatting early on. Having to make sitewide changes later.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Staying up to date with current marketing trends.

What method has been most successful for promoting your website?

PPC and linking

How has running your website differed from your expectations?

It hasn't really differed from my original expectations.

How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?

6years? I don't have a time frame for when I will stop

Comments?

Thanks

What is your website address?

Edisto Island Real Estate Sales

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