You might know your SEO from your SEM, but do you know how your website ranks against competitors? Although the only metrics that really matter are your own company’s brand equity and sales, it’s a helpful integrated marketing activity to suss out the competition online and know how you stack up. Fortunately, with the abundance of free and low-cost tools available, you can benchmark your website against the competition and create a plan for improvement. Work with the Numbers First, fire up your favorite search engine and type in a relevant service or product. Where does your site appear in comparison to the competition? This ranking measures nonpaid, also called organic, relevancy and is one of the most-important indicators of the performance of your website. Sites that rank higher receive more online traffic and feature more relevant content for users. Second, does your site carry authority? To find out, you’ll need to measure the off-site optimization of it. This refers to the factors that have an effect on your site, such as backlinks. These are links on other websites pointing back to your website. Backlinkwatch and Open Site Explorer are two free online tools that give you visibility into the backlink ranking of your site or competitive sites. Third, look holistically at all of your online marketing efforts. One popular way is to run your website through Marketing Grader to get a report card of how your website and online marketing is performing. Then, run a competitive URL through the online checklist to determine its strengths and weaknesses. media junction also offers a free online competitor analysis that rates your website against three competitor properties. “Once you run the analysis, put together an action list of what areas you can improve and what you can do differently than your competitors,” advises Jessica Meher, a marketing manager at HubSpot and founder of clickify, an inbound marketing and web design agency. By staying ahead of your competition and comparing important site performance metrics against key competitors, you can find out which strategies are working and refine future integrated marketing activities. ON POINT HOMEVESTMENTS
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Many people are still wondering whether or not real estate is one of the best investment strategies for long-term wealth building. Is investing in homes still a smart investment for the average individual? Is a home still the best investment of a lifetime for most Americans? If so, why are some pessimists still questioning the rebound in the news? Behind the Headlines Real estate companies will always boast about the benefits of acquiring real estate because it is their job. That is, unless of course, they have gotten into the rental business and make their money by touting the benefits of renting instead. Let’s be honest; statistics can be found and twisted to support any point of view and argument. Entire years of real estate statistics have been revised in the past, new indexes have been created to restart the clock, and even the national GDP was revised. Most don’t even bother to tune into job and unemployment numbers anymore due to how skewed different data sets have become. Even though the most conservative figures show housing rebounding, especially in hot areas like San Diego, there continue to be doubters. However, it doesn’t take much more than a little common sense to figure out real estate is still the best investment for most of the population. This applies to affluent individuals with top 1% income, as well as those that need to pinch pennies. Stocks have continued to demonstrate extreme volatility and risk. While UT San Diego reports local real estate is still 50% undervalued. In the stock market, plenty of Americans have lost 6 figures, literally overnight. Direct investment in real estate isn’t that volatile, and nothing is ever lost until a property is sold. For example; some Southern California homeowners saw their home values rise and fall on paper during the last couple of decades, but if they don’t sell for a few more years when prices exceed their previous peak, they will come out handsomely. Invest in Real Estate, Even if You Can’t Afford Your Dream Home One of the top excuses for many not to buy a house is that they can afford their ideal dream homes yet. Of course, unless they invest in real estate in some way now, the odds are against them ever being able to afford that dream home. Incomes haven’t been going up, but rents and home prices have. Those wanting to buy a home should not invest any money in stocks or bonds, but should prefer cash. Of course, in reality, cash depreciates too. It can be at risk whether it is in the bank or under the mattress. Investing in real estate is the best way to build up more wealth and cash to buy that dream home. Can’t find a home you’d live in even for a few years? Then buy a rental property. Many Americans are sadly being seduced into the lifelong renter mindset without realizing the horrific consequences it could be dooming them to. Consider those paying 50% of income in rent right now. Rents have been going up 20% a year in many places. If rent goes up another 20%, many could be priced out of both buying a home and renting too! Then what? With Americans living longer, and with company retirement plans evaporating, they also need to consider where they will live for 40 years of retirement on limited income? Even legendary billionaire investor Warren Buffett, with all of his endeavors into energy, insurance companies and holding sizable stakes in companies like Coke and Wells Fargo, still calls his own home his best investment ever. On Point HomevestmentsWhat can you do to effectively groom the next generation of successful real estate pros? Whether you are a real estate investor, agent, owner, entrepreneur, or just wanting your heirs to do better at buying and selling homes; grooming the next generation of real estate pros is critical to the industry. Therefore, how can you contribute to the development of said individuals? The following tips will help to facilitate the talents of the next generation of real estate pros: 1. Education Invest in real estate education courses and pass the materials on. Gift them a course, whether they are 13 or 31. It will keep on giving when you can’t, and unless they have this knowledge, they won’t manage any portfolio you pass down very well. Similarly, turn them on to practical business and financial education so that they can not only make great incomes and continue to build wealth but handle it wisely too. 2. Develop Strategic Thinking Make developing strategic thinking fun with games like Monopoly, chess, Risk or even a healthy dose of Xbox. Empower them with the ability to think ahead, navigate challenges and constantly innovate. Using newly available innovations will help groom the next generation of real estate pros. It is never too soon to start teaching them the fundamentals of real estate. 3. Hands on Practice Drive neighborhoods together, tour homes and point out what makes a good deal or doesn’t. Discuss ways to structure deals, have them operate a virtual test portfolio to see how they would make out based upon their decisions, and perhaps most importantly, make sure that they are aware of how housing cycles work. If you aren’t an active real estate investor, agent or business owner yourself, find them summer internships with those that are. HomevestmentsAre you too young to start investing in real estate? A whole new generation has been introduced to real estate investing opportunities across America, but how old do you need to be to jump in and participate? What do you really need to establish yourself and become a success? Due to some legal restrictions and banks pursuing defaults on mortgage loan debt, prospects may be restricted until they are at least 18 years old. However, that isn’t stopping everyone. Recent news stories have highlighted several cases in which teens have taken the plunge and made out very well. It is true that there really hasn’t been a better time than now for both flipping houses and acquiring rental homes. With a little innovation, anything is possible. There is a huge surge among younger generations that are full of passion and energy, wanting to get in and make their millions from real estate investing. It’s great, and no one should allow their age to hold them back. There are multiple reasons to begin real estate investing, regardless of age. Of course, while ambition and excitement can provide powerful momentum for young real estate investors, it is essential that they do not fall into the same traps as those that were their age when the last housing bubble burst. This means obtaining a decent amount of real estate education. Just getting the technical aspect of buying and selling homes isn’t enough. There is a need for strategy and understanding housing cycles. A long term vision is required to make sure you aren’t caught short when fluctuations do occur. By comparison, you are never too old to begin investing in real estate either. In fact, older generations will find it to be one of their best allies in setting up passive income streams and boosting nest eggs. RESIDENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT COMPANYPerhaps you have caught a glimpse of a few reality TV shows about flipping houses and have wondered if it is for you. It is true that there can be great money to be made form real estate investing but there are actually many reasons to get it. Here are just a few of them… 1. Bigger Paychecks For most of America there are few businesses to get into that can produce the big paydays that real estate investing can. Even doctor’s salaries pale in comparison to what many investors make. Whether you already have a job and you hate it or it just isn’t ever going to give you the paycheck you crave or you are currently unemployed real estate investing may be just what you have been looking for. 2. Passive Income If you want to retire comfortably, early or even retire at a reasonable age at all anymore you are going to need more than a couple hundred thousand in the bank. You are going to need an income to live on. By building a portfolio of rental properties which produce passive income every month you can retire early and enjoy life now. 3. Create Real Wealth Making a lot of money isn’t the same as building real wealth. Rappers can make a lot of money, CEOs of corporations make fat paychecks and many sales people see big paydays. You can even win a few million playing the lottery but building real wealth that will last generations turning your family into ‘old money’ and enabling your future great grandchildren to really pursue their passions is one of the best things about real estate investing. 4. Helping Others One of the greatest things about real estate investing isn’t about money at all. It is being able to help others. You can help homeowners get out of debt, buyers to put a roof over their family’s heads, young families to give their children the benefits of home ownership and even help others support themselves and enjoy a great lifestyle through real estate investing. 5. Freedom Real estate investing not only delivers great paychecks but can also allow you to do it in far fewer hours a week than any 9-5. It can take work and effort to get started but with the right real estate investing system you can build a great business that gives you time to enjoy your other passions too. 6. It’s Fun There are lots of things you can do to make money but investing in real estate and flipping houses is fun and rewarding too. From remodeling houses, to meeting new people, visiting amazing properties and the thrill of the deal you will find yourself easily hooked. RESIDENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT COMPANY |
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