admin If you run any type of business, it does not matter whether it is an online business or brick-and-mortar, it does not matter whether it is real estate, investing, or else, you will need an online presence. The easiest way to get started is by launching your own website.
Building a website is not rocket science, but it does require several steps being executed in proper sequence, to avoid re-doing things or oversights down the road.
1. Business Name
First, if you want to gain respects from prospects quickly, first impression is very important. Sure, you may want to start small by forming a sole proprietorship, and tell everyone to trust you because you are “John Doe, Sole Proprietor.” But your life can be a bit easier by doing a little extra, to appear more professional with a legitimate business entity, or at the minimum file a “Do Business As” (DBA) name with the government agency at your local jurisdiction. For the sake of this blog post, we will not go into details about forming a LLC or filing a DBA.
2. Domain Name
No matter what you do with #1 above, you will need to come up with a domain name. A domain name is the online address, or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) if you want to get geeky, that other visitors can find you with. Obviously, you want the domain name to be as close as your business name as possible, but sometimes that is not easy. For example, if your business name is “Acme Capital” the ideal domain name would be www.acme.com. But I can tell you without even trying, that the domain name “acme.com” is already taken. You may consider alternatives, like “acme.net,” “acme.io,” “acme.website”… etc. But if at all possible, go for a “.com” domain name because that is still the defacto standard.
So I can’t get “acme.com,” now what? Well, a simple way is to start putting words around it to make it longer, which will increase your chance of having such domain name available. For example, you can try something like “MyAcme.com,” “GoAcme.com,” “AcmeInvestments.com”… etc. If your business name is already somewhat unique to start with, there is a good chance you land something this way.
But what if nothing is still available? What you do as the last resort, is go for a 3-word combination in the domain name. For example, “MyVeryAcme.com,” “InvestInAcme.com,” or “AcmeInvestmentsNow.com”… etc. 3-word combination makes the domain name longer, but yet easier to be unique and available.
Once you arrive to a domain name, always remember to register it with private registration, which is typically offered by DomainByProxy. You do not need to know the exact procedure on how to do that, because if you use a reputable company to obtain your domain, say GoDaddy for example, it will guide you through the process.
3. Web Hosting
Now that you have a domain name, you will need to figure out a server to host your website. You can certainly DIY, try to spin up your own web server and host the website at your own home (some people believe this will minimize cost, but we at DoorInvestor did not confirm this theory.) Since this is not a technical blog post so we shall suggest a simple way to do it: Search online for “web hosting” and pick the one that you feel comfortable, choosing primarily between costs and uptime service level agreement (SLA). Usually, the service provider that you obtain your domain name with (e.g. GoDaddy), also offers web hosting service, so you should pay attention when you go through the check out process, and look out for a promotion.
4. Website
Now the fun begins after you set up all the foundational work. This is where the pretty and creative side of you comes in, and design a website that is so extraordinary that attracts millions of people coming to visit you on a daily basis. For some of us who may not be so creative, or we maybe creative but that is not where we want to use our time and resource right now, we have a solution for you!
The out of the box Investor Website package offers you a simple way to get a real estate themed website up and running in no time. It has pre-built templates that target renters, note investors, wholesalers, lenders… etc. It allows you add property listings easily. It has contact forms to capture leads, and it has blog site built in for you to add unique contents. It is programmed to be “responsive” which means your website will look great on laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. It requires 0 programming knowledge and 0 technical background to set it up, it is that easy!
5. Run the Website
Some “gurus” out there may tell you once you set up the website you are done and you are ready to start racking in money in time. That is not what we believe in at DoorInvestor, because visitor engagement is an active activity and you will need to run your website to keep it fresh. The good news is that it most likely is not a 9-5 full time job to run a website. You just need to have a routine that fits you, that allows you to perhaps update the property listing with some content or photos, write a blog post from time to time, and most importantly check to see if any new leads come in.
6. Conclusion
Your online presence is usually the first impression your prospects have on you, so it is critical that you start off the business relationship on the right foot. It is a little bit of extra money spent, but it can go a long way and can potentially provide good ROI on such website investment.
