Nov 23, 2022
Introduction
QR codes – or Quick Response codes – are among the most popular 2D barcodes. With the rise in popularity of smartphones, real estate agents can deliver valuable information to a potential real estate customer, engaging customers directly on their devices. Real estate agents can use QR codes to direct customers to contact information and even an interactive home tour, increasing customer engagement and creating a more memorable interaction.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at how you can use QR codes to improve customer engagement, drive conversions, and effectively incorporate them into your real estate marketing strategy.
Here are the Top 5 Ways To Incorporate QR Codes Into Your Real Estate Marketing Strategy
Use QR codes to provide easy access to digital content.
Use QR codes to encourage customer reviews and testimonials.
Use QR codes to create a mobile-friendly website experience.
Use QR codes to drive social media engagement.
Use QR codes to promote special events and featured properties.
Disclosure
As proud affiliates for some of the resources/tools shown or listed in this article, I/we at {Titus Media Solutions, LLC} commission when you click a link for a solution/resource or gadget and make a qualifying purchase. It is, however, at no extra cost to you, and in some cases, provides you with a discount.
1. Use QR Codes to Provide Easy Access to Digital Real Estate Content
QR codes provide easy access to digital content, such as website pages, PDFs, images, and videos. Using QR codes is a great way to make your content more accessible to your audience and make it easy for them to engage with your real estate brand. And a great way to keep potential customers and followers up-to-date on your latest news and promotions.
2. Use QR Codes to Encourage Real Estate Clientele Reviews and Testimonials
QR codes encourage customers to leave reviews and testimonials. You can place QR codes on the marketing materials you give to your client, your real estate website, or your real estate office, and clients can scan the code to leave a review or testimonial. Using QR codes is a great way to collect valuable customer feedback.
3. Use QR Codes to Create a Mobile-Friendly Experience for your Real Estate Website
QR codes create a mobile-friendly website experience. You can place QR codes on your website that link to mobile-optimized versions of your website. Using QR codes is a great way to improve the user experience for mobile users and make it easier for them to convert to your website.
QR codes are a great way to attract new customers and followers. Adding QR codes to all advertising materials can create a more dynamic experience with your audience. They allow you to use visual marketing to your advantage and are a lot of fun. The people who scan your QR code will be taken to your chosen place, such as your Facebook fan page, YouTube channel, or website. As you can imagine, the applications for this type of online marketing are endless.
TIP! If you use QR codes in your advertising campaign, link them to places people want to see. For example, suppose you’re in a coffee shop and see a QR code that another agent has placed on his or her business card. In that case, you can scan it and instantly connect with that agent’s social media accounts – a great way to learn more about an agent and their services.
Use QR codes as a great way to share your special events and featured listings with everyone. Let’s say, for example. You have an open house on a property you have listed and want to share the details with everyone in the area. You can create a personalized QR code for this listing, which you can then display on a poster or flyer you hang up around the area or even on the actual sign of the property. Since QR codes are easy to read, anyone can quickly scan them with their smartphone and get all the necessary information. Plus, if they scan it while at the open house, they can view the details and automatically be added to your customer relationship manager, making it easy to reach out to them from your mailing list.
Do you use QR codes in your real estate business?
The real estate market is constantly changing. One thing that doesn’t change is that people who buy and sell homes have busy lives. School, work, and family obligations take up a lot of time. With so much demand for their time, how do you get the attention of potential buyers in today’s real estate market? You can do it by being creative with your marketing materials. One way to accomplish this is by using a QR Code.
QR Codes are a fantastic way to engage customers, provide them with more information about your business, and help them take the next step in their real estate journey. You can use QR Codes in your real estate marketing in various ways. You can use them to include more contact information for your business, including videos or pictures of current properties, have a link to your website, or contact you directly. There are a ton of different uses for QR codes, but the best way to use them is to incorporate them into something they already do. For example, say you have a sign in a client’s yard with your phone number. You can create a QR Code that links directly to your real estate contact page or website.
After reading this article, you should be familiar with QR codes and their use in real estate marketing. I’m sure you grasp that QR codes lead to valuable information, such as additional content on your website or a link to an upcoming open house event.
Conclusion
We hope you found this blog post interesting and informative. We like to stay on top of new technologies and trends, and we love to share our knowledge with our readers. Thank you for reading, and we hope you will stay in touch with us and our blog for more tips and tricks on QR codes and interactive content. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
Stop waiting – make a difference in your real estate business! Get creative, interact with your customers, and ensure you use the technology to its full potential!
BTW, we are always excited when one of our posts can provide helpful information, and we hope this blog post has inspired you to use QR codes to enhance your real estate marketing efforts and help you reach your real estate business goals. Are you ready to start using QR codes in your real estate marketing? Well, give Etch Encoder a try today!
If you have any other questions or concerns about using QR codes for real estate marketing, please continue reading our blog posts.
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Aug 9, 2022
Introduction
Are you a real estate agent looking for a way to promote your real estate business?
If you are, you may want to consider using QR codes. QR codes are a type of barcode that can be scanned using a smartphone or tablet. When scanned, a QR code can provide your customers with information about your business, such as your website, your contact information, or a special offer. You can create QR codes for free using a QR code generator. When creating your QR code, you will need to decide what information you want to include. Once you have created your QR code, you can promote it by including it on your business cards, flyers, or any other marketing materials.
What is a QR code?
Are you a real estate agent and unaware of what a QR code is?
Whether you’ve heard of them or not, QR (quick response) codes are a form of matrix barcodes that can hold around 245 bytes of data. While they were invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara of the Japanese automotive company Denso Wave. However, they didn’t become mainstream until around 2010, when they were used extensively in Japan for ticketing and navigation.
QR codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode, machine-readable codes consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information.
QR codes are becoming increasingly popular, and most smartphones now have built-in QR code scanning features in their native camera apps.
Static QR Codes – why should a real estate agent care?
What are Static QR codes?
Static QR codes are fixed, meaning that all the data is directly embedded into the QR code. Once generated and printed for real-world usage, it can’t be changed. However, they are fully customizable, and there is no scan limit.
Most real estate businesses have made it a priority to ensure a user’s experience is seamless and memorable. A static QR code is a great way to do this. Sure, there are a few drawbacks, namely, not being able to change the target location after adding a QR code to a piece of marketing material.
A static QR code may adequately suit your needs. However, a dynamic QR code may be just the thing you’re looking for to use on those “luxury” marketing pieces.
Dynamic QR Codes – why should a real estate agent care?
What are Dynamic QR codes?
Dynamic QR codes are super handy because they can redirect users to a destination URL, even if that URL changes after the QR code has been generated. That’s because the short URL embedded in the code remains the same, even if the destination URL changes. So if you need to update the URL for whatever reason, you can do so without having to update the QR code itself.
Imagine reprinting new business cards every time you make minor changes to your contact information, or reprinting all of your expensive marketing materials if you switch website providers.
Dynamic QR codes offer additional benefits to real estate marketing, namely:
- Advanced scan statistics
- Scheduling,
- Expiration limits,
- A/B Rotation,
- Password protection, and also
- Country, device & language re-targeting
How do QR codes work?
The QR code Scanner Decodes…
As we mentioned earlier Quick Response Codes, or QR Codes, are a popular type of two-dimensional barcode. They’re machine-readable codes usually consisting of an array of black and white squares. However, they can contain colors, as well as logos, and pictures.
The QR code scanner decodes the encoded message designed into the QR code. It moves along the QR code two data modules at a time in a right-to-left, up-then-down zig-zag pattern until every data module is covered.
Let’s take a look a the basics of how the QR code scanning process works.
- Aim the mobile device of choice at a QR code.
- The QR code scanner in your mobile device’s camera uses the three position markers in the code to figure out where the edges of the code are. With a sufficient quiet area, your scanner will be able to identify the edges of the QR code.
- The scanner usually starts at the bottom right, where it will find the mode indicator. These four data modules tell the scanner what kind of data (numeric, alphanumeric, byte, or kanji) is encoded in the rest of the QR code.
- The next thing the scanner sees is the character count indicator. This is made up of 8 data modules and it tells the scanner how long the encoded message is.
- Now that it knows what kind of data it is and how long the message is, the scanner carries on zig-zagging along the data modules until it picks up all the information that has been encoded. The very last data module the scanner comes to is called the end indicator.
- After reading the final character, the scanner proceeds to the error correction data modules. These modules contain information that can help repair damage to the QR code. There are four levels of error correction, which determine how much of the QR code’s data is backed up. This helps ensure that the code can still be read even if it is damaged.
What are the benefits of using QR codes for a real estate agent?
The benefits of using QR codes include being able to provide your customers with information about your business, promoting your business, and increasing brand awareness.
QR codes are a great way to promote your business.
QR codes are a great way to promote your real estate company. You can use them to promote your website, and your real estate team, or advertise the services that you provide. You can also use them to promote special landing pages for your featured listings. You can use QR codes to promote your business in a variety of ways.
QR codes are a great way to increase brand awareness.
QR codes are a great way to increase brand awareness. You can use them to promote your website on your business cards, your open house events, or your featured listings. You can also use them to promote your buyer and seller guides, or that “FSBO” guide that you’re especially proud of, your social media pages, or your email signature. You can use QR codes to increase your brand awareness in a variety of ways.
Top 10 ways to use a QR code in your real estate marketing
If you’re a real estate professional and you’re not using QR codes as part of your marketing strategy, you’re missing out! QR codes are a great way to streamline your marketing efforts and make things more convenient for your employees and clients.
Here are 10 ways to use QR codes in your real estate marketing
- Text – Simple and clear text embedded into a QR code.
- URL – Send someone to a link.
- Phone – Get calls from people by scanning the QR code.
- SMS – Get custom SMS messages from people by scanning the QR code.
- Email – Get custom Emails from people by scanning the QR code.
- Whatsapp – Get custom Whatsapp messages from people by scanning the QR code.
- Facetime – Get Facetime calls from people by scanning the QR code.
- Location – Embed location coordinates for people to get directions more easily.
- WiFi – Create WiFi QR codes and let people connect to your WiFi more easily.
- Event – Generate a custom life calendar event and embed it into a QR code.
Pro Tip – A QR Code’s usage is limited mostly by the real estate agent’s imagination.
Can we talk about your brand’s image?
Okay, let’s get into it, instead of passing out sticky notes with your company’s wifi login information every time you change the access information, you could update the destination URL of a Dynamic QR code that’s prominently posted in the employee lounge or the waiting area. Not only would this be more convenient for everyone involved, but it would also look a lot more professional than those sheets of paper with dirty, curled edges taped to the receptionist’s desk area!
Before the great health crisis of 2020
Before the great health crisis of 2020, QR codes had a bit of a fall from grace since their peak, leading many to consider them irrelevant or outdated – Now, you can see them on every store window and in every restaurant. We think that they have a great deal of value and can be used profitably by any real estate business.
According to Statista – In 2021, 75.8 million smartphone users in the United States scanned a QR code on their mobile devices, up by 15.3 percent compared to 2020. Usage of mobile QR code scanners is projected to experience constant growth, reaching approximately 99.5 million users in the U.S. by 2025. According to a survey of U.S. shoppers conducted in June 2021, 45 percent of respondents reported using a QR code to access marketing or promotional offers.
Conclusion
QR codes are a great way to promote your business. You can use them to provide your customers with information about your business, such as your website, your contact information, or a special offer. You can create QR codes for free using a QR code generator. And if you want to convert more relationships into real estate clients, we have a solution for you – we offer a great service, Etch Encoder is the perfect place to create and manage all of your quick response code marketing materials.
During a June 2021 survey, it was found that 59 percent of responding shoppers from the United States believed that QR codes would be a permanent part of using their mobile phone in the future; 11 percent disagreed with that statement. Additionally, it was found that QR codes were most popular among 18 to 29 years-olds, according to Statista.
Don’t forget that when promoting your QR code, you can include it on your business cards, flyers, or inside your real estate office.
We hope this article has helped shed some light on the benefits of using QR codes to market your real estate business. We know that this technology can help real estate agents to improve their website’s conversion rate, drive more leads to their business, and help them to find new clients. If you’d like to learn more about how you can use text-to-speech technology in your real estate business, we encourage you to stay tuned to our website at www.TitusMediaSolutions.com. We have a lot of great content on our blog and we’re always excited to see what new topics we can discuss. If you have any questions or comments about how you can use text-to-speech technology to improve your real estate business, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime. Thank you for reading!
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Feb 14, 2022
What is Web Accessibility?
Web Accessibility or e-Accessibility is the inclusive practice of ensuring no barriers prevent interaction with or access websites on the World Wide Web by people with physical disabilities, situational disabilities, and socio-economic restrictions on bandwidth and speed. When sites are correctly designed, developed, and edited, more users have equal access to information and functionality (according to Wikipedia).
Why does it matter to my real estate business?
Imagine you’re showing a potential buyer around a property you think will be perfect for them. It’s got curb appeal in spades, and it’s in precisely the right location and right on budget. Everything is going great, but they ask about the single upstairs shower room. Grandma needs one on the ground floor when she visits; two teenage daughters will never share; dad likes a bath to stretch out in – and you’ve just lost the sale.
Just like a house, your website is prime real estate, and it doesn’t matter how good it looks or how great the content is – if your customers can’t use it in the way they need to, you’re going to lose them.
And that could be as many as 15% of them if your site isn’t accessible. That’s the estimated percentage of web users who have some form of physical or neurological barrier to interacting with websites. That’s a lot of people, with a lot of spending power – $490 billion, to be exact.
Those barriers could be anything from blindness or paralysis to conditions like ADHD, color blindness, dyslexia, and epilepsy. It could be someone with a permanent condition or who broke their wrist playing football and can’t use a mouse for the next month. It could even be someone who wants to browse your online videos silently on their phone while their partner watches their favorite TV show.
Breaking Down Web Accessibility?
Web Accessibility, or e-Accessibility, is about precisely what you think it should be, just as the name implies: it’s about making your website accessible to everyone; however they need – or choose – to interact with it. That will automatically increase the number of people who can use your site.
Bonus
Almost everything you do to improve the accessibility of your website for those who need it will also enhance the online experience of other users.
How do I know if my website is accessible?
Luckily, there’s a set of rules to help with that. From the early days of the internet, a consortium of experts from businesses, non-profits, universities, and governments created the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WGAC). These are regularly updated and are now the global template for best practices in web accessibility.
The latest version of their guidelines, WGAC 2.1, is the gold standard for web accessibility. It’s a pretty complex document, but in a nutshell, it says your site should meet four criteria:
- Let all people access your content regardless of sensory disability. For example, giving access to automatic screen readers; making fonts editable to be easier to read; options for changing colors and contrast; text on video for the hearing impaired, etc.
- Let all people operate your site. For example, you could provide options for people to navigate your website without using a mouse, provide sight-assisted navigation, etc.
- Make it understandable. Avoid using complex jargon or confusing navigation structure. Keep it simple and consistent.
- Keep it robust. Good quality code that meets recognized standards will make it easier for everyone to use your site and keep it compatible with assistive tools people with disabilities use.
WGAC 2.1 has three grades to show how accessible a website is, from A for the most basic to AAA for the most thorough. Unless you explicitly provide a service for disabled people, AA is a comfortable middle ground covering the essential elements.
As well as keeping to WGAC 2.1 standards, it’s strongly recommended that your site meets any legal requirements for disability access in your country of operation. In the United States, that means complying with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Your real estate company could be fined up to $55,000 if your website is found to exclude people with disabilities. Luckily, if your site meets WGAC AA standards, it is doubtful it will ever cause you problems with the ADA.
There are online tools such as the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool or my favorite accessiBe that can help give you an idea of how well your site is performing regarding accessibility. Completing an accessibility review of your website should give you a snapshot of any issues you might need to address and a good idea of how much work is required to get that vital AA certification.
My site isn’t accessible. What can I do?
Unfortunately, making a website fully accessible is not a straightforward task. Usually, it’s something you’ll need to leave to the professionals. You can talk to your current website provider or in-house tech team, and they should be able to work with the WGAC guidelines to make sure all the right boxes get checked, the “T’s” are crossed, and the “I’s” get dotted.
Sometimes it can be something as simple as ensuring you’ve correctly labeled all images for screen-readers. Other times the whole structure of the website’s code might need to be addressed. With multi-platform performance and constantly evolving web technology to consider, keeping your site accessible can be a long-term project.
Think about it like this, you get a new listing, and you immediately add those lovely pictures and videos to your website. Unfortunately, some of those “fantastic” listing photos are without alternate text, and your video home tour is without captioning. This routine step could cost you a ton in developer fees and potential fines.
Are there any simply solutions available?
Fortunately, for the busy real estate agent, there are now third-party options that can make the process a lot more seamless and a lot less painful. Platforms like accessiBe, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to scan and improve your site’s accessibility, can give you full ADA/WGAC compliance in less than 48 hours. Once you install accessiBe on to your website, it will monitor your site’s performance; from now on, you can deal with any issues before they happen, and without the time and expense of a website developer.
AccessiBe provides the website visitor with custom options to tailor a site’s performance to their particular needs. Integrating these kinds of plug-ins to improve a website’s usability can be easy and provide value beyond the basic requirements of WGAC, making interaction with your business online not just compliant but more rewarding for the user and potentially converting a visitor into a client.
Summing Things Up
Making your website accessible to all potential users could involve a lot of work and investment, but the rewards are tangible. Not only do you instantly increase your online client base, but you make working with you easier for all your clients, not just those with disabilities.
You’ll also avoid running afoul of any potential legal action that might tie up your valuable time and resources. And, of course, you’ll have the personal satisfaction and business kudos of being an inclusive and welcoming company that looks after all its customers.
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Feb 10, 2022
The Best Decision of your Real Estate Career
Starting a YouTube channel could be the best decision you make to build your career as a real estate agent. Successful real estate YouTube channels don’t have to compete with the most prominent national websites. They’re all about getting leads for your area, listings, and buyers. Whether you’re featuring a home as the listing agent or showing a buyer the home of their dreams, a YouTube channel can bring in dozens of leads a week — maybe even more!
Read this step-by-step guide, as it will help you get your YouTube real estate agent channel up and going. You will find no-nonsense tips for starting a YouTube channel inside this article. Read on for our advice and how-to secrets, including using TubeBuddy, a plug-in that makes managing your YouTube channel a lot easier.
Getting Started With Your Real Estate YouTube Channel
Before you start, take some time to look around and search for successful YouTube real estate channels. Look for ones in areas that have a bit in common with yours or ones where you like the agent’s style or the videos they created. Take some notes about the essential features from their channels to see:
- What kind of videos do they make?
- How often do they publish?
- How long are their videos?
- What does their branding look like?
Create a Publishing Plan
Now that you have a good idea of the type of channel and schedule you want in your head – write it down. Create a plan for videos and publishing; Airtable is a fantastic tool for tracking and publishing content of all types. Pick one or two days a week you’ll film, and one or two days a week you’ll publish your videos. Having a consistent time and day to post will help you optimize your real estate YouTube channel.
Setting up Your YouTube Real Estate Channel
This next step is where your note-taking from the other real estate YouTube channels will come in handy. You’ll need to include the following elements when you start your channel:
Channel Customization
Layout –
- A Channel Trailer – a one – to a two-minute trailer that introduces people to your channel and encourages them to subscribe.
- A Featured Video – a trailer that greets returning subscribers.
Branding –
- Picture – use a good headshot, not a logo.
- Banner Image – create a powerful and informative image and ensure it displays what a subscriber can expect from your channel.
- Video Watermark – appears on your videos in the right-hand corner.
Basic Info –
- A Channel Name – name your channel something that clarifies to your visitors what type of content they should expect to see. Be sure to include your name.
- Channel Description – include facts and information, don’t forget to include keywords like your area’s name and type of real estate you service, and any special links you want to be included.
How to Choose Which Videos to Create
You should have at least three types of videos on your YouTube channel.
1. The first type should be educational – showing the benefit that homeowners and future homeowners can receive from homeownership.
2. The second type should be general – videos that introduce people to your area.
3. The third type should be videos featuring properties that you’re listing.
4. You can also have other videos presenting a “lifestyle,” covering the advantages of moving to your area, or perhaps videos about travel, food, history, or recreation.
Follow these steps when deciding how to put content on your YouTube channel:
Conduct Keyword Research: Use a keyword tool to identify keywords that bring people to your channel. TubeBuddy is an exceptional tool for YouTube videos. It offers a browser extension keyed into YouTube, bringing you dynamic data on topics that people are searching for on YouTube. Don’t forget to download the TubeBuddy mobile app.
After you have your keywords chosen, ensure you place them into the title, as well as the body of your blog posts.
Don’t forget, most of your searches will be from mobile devices and often use voice, not text. You can start by putting your city or town’s name and then adding words to see which ones have a high volume. Here are some examples:
- Potomac Shores homes for sale
- Homes for sale in Port Potomac
- Woodbridge, Virginia homes with pools
- Homes with pools in Woodbridge, Virginia
When It’s Time To Film
YouTube videos are just like any other content you create: you have a short time to hook your viewer and let them know what to expect in the rest of the video. Make sure that your intro informs the viewer about what they can expect during the rest of the video.
Make sure you have the following elements in your videos, whether they’re about a specific property or features of your local area or any other topic you choose:
- Hook with a preview of the content to come: 15 seconds
- Introduction: 15 to 30 seconds explaining the purpose of video and viewer takeaways
- Content: create anywhere between 6 to 12 minutes of content
- Offer: conclude the video with a call to action like subscribing to your channel or calling you about a property
Editing and Uploading Your Real Estate YouTube Video
Video and audio editing can quickly become complicated. Not to fear, you can choose a free or paid service such as Fiverr or UpWork to edit your video. However, Spoke and Descript are two excellent tools that turn out accurate transcripts from your videos. There is a whole range of services, including ones that work on your phone or tablet.
After you’re satisfied with the video, you should upload it to YouTube. Every time, you’ll need to:
- Write a good title and description with keywords and searchable terms
- Add tags that fit the video’s topic and your goals for leads
- Create a thumbnail and add a visual hook
- Create captions (YouTube has its caption function. However, Fiverr offers white glove services.)
- Schedule the video for publishing
Your description should include your main keywords as well as a call to action. You can also have your contact information and even links to other videos on your channel.
YouTube shows videos to a broader audience based on engagement. If you’re making YouTube videos, you also want to send them to your contact in your email list and post them on social media channels. Be sure to promote your videos when they’re published and encourage your current audience to like and watch the video to the end. Missinglettr is an excellent resource for getting your blog post seen and shared by additional people. If you have comments on your video, be sure to respond and be courteous and professional.
Using Analytics For Your Real Estate YouTube Channel
You might be discouraged by seeing only a few views for each of your first videos – don’t be. You should create a solid number of videos together, at least 12 or more, before you start focusing too intensely on a “trend” in your analytics. To learn more, read an article about the Basics of Analytics. Gaining insight into the success of your videos can be tricky.
YouTube divides channel analytics into 4-sections:
- Overview – gives you a quick overview of your channel and videos’ performance.
- Reach – is a summary of how your audience is accessing your content.
- Engagement – represents how long your audience was engaged (watched your video).
- Audience – is a summary of the type of viewers watching your videos.
Although many people appreciate shorter no-frills content, your audience will ultimately determine whether or not they would rather have a video with content that provides more in-depth information or rather have a briefer version. Ultimately what your audience wants is up to them, so make sure you take the time to get their feedback on where they stand in their preferences!
Summing Things Up
Starting a YouTube Channel for Real Estate Agents: a Smart Move That Will Pay Off
With more people deciding to buy or sell a home than ever before and using their mobile devices to search for properties, you want to use all the tools available to generate leads and close as many sales as possible. Given the number of videos on YouTube, one could assume it is being “saturated” with content, but the truth is, local areas and communities aren’t. You can start a YouTube channel and have an excellent lead generator for your real estate career.
YouTube or Video Marketing, in general, can be a potent lead generation tool for real estate agents. If you want success from YouTube, keep these tips in mind to help you get started with this powerful tool – it’ll help you generate new leads and give your real estate business consistent traffic and interest.
I hope this article has helped shed some light on the benefits of using YouTube in your marketing. At Titus Media Solutions, LLC, we are always excited when one of our posts can provide helpful information on topics like this. Our mission is to provide you with valuable resources while at the same time, we also hope to make every blog post interesting for you, our readers.
Please feel free to comment below; feedback keeps us on our toes. Thank you for your time!
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