This week on the Fourandhalf blog for property managers, we’re talking about why the answer, “I found you on the Internet” from an incoming lead isn’t good enough. You need to know that your property management marketing dollars are being spent wisely. That means getting specific.
You already know you need to conduct your due diligence. Any time you get a lead, it’s important to ask how they found you. If it was a referral, you ask who made the referral.
When you hear that someone found you online, dig a little deeper, and ask how they found you online. You can’t just assume it was “your website.” This still stands even if the lead specifically says they found you through your website. We hear this all the time, and that doesn’t answer anything.
Think of it this way: your website is like your office. If a lead walked into your office, you’re not going to assume they were just walking by and all of a sudden decided they might need a property management company. Something brought them there. You need the same thought process with the leads coming in over the Internet, even if they say they “saw your website.”
We’ve put together a list of different ways people can find you on the Internet, and some follow-up questions you could ask. This will help you determine if your money is being spent wisely. You don’t have just one bill labeled, “The Internet.” You pay for your website, your blogs, videos, paid search campaigns, and other things that may or may not be working for you.
These questions will help you spend less on what isn’t working and spend more on what’s successfully bringing you business.
Google Ads and other Paid Search
When someone says they found you on Google Ads, (or your ad on another service) find out which ad. If the ad directed them to a landing page, you need to know which landing page, if you have more than one. Also, ask what question or search term drew them to your ad and your page, which leads us to:
Organic Search
Ask prospects what they were looking for when they found you on Google (or Bing, Yahoo, or whatever – maybe it’s worth advertising on another search engine!). Find out what particular problem they were trying to solve. Other rental property owners in your area might be having similar issues. Maybe they are trying to find tenants or there’s a new legal issue in the city that affects landlords.
People may have found you with a long-tail search instead. They might not be searching for “Property Management;” perhaps they found your blog by typing in, “how to deal with tenants from hell,” or “how do I find a tenant.” You need to know what terms you’re being found for – and what you’re not being found for.
Instructional Blogs
If someone says they found you through one of your instructional blogs, find out which blog. You can ask what they liked about the blog and how it helped. Get a sense of what people respond to. Have a conversation, because all of this information is helpful in creating content that attracts more prospective clients.
Video
Ask where your prospect saw your video. It might have been on YouTube, on your blog, or on your website. See where you’re getting the most traction. If you’re getting good response on your videos, maybe you should make more or try investing in YouTube paid ads.
Online referrals
Ask which site referred a potential client to you – especially if you’re paying that site for leads.
Reviews
When a lead says they saw a review of your company, ask where they saw the review. Maybe it was Yelp or Google or another site. You need this information so you know where to send other good reviewers who want to say positive things about the work you do. More and more people are making decisions based on online reviews on different sites. Find out which sites are used in your area.
In Conclusion
Follow up questions are extremely important. Just mentally checking a box that says your company was found “on the Internet” is not enough information to make an educated decision on where to spend your marketing dollars. You can spend every dime you have on the Internet and get nowhere. Instead, you need to be strategic. Double down on what’s working and fix what’s not working before you spend more money on it.
If you have any questions about this or anything pertaining to Internet marketing for property managers, please contact us at Fourandhalf.
