| Many still say the Internet is like the Wild West. | | | | search for real estate international directory1 could |
| When it comes to the proliferation of scams, this is | | | | appear on page one of many search engines. |
| certainly true! As webmaster for over two dozen | | | | However, how many potential real estate clients in |
| legal, real estate, and other business oriented | | | | Houston, Texas, will be likely to type in this exact |
| websites, we receive a lot of email and phone | | | | directory name into their search engine? What they |
| solicitations. Often our clients ask our opinion on an | | | | may use will be phrases like: Houston real estate, |
| Internet service or software product. We have | | | | Houston TX MLS, Houston Texas agents, etc. |
| researched and found the majority of offers directed | | | | The other method used is bidding on popular real |
| toward real estate firms are what I call the half-truth | | | | estate phrases on the major pay-for-click search |
| variety. | | | | engine programs. The problem here is that these |
| It is interesting that these offers directed at small to | | | | 'sponsored' ads have to be differentiated from the |
| mid-size firms are like live Internet viruses, they seem | | | | real or 'organic' results. Once spending limits on the |
| to mutate over time. The core remains, but, the | | | | bids are reached, or the bidding program is |
| exterior packaging (a.k.a. sales pitch) appears totally | | | | terminated, the standing vanishes. After all, these |
| different. | | | | standings were only achieved by cash payment, not |
| One of the most enduring of such Internet scams is | | | | a properly designed and optimized real estate |
| the offer to list your real estate site in an Internet | | | | website. Another factor to consider here is that |
| real estate directory at what appears to be a huge | | | | current webmaster opinions suggest 50 to 70% of |
| savings over a legitimate real estate directory. The | | | | searchers skip over such 'sponsored' listings in favor |
| perpetrators of such scams provide impressive | | | | of the 'organic' listings. |
| 'traffic' figures, and in many cases, even show that | | | | Almost any high school student can create a 'real |
| their directory is listed on the first page of a major | | | | estate directory' with an impressive sounding name |
| directory. | | | | like but do you really want to be listed there? Believe |
| Looking at one scam in detail revealed the following | | | | it or not, many naive agents have taken the bait. I |
| facts: | | | | asked one such agent what results he had achieved |
| A. Traffic figures can be manipulated. For about $50, | | | | during almost a year with the listing. The reply was |
| anyone can purchase 'traffic' directed to any site. | | | | NO BUSINESS, and he believed they never received |
| The way this 'traffic' is generated is the problem. The | | | | any phone calls. I then asked why he chose to |
| majority is machine generated overseas, or funneled | | | | advertise with this firm. The reply was because they |
| through MLM /porn/music sites. In either case, your | | | | only charged $49 for a full page ad for one year. |
| site will register visits but no business will ever be | | | | A far better investment for a real estate website |
| generated. | | | | would be a top website submission program such as |
| B. For placements on the first page of major search | | | | the one at: |
| engines, there are two highly used methods. The first | | | | The old adage of "You get what you pay for" really |
| method, usually just makes the statement that the | | | | applies here. Be careful out there, very careful! |
| site has page one placement. Ask further and it is | | | | Copyright 2005 Promotions Unlimited - All rights |
| usually the name of the directory that has page one | | | | reserved. |
| placement. The directory name might be and a | | | | |