It's really quite impressive Ric.  Welcome aboard...it's like waking up and finding out it's Christmas the day after Christmas!

Have you played with the Virtual Tours yet?  TOTALLY worth the price of admission and they come in BRANDED AND UNBRANDED flavors to be used whereever each type is needed!  I see VT companies all the time that charge $30-$50/month and you get it WITH your website here!  The Stats package is pretty impressive as well!

I LOVE IT!!!!

The abily to add staff and divvy up leads has really helped over here.

Stats are great. Reporting is great. Listing performance is great.

This thing I love the most is the ability to see where more the majority of your web traffic is coming from and which advertising domains are paying off.

Congrats on the upgrade Ric!  I know when I upgraded, I was at my computer for ever till I could pull myself away from all the neat things I was now able to do!  It's fun.

Sounds like you'll be busy for a while.  See ya around Christmas!  ;)

Ok Ric, and we want to see you posting here and letting everyone else know what you are finding. So check in once in awhile.....

Welcome, Ric!

Welcome to the playground. I think for the addition of Drip E-mail will be worth it to you.

Hi

I just created my "free" website and am wondering if the upgrade to the next level is worth the $.  From what I am reading it is.... I really need to generate lead outside of what I currently have.

I would welcome your thoughts.

I work in Oakville, Ontario

Hi Ric,

I too just jumped off the high dive and went pro! Hmmm careful how you take that LOL.  Maybe we could help each other out with what we are about to learn? It's always easier (my humble opinion) to bounce ideas off someone else?  I also signed up today to get my ePRO designation which I will be taking that course online. This course will turn me into a certified internet pro!  Let me know what you think about working on building and bouncing ideas off each other?  Good luck!   Kathy

I just took the plunge this week, too.  It's a little overwhelming at first.  I'm still drowning in all the new gizmos!

Welcome to the Jungle!

i've been thinking of taking the plunge as well. Can you guys really tell how much different it is. How does the virtual tour work and do you hav eto pay extra for that????? Your thoughts are welcomed. Thanks

Does anybody know what percent of P2 sites are standars, professional, and premium?

Welcome!

This was one of the best things ever! The opportunities that are offered are amazing. The ability this site has is endless!

You will never regret spending the money.

What I'm wondering is that since we have a website up and running with our team ( there's six of us ) do I really need to upgrade on this one for the two of us? Is it just for the virtual tour and more reports?

Does upgrading drive clients to your site and do you make sales from it. Bottom line. If it is then how is it driving clients to the site. The extra tools might seem nice, like toys, but this is business.

Jerome,

All we can do is reiterate what P2 says about the differences in functions on the website marketing for Professional and Premium. You either believe it and can use the extra features, or you don't believe it and don't think they are useful.

I believed them, upgraded to premium, and like the results.

If Professional and Premium weren't worth the money we'd all go to free.

Somehow I got down graded for 2 days from Pro to standard. I thought I was going to go crazy. P2 fixed my problem as soon as I called them. Pro is worth it.  Premium is wonderful I'm sure I just haven't taken that leap yet.. VT is free with Pro and Premium.

While dabbling in web design I have found the reports and forms that are filled and sent to the agent the real magic.

I aim my site at the point2 site for some things. My wife has a site with another company but I am inclined to go Point2.

Does the paid version have MLS searches?

Oh what the h***! Ric, your comments have probably been the final push I needed to fork over yet more fees. So, as I leave this post, I will be upgrading to Pro. Just one question. Can you revert to Standard if Pro doesn't help? And I know I will be able to get my own URL, but would it be wise to pay monthly or annualy?? Hey!! Where's the spellcheck on this gizmo?

Bob

Hi Ric, et. al.

Just signed up for Pro for 1 year. Not to be timid, I purchased 2 Neighborhoods as well. Looks like I have some work to do.

I haven't signed out since upgrading, so I may still show up as Standard. Will post back here in a couple of months to let you know if the upgrades are worth it, and if I'm still in the business, or retired.

As Jerome said is it really worth it...not just for the toys but leads, etc.  I don't think so.  Upgraded approximately 3 times..no difference.  Not worth the money to me at all.

Ok, then. I guess I just have to do it. Have been waiting around and procrasinating...  

Well the upgrade is worth it if you have the time to use the extra advantage it gives. The Google Site Map tool is one of those for instance. If you have say an hour a week to sit down and go through one feature, you will probably make it work. Me the hypocrite have not upgraded yet but am gathering the advantages.

I used all the features but did not get any more contacts than I did with standard.  The tools are nice but they do not generate any more prospects.

even with the upgrade, the leads don't come on their own. You have to drive them to your site. The great thing about having the Pro or Premium sites is the numerous features that help you drive the traffice to you. I was a Pro member for a long time before I finally figured out that I was doing a lot of things wrong ... since then, I've started getting leads and went that one step higher to being a Premium member (it's my company site now, that's why the Premium version ... as an agent, I could probably do fine with Pro). Anyway, I'm quite sure you won't regret the upgrade!

Michaela,

Every time I upgraded to Pro I used ALL the features that came with it and still no more prospects.  Maybe I'm not doing it right either but if that is the case I have absolutely no idea what else I should be doing. I have upgraded at least 4 times at this point to no avail.

Marcia

I have had Pro for almost a year and almost had some sales but didn't. Since I haven't put any listings in and I haven't had any leads for quite awhile but then I had one just yesturday right at the moment the down grad was about to kick in HMM??  Are you passing out cards with your web address? I think hand shake is good if you have your own listings and I think thats why I have had some leads but I don't think it helps you to do handsake unless the listings are yours personally. I think if you have listing though, they will show up in some searches and thats how people get to your site and crawling and spidering (I think is the term) also is supposed to get more people to your site. But I really think you have to get out in the community and get your site in front of everyone. Most people seem more accepting when I hand them a card and point out my site and welcome them to search for homes and important info on Buyer/Seller Tips/ Community and Real Estate and then add, if you can find it on my site call me and I will find it for you. Then when they do register and I call them we already met

I also decided to get an ihouse site 200.00 to set up and 40.00 a month not as many features and no handshake but putting listings in just using the MLS # is great now I just try to get my site in everyones head  www.michelesellsnc.com....... www.michelesellsnc.com..... www.michelesellsnc.com....... www.michelesellsnc.com.....

haven't gotten any leads but people in my other pipeline through our company has gone on there.

I can put prospects in my main database my company provides if I use standard

thanks for the posts everyone I read them as much as I can

Sorry I mean't if you can't find it on my site

Michele,

I do have my own listings and my website on my business cards.  It is funny to me that when I originally joined I was getting prospects every day for months and then it stopped.  I had standard at that time.  It also seems peculiar that my point to index rating goes down when I downgrade to standard and then goes up when I upgrade to Professional.  I am looking into some other sites as well at this time.  Also what they say you get when you upgrade is not something that is there all the time....they use promotions and then take them away.  If you don't upgrade at exactly the right time you don't get the use of what someone else may be able to do.  I don't find it's dependable.

Marcia,

I think I have had the same experience. I have been trying all sorts of things If you have any ideas please share.

Marcia,

I have just looked at your website and you are right, you are using the features that you have available to you, which may "satisfy" the Performance Index system, but you don't really have much that would attract the search engine spiders ... you need more customized text on your site ... emphasize the areas you work in ... that's what how my site started getting noticed. Search through Reliberation and Message board archives for any posts on how to make your site "sticky", how to improva search engine rankings, etc. ... you'll find a lot of great tips that DO WORK! ... such as posts by e.g. Lonn Dugan, Jay Thompson or Gene Carey ... these guys all have all posted great advice!

Michaela,

I put in the areas, etc. on every web page..you can't see the information but it's where P2 has you put it.  I have all the Brevard County areas in numerous places.  As far as the Performance Index, when I upgrade it goes up, when I downgrade it goes down.  I do not put a lot of confidence in that particular aspect of Point 2.  Also, when I first became a member, way way before it was as big as it is now I got prospects every single day, day after day, month after month.  Not just one prospect coming to my website but many every day.  After a year, it all just stopped.  I am sorry to say but I believe Point 2 does more for the Premium members, the Professional members next (possibly) and the standard members not at all.

Michela,

I've been a Standard for over a year now and have had views, but no $$$$$.  I've been trying to set up SEO tags and etc to see if that will help.  Anyway, I just happened to read this thread because I am thinking about upgrading to professional before the rates go up and ran across your comments.  

I understand that if I am not happy after 6mos. I can cancel and go back to standard.  However it's really strange that I just decided to few this thread, because I just posted to another thread my concerns about upgrading paying and not getting prospects.

I looked at your site and noticed that you have the addresses of all of your handshakes and your listings showing.  I don't have the addresses on my site, because prospects will be prospects and decide to drive around and take a look at the listings without calling the REALTOR first and..........what do they see......the name and contact information for the listing agent and........they will end up calling them.

Just a suggestion,,,but if I were you: take the address off the listings and any other information that the prospect may be able to see on your site that will tell them where the listing is and who the listing agent is. When I get a request for a handshake I always check to make sure that the REALTOR has not put any of their contact information on it, before I will approve it.  That way they will contact you.

Brenda

From Georgia

www.GwinnettWaltonHomes.com

Brenda, you are right ... I may be losing prospects when displaying full address information of the handshake listings, on the other hand, in our area, I would be losing them if I wasn't displaying the addresses as well. Huge majority of brokerages around here (Northern Illinois - in my case Northwest suburbs of Chicago) DO display the address info on their sites and if I didn't, prospects would simply go elsewhere. Personally, if I was a buyer, I wouldn't even look at listing info online if it didn't have the address. I need them to keep coming back to my site and that's why I give them all the info except for the listing agents' names and contact. I would say it's basically a standard around here. Even our IDX MLS searches in majority of cases show the addresses.

So other than all the increased functionalities of the upgrade, what does the upgrade do to help drive traffic to your site.  I am thinking of joining and your comments would help me decide at what level. I am interested in driving traffic to my site, not necessarily having all the bells and whistles.

Also, what do you have to do to get the Point2NLS people to comment here? This is an important issue.

I have had the Professional cite for a while.  I received not requests from no one one as a Standare member or Professional, nor from any Neighborhood advertising I purchased

I have spoken with web cite builders who are familiar with Point2.  From what I understood from them is that this cite just sigts thre and unless you do something (pay more money) you will not get anything.  They said that it would take about a year to get your cite to the o of the search engines or you could do the pay for click method (more money).  So, they wanted about $3,000 to build a cite that works.

I looks to me that you need a cite that you can send people to that has enough to keep them on your cite for a time and tha they find your cite so great that they consider your cite the "go to" cite for them.  This takes time to get the word out.  In the meantime., you could do the "ay per click method" that are good qualified leads for hyour area of expertise.  

I am also a mortgage broker with a cite and this is how it works too, although they don't explain that part to you very well unless you ask lots of questions and after you thought you had a fully functioning cite (meaning your cite can be found to generate a lead who might contact you).  This is what I understood from several web cite builders.

Basically you have send people to your cite using all the usual methods of advertising.  Cards, signs, direct mail, talk to everyone that gets  near you, then once you get a relationship with them you have a real customer for life.

I think business people have spent a lot of money for many years  on a cite they

thought

would send them leads only to find that the cite just sits there until they spend more money.  Meanwhile they spend money every month until they discover how it really works.  I hear this a lot now so I think the word is out.

I just wish they would hold all the web cite sellers etc., to the same standards that we must follow in the real estate industry.  Disclosure, Disclosure, Disclosure.

Teresa

e-Pro

Theresa,

After trying Professional approximately 4 times, I have come to the conclusion that all it has are more bells and whistles.  It does nothing unless you market yourself......give out your website address, hand out cards to every one you meet, etc., etc.  I get more clients from just talking about real estate every where I go.  Last week I went to the doctor and got three clients.  To get people to go to your Point2 site, you have to spend money to get on google and yahoo.  All the in formation you put in under your meta data is worthless.  Money is the name of the game.

Marcia, you are right ... it is important to market yourself and the website everywhere you can. The search engines can eventually pick up your site without having to spend money on pay-per-click (and it doesn't have to take that long ... I started seing results in just 3 months)