Ted Kendrick is a real estate agent based in Round Rock, Texas, specializing in foreclosure and short sale homes.
Eager to start his real estate venture, Teds buys TedKendrick.com and has a well-built website designed and developed.
Unfortunately, months after launching his website and to his dismay, Ted finds his website is not highly visible or ranked across major search engines for those persons in search of real estate services in Round Rock, Texas or surrounding cities.
So, what does Ted do? Just like any of would and should do, Ted shares his story other agents in the same boat as himself.
Each person Ted speaks with about his website not ranking well in search engines recommends spending money on pay-per-click advertising, radio ads, billboards, newspaper ads and hiring a search engine company.
Willing to give anything a try once, Ted spends a fortune on those suggestions only have dismal return on investment (ROI).
Ted comes to the realization his website has to gain more exposure if he is going to have a shot at keeping a roof over his head and food in his mouth.
But what shall Ted do if his website doesn’t start making his phone ring or email inbox fill up with buyers and sellers?
Does Ted’s story should familiar?
There are so many Ted’s in the world of business struggling to get their website on the first or second page of major search engines for multiple keyword or keyword phrases.
For should they successfully master such a feat for their business, they know the flood gates to greater customer and revenue growth will open.
But the question is: how does one’s business unlock the door to greater customer and revenue growth?
If most businesses and business owners like Ted had deep intimate knowledge of how search engines work, we’re willing to bet most would not have named their business as they did.
Typically, most business websites are built around a business name and not necessarily a business niche. And almost always, the domain is an afterthought instead of the first and driving force behind a business name.
Ted learns the importance of a business-niche domain vs. business name domain
Most business owners don’t realize they are nothing more than a domain name away from having a highly visible, searched and trafficked website, and greater customer growth and revenue for their business.
Unfortunately, most valuable domains have been owned for quite some time by various companies like Kickstart Commerce or individuals throughout the world.
Ted learned the importance of a business owning a business-niche domain when he meet a fellow real estate agent, and noticed his marketing and advertising used the domain name RoundRockHomes.com.
Eagerly wanting to know how business was going for the agent, Ted started a conversation with the agent explaining to Ted he has never purchased pay-per-click ads, radio slots, billboards, newspaper ads or had his website optimized for search engines.
The agent proclaimed it was his business’ domain name helping his website to rank high and remain visible across all major search engines.
And because the domain name is generic in nature, it was effortlessly generating web traffic from search engines for homes in Round Rock, Texas.
This led to a goldmine of emails and phone calls forcing the agent to hire full-time staff to attend to the newly generated business.
Amazed and utterly shocked, Ted could not understand or comprehend how this agent was generating so much business.
Other agents Ted spoke with expressed with great interest the paid ad strategies were sure to work.
Ted soon left the agent to strike out on his own in search of finding a generic domain for his business.
However, he soon found most of the domains he was seeking to own were purchased and owned by others.
What was more surprising and disturbing to Ted was some of the domains were not being used by their owners and were displaying text link ads (i.e. parking pages).
Not for purchase, lease only
Not discouraged, Ted decided to contact the owner of RoundRockRealEstate.com only to be told the domain was not for purchase.
He tried with other domain owners as well but the purchase price was hundreds of thousands, if not millions, out of Ted’s league.
Ted was bummed after numerous exchanges with countless owners of various domains, until he stumbled upon RoundRockShortSales.com.
Down on his luck as this would be his last attempt, Ted gave the number listed on the website a call. Sure enough, the website was not for purchase, but could be leased.
Bummer or not? Ted was not sure about leasing a website in addition to his own website.
Ted was from the thought that owning both the website and domain was how business was always done.
But knowing his options were running thin and time running short until he closed the doors on his dream of owning and operating a successful real estate business, Ted had a brief flashback of the agent he met and his statement about his generic domain.
Ted recalled the agent said, “… it was effortlessly generating web traffic from search engines for homes in Round Rock, Texas, leading to a goldmine of emails and phone calls forcing the agent to hire full-time staff to attend to all the newly generated business.”
And Ted wondered to himself would the same hold true for leasing RouckRockShortSales.com.
Ted stumbles upon a goldmine leasing a website
Ted was sure this was a too good to be true gem of a find as he spoke with the domain owner.
Still on guard and skeptical about ABC’s of leasing websites, Ted decided to open a web browser and perform a few searches as the domain owner had expressed he should while on their call.
To Ted’s surprise, each and every phrase he entered ranked the website on both the first and second pages of multiple search engines.
Impressed, Ted knew the final straw was going to be identifying the following:
- negotiating a short-term instead of a long-term agreement
- receiving low affordable lease pricing
- ongoing management of the website
- ensuring website remains highly ranked and visible across all major search engines
Ted was relieved to learn:
- no long-term agreements
- affordable monthly leasing payment equivalent to a monthly smartphone bill or two
- domain owner responsible for web hosting
- domain owner would be responsible for keeping the site optimized and ranking
The domain owner informed Ted all he had to do was decide if this was the best option for him and his business. In addition, Ted could end the agreement at any time with or without cause and no termination fee.
Ted was not responsible for a thing but to provide the following in a timely manner:
- Ted’s company contact information to be placed on the site
- Tender an annual payment or one-time and monthly payments
- Be ready to unlock the door to greater customer growth and revenue for dream business
Are you ready for your business to unlock customer growth and revenue like Ted?
As a domain investor and business consultant, Alvin actively participates in daily domain auctions. Outside of auctions, he passionately shares his views, opinions, and vision for how businesses should and should not use domain names to generate greater customer growth and revenue.
