Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – October 2, 2004
Web Site Mania
Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – October 2, 2004 – All of a sudden I have a zillion ideas about my Web Sites. Whether they are logical or not is another story. I’ve been thinking about my image. How am I perceived by my clients and business associates? What is important to me in business?
I sat down this morning and got out the tried and true blank sheet of paper. I’m not sure why this works so well for me but it does. Probably because I feel guilty seeing a task undone. It wasn’t long before I’d written down a bunch of stuff. Initially it was unedited – whatever came to mind. Then I spent some time going through my jottings and thinking about what they meant.
I view myself always, acting in a professional manner and in the best interests of my clients. I don’t do real estate just for the money. It’s not my prime motivator. I like to be part of the equation when a person makes an educated, well thought out buying decision. I want my clients to be happy with their homes – then they’ll be happy with me. My income has a way of looking after itself when people don’t see dollar signs in my eyes.
I reviewed my current Web Site. It’s been very successful and I’ve been enormously pleased with the interest it has generated and the positive feedback I get from clients and other people in my industry. Now it’s time to create a fresh look, add new and interesting components and enlarge the scope of the information that is available.
I want to be viewed as a professional who is knowledgeable, committed and experienced, but I also want people to realize it can be a lot of fun to buy and sell real estate. Yes – there will definitely be some stress during the process, but it’s also an amazing adventure filled with laughter and frivolity. It’s not possible to go from A to Z in a real estate transaction without laughing.
When I started part two of my real estate newsletter – “Real Estate Bits – 2” in 2001, it didn’t have a joke. My long-standing monthly mailing “Real Estate Bits” always had “Just For Fun” and I didn’t think a joke was necessary in the second part. Boy, was I wrong. My clients harassed me until I added a joke. It made me question whether they just logged on to read the fun bits, although they assure me when I speak with them that the content is always interesting.
I’ll have to take their assertions at face value. With this thought in mind I was thinking about how to add a sense of zaniness to my sites. I’m contemplating a section called “Out & About With The Alphabet Boys”. I’ve been telling people for ages that Augie and Ziggy saved up their combined allowances and bought a Mini Cooper. Augie somehow got his driver’s license and now they’re never home.
I’m thinking that they can lead people on a tour of what’s happening in Toronto. Needless to say, I have to provide the usual serious, business stuff but who’s to say that it can’t be done in a light-hearted way. That would reflect the way I like to do business, and my sites should reflect the way I behave professionally – a blend of serious and fun.
I have great ideas for these sites and a defined vision in my head for their construction. Unfortunately I’m not a Web Site designer, and finding one may be a tad more difficult than I had anticipated. My on-again/off-again meeting with Frank proved to be “off” again today, and that doesn’t fill me with a great sense of confidence about a possible business relationship with him. The old sense of – “when in doubt – don’t” should probably factor in here. I’ve only ever spoken to Frank on the phone.
What to do? Well – don’t panic. Do some more research. Read about site development, look at more designs on the Internet and possibly interview some people in the industry who are located in the city. I know Frank has had a couple of crazy days and that he’s leaving for Shanghai in a week. Sometimes that’s the way life is – things don’t work out. When that happens, it’s always best to walk over to the next open door, peek inside and see what’s shakin’. There will always be twists and turns in life – that’s a given – it’s what we do with them that matters the most!
