How To Write The Perfect Reply Email - Part II

How To Write The Perfect Reply Email - Part II

Last month we talked about the importance of a good email "subject" title and how to make sure to keep updating the email subject line; as the content changes. We also discussed that every email from a company should use the company URL, and NOT the employees Hotmail or Yahoo or Gmail accounts.

We also mentioned that due to the thousands of dollars of potential for each customer, it is worth the time and effort to create a perfect reply email.

This month we will continue with the components to creating a perfect reply email. We also discussed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden sitting down with his players on the first day of practice and saying, "Today we are going to learn how to put our socks on correctly." In this way, no one misses practice due to blisters.

The Reply - HTML or Plain Text

The topic of whether to reply in HTML with graphics, special fonts, columns and other features available in HTML; versus using plain text, is a bit tougher decision. HTML email has many advantages over plain text email, especially in professional appearance. However, HTML emails can carry worms and viruses so some people prefer plain text email. Additionally, if you send an HTML email, and if your recipient's system is set up for plain text, then usually the recipient will see the email as an attachment or it will show all the HTML coding surrounding the words in the email, making it nearly impossible to read.

According to operators of newsletters, about 85% of subscribers select HTML over plain text. (I use HTML for my email, but I usually subscribe as text because I like to see the actual URL in a newsletter rather than "click here"). Other online sources indicate that over 90% of email readers use HTML. If your reply is more effective by using HTML, I would suggest that route.

The Reply - Trimming

Sometimes you may receive a long email or an email that has been forwarded to you from another employee at your mortgage company. Be sure to delete the unnecessary parts of the email when you reply so you don't clog up your response. So it doesn't show a graveyard of email addresses and irrelevant headers like a joke that has been forwarded 40 times to large groups of people. Be sure to retain enough of the original email so that the context can be easily understood if that email is reviewed a month from now.

The Reply - The Greeting & Tone

It is usually safer to address someone as Ms. Johnson or Mr. Brown; rather than assume a Robert probably wants a Bob; and a Katherine prefers Kathy. You can often get an indication of how people sign their emails as to what they prefer (Robert "Sparky" Brown), but if you have err, do so on the side of caution.

Try to make the letter as personal as possible, using words like "I", "You," and "Us" when possible. "Dear valued customer" is essentially like saying "Dear valued ex-customer."

Be careful about what you write about. Not everyone wants to know about your take on Desperate Housewives, the Soprano's ending or that political debate last night. Nor is everyone a fan of the Yankees, Bears or your daughter's soccer team.

The Reply - Content

Brevity, but completeness, should be the rule. "Brevity is the soul of wit" but also remember the adage, "A job worth doing is worth doing right." A reply should be thorough and must not only answer the customer's questions, it should answer them first. Most people prefer short emails, but some want all the details. By putting the answer first, then supplying more information, you can satisfy both parties.

Keep the first sentence and first paragraphs brief. No one wants to have to digest a massive passage of text, until they are ready.

If you are replying to a mortgage lead and the recipient doesn't know who you are, be sure to let them know you received their name from a mortgage leads company.

The first paragraph should focus on the benefits to your viewer. The way to get their attention is finding out what's in it for them. Point out how the features of your programs that will specifically benefit the reader. Don't expect the reader to figure out the benefits for themselves.

If you're replying to a number of questions, be sure to answer all of them. The questions may seem simple or easy to you, but if someone asks, you need to answer rather than leaving it unaddressed for people to figure out on their own.

If there is something to act on, be sure to put that item near the top of your email, so that the reader won't have an excuse to misread you. Use bullets if you have a list of items so that your requests are clear. If you have a main point; it is better to show it at the top of your email.

The Reply - Layout

Your job, especially when communicating via email, is to make it easy for your client to comprehend and understand. Here are a few ways to make your email easier to comprehend:

* Fonts: Don't use multi-varied fonts or sentences with multiple colors or a colored background. All of this makes the email hard to read. On rare occasion, you may need to ALL CAPS something or put a phrase in red for added emphasis, which is appropriate.
* Headings: With long emails, it's useful to include headings to break up sections.
* Bullets: Use bullets and numbering to help the reader to identify specific points. With plain text email, to ensure that the reader sees what you sent, insert bullets (use the asterisk character) and numbers manually, rather than relying on the formatting options in the email editor.
* Spacing: Double space between paragraphs.

The Reply - Structure

Many people consider email to be informal. But if it originates from your mortgage office, it needs to be professional. Poor writing makes a bad impression. Here are some items to watch for:

* Grammar: Watch for common mistakes like its versus it's.
* Spelling: Frequent errors include principle versus principal, their versus there, and be sure to spell their name correctly.
* Technical Terms: Just because you know what a Form CA-106 is, doesn't mean the recipient does, be sure to spell out and explain any terms as needed.
* Vocabulary. Even if you can complete the NY Times crossword puzzle in minutes, don't use obscure words for the sake of it. Short and common words help to make the email easy to understand.
* Internet Slang: IMHO (in my humble opinion) don't use Internet slang or abbreviations such as OMG (oh, my God) I have great news. Don't end your emails in TTYL (talk to you later) or BFN (bye for now) I know that for some it is a VBG (very big grin) but if you are not careful that customer could end up like the BSOD (blue screen of death).

Also, as a side note, if you use Microsoft Outlook, don't use Word as your email editor. If your recipient doesn't also use Word, then all the formatting will be lost or the email will be riddled with Microsoft Word HTML-like tags and the email will look terrible.

The Reply - Template

The best way to handle this is to have templates created for most situations, i.e., "I have bad credit, can you help me?" Your response should start out with the answer to the bad credit question. The same logic applies to questions like, "I am consigning for my daughter," or "I want to do a land lot split then get a loan."

By refining your templates, you can create responses that are friendly, helpful, thorough and appear to be custom crafted just for the viewer. A great way to test your template is send it to yourself, then send it to your parent, spouse or friend and see how they respond. Your mail must look worth the time and effort for the recipient to read it.

The Signature

You should always include a signature in your business emails. The components to ALWAYS include are:
* your full name
* your phone number
* your URL
* your address

Consider provide other links, if necessary, that make it easy for your recipient to visit specific portions of your site.

Additionally, as a service to your recipient, include contact details for other third parties (escrow, etc.), unless you know for sure that the recipient has this information.

Now you are not only ready to put on your internet socks, but also your the socks of your customer. A great business email reply will help you to provide the information your customer wants, which will lead to more closed loans, and thousands of dollars of extra business.

How To Write The Perfect Reply Email - Part I

How To Write The Perfect Reply Email - Part I

A NAMB reader wrote us and said, "I am responding to all my online inquiries but not receiving many sales via email. What can I do?" Assuming it is not the interest rate you are offering; let's focus on how to reply to a business email inquiry.

An Email Is Worth A Thousand Dollars

A picture may be worth a thousand words; but an email can be worth a thousand dollars because any given email to a customer can result in a loan closing for your mortgage company. Due to the high value potential, it is worth the time and effort to create a perfect reply email.

Email is Easy - If Done Right

You do it maybe hundreds of times a day - to friends, to co-workers, to customers. You respond to email requests. You think it is simple, and it is, if it is performed correctly.

There is a famous example of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden sitting down with his players on the first day of practice and saying, "Today we are going to learn how to put our socks on correctly." The players all laugh and find it hard to believe, but he explains, by doing this simple task properly, they won't get blisters from their socks, and thus won't miss practice.

An Ounce of Prevention...

In this article we are going to discuss how to reply to a customer request by email. We will discuss what to say and what not to say or do. Of course there are a few famous examples of "what not to say" in emails:

Michael Brown (FEMA): right after Hurricane Katrina, when he should have been doing everything he could for the Gulf states, he emailed his staff asking if anyone knew a "good dog-sitter" for his dog.

Enron: Former Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Andrew Fastow claimed not to know about the company's illegal accounting practices. During the trial it was shown that not only was Enron aware of the practices, but that Enron used its email system to send Social Security numbers, wage packages, performance evaluations and also sent revealing messages about office romances, affairs and other personal content.

Martha Stewart: In 2004, the Martha Stewart trial reveals how even a single email message can influence a verdict. In an email from Stewart's investment broker, he informed Stewart that he had sold some of Stewart's stocks to offset capital gains taxes. Three days later, Bacanvoic sold Stewart's disputed ImClone stock, refuting his own testimony that the ImClone stocks, which were actually sold at a gain, had also been sold for tax purposes. This single email message resulted in a six month prison sentence for Stewart.

It Starts With a Subject

In five seconds or less, you have to have your informative and powerful subject line persuade your prospect to open your email and to keep reading. Your subject should be informative, personal and brief. I will discuss a few do's and do not's.

Here are a few examples of bad email subjects:

* The information you requested. (A common ploy by Spammers to get you to open their email)
* URGENT!!! THE INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED!!! (Using urgent or ALL CAPS usually means a Spammer)
* Your new home loan. (Not personalized at all, could be a Spammer)
* Re: Online submission form. (Often a potential customer uses a form submission and the mortgage company representative just hits reply - even if it is a bad subject line)
* "Hi!" or "Wazzup?" or worse, a blank subject line will kill your email. People love mysteries, just not in their in-box.

Remember, you only have a few words to grab your prospects attention, so choose them wisely. Here are a few examples of good email subjects:

* Robert Smith: your home loan inquiry from Texas Loan Company.
* Robert Smith: your 125 Apple Lane home loan inquiry.
* San Diego Mortgage proposal for Robert Smith of 125 Apple Lane.

Subject - Updating & Deadlines

As you progress through a series of emails with a client, the focus often changes and the subject that originally was "Robert Smith: your 125 Apple Lane home loan inquiry," may now need to be updated to read, "Robert, you sign your loan documents Monday at 4 pm." By staying current on the subject it makes it easier to search emails.

Also, when having multiple emails back and forth with you and a customer, be sure to trim the "Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:" out.

Email Address Poor "From" Email Settings

Often replies from mortgage companies to their clients have the "From" address constructed in a manner that appears Spammish. That is, the return address might read "Sales" or "Info" at your company name. Because many Spammers use "Sales" or "Info", you should avoid this. My sister recently sent me an email and my filters put it in the Spam folder. She had recently "updated" her email to read from, "Info" Info@HerCompany.com. The use of the word "Info" triggered a possible Spam alert.

Here is what we suggest as your return address: Full name, URL and case corrected email address, i.e., "Rob Smith - HisMortgageCompany.com" Rob@HisMortgageCompany.com

By showing his full name, and adding his web site address (URL), coupled with the easy to read case of his email address (i.e. not the hard to read, all lower case rob@hismortgagecompany.com), this makes it more probable that his email will not get pick off by a filter and will be easy to decipher by the recipient.

Unmatched Return Email Address

Some mortgage companies allow their staff to use whatever email address the representative wants. In example someone at our company should be using Kenzie@YourMortgageCompany.com, but she might use her personal email such as FishingIsMuchBetterThanWork@hotmail.com.

Any business correspondence from your company to a customer should always match the URL of your company. Two major problems occur when you fail to monitor return email addresses. The first problem is that your email may get filtered out as Spam, or it may not get read by the recipient as they were expecting an email from YourMortgageCompany.com, but not from FishingIsMuchBetterThanWork@hotmail.com.

The second problem is that you lose control of your customers. If Kenzie ever leaves the company, her leads will follow her as they have the email FishingIsMuchBetterThanWork@hotmail.com, not Kenzie@YourMortgageCompany.com. You can easily redirect her old company email address to her replacement. If you don't, the result is you lose business.

Email Address - To

If other recipients (escrow, loan officer, administrative assistant) need to be included in an email response, use the CC (carbon copy) feature in an email. This allows the customer to know everyone that is involved in their loan.

The Reply - Timeliness

The more prompt your reply, the more likely you are to get business. This is especially true when you are buying mortgage leads. Conversely, if you take more than 48 hours to reply, you can probably anticipate losing that person as a customer.

Attachments

Try not to include attachments. Many people won't open them fearing they are a virus. Others can't open them if you send a PDF file and they don't have Adobe reader installed. One work-around for this is to have the document they need online so they can click to the document and if it is a PDF file, there can be a link to download the Adobe program.

Other considerations include that your recipient may use a dial-up connection which makes large attachments painfully slow or they have email accounts that either 1) limit the amount of storage space or 2) refuse attachments over a certain size.

Next month we will discuss in Part II what to include in your content, whether to use HTML or plain text, which layout to use and how to structure your content for business reply emails.

Is Your Mortgage Competitor Receiving More Business Than You?

Is Your Mortgage Competitor Receiving More Business Than You?

Ever wonder how that mortgage competitor of yours is doing? Curious about how you can find out how much traffic or how many sales they receive? Wondering if you can somehow find the web sites that link to them and also get these sites to link to you?

You can use the Internet to perform competitive intelligence on your competitors, and then take that information and use it to improve your site. By using these existing online Internet tools and social engineering queries, you can find out how much business your competitors are earning. You can run these tests on your own site.

Or if you are thinking about starting a new mortgage web site, you can "Test" the business by estimating how well it might do.

As a side note, the best way to test this is to try these techniques on your web site; to see if your competitors can determine how much business you are doing.

Let's start with the easiest methods and work upwards:

1. VISIBLE COUNTER
See if they have a visible stat counter - visit every day for a week and see how the counter changes. Then visit it weekly to watch for changes such as spikes around mortgage rate reductions, or if there is a news story related to a specific type of loan, or if it is time for college and people are examining a refi for their home; if any of that results in more traffic. If you look at sites like http://www.mortgages4u.com/ and http://www.mortgage-ams.com/ you can see their traffic counters. Of course, many people start their counters at 10,000 instead of at 0.

2. DO AN INQUIRY
For most online retail stores, one way to perform competitive intelligence on a competitor is to order something small and see what the invoice number is, then go back and order a week later and see how that invoice number changed. Repeat as often as your curiosity and bank balance allows you to. In the mortgage business, it is hard to keep taking out loans, but sometimes companies have reference numbers if you submit an inquiry. You can watch how that reference number changes.

3. ALEXA.COM
Alexa is a service that estimates traffic based on visitors to various sites using the Alexa toolbar. From the Alexa site, it says;

"How are Alexa's traffic rankings determined? Alexa's traffic rankings are based on the usage patterns of Alexa Toolbar users over a rolling 3 month period. A site's ranking is based on a combined measure of reach and page views. Reach is determined by the number of unique Alexa users who visit a site on a given day. Page views are the total number of Alexa user URL requests for a site. However, multiple requests for the same URL on the same day by the same user are counted as a single page view. The site with the highest combination of users and page views is ranked #1.

Alexa's traffic rankings are for top level domains only (e.g. domain.com). We do not provide separate rankings for subpages within a domain (e.g. www.domain.com/subpage.html) or subdomains (e.g. subdomain.domain.com) unless we are able to automatically identify them as personal home pages or blogs, like those hosted on Geocities and Tripod. If a site is identified as a personal home page or blog, its traffic ranking will have an asterisk (*) next to it: Personal Page Avg. Traffic Rank: 3,456*. Personal pages are ranked on the same scale as a regular domain, so a personal page ranked 3,456* is the 3,456th most popular page among Alexa users.

4. STATBRAIN.COM
Statbrain is another service to estimate the amount of traffic to a site. They say,"How accurate is Statbrain? Statbrain estimates the number of visits that a website has based on offsite factors like backlinks, Alexa Rank etc. Statbrain does not have access to log files or any counter information. The number of visits that Statbrain estimates gives you an idea of the number of visits that a website has, but not the exact visitor number."

I have tested it against some of our sites and I would say it is in the ballpark.

5. URLTRENDS.COM
UrlTrends was developed to allow Webmasters, search engine optimizers, and domain buyers to determine a websites (or a specific pages) rankings in the various search engines and directories. Based on this information you can make competitive analysis of any website with another website -- and from this you could possibly determine their traffic by the number of links to them.

UrlTrends offers a report which allows webmasters to view their linking trends for eight different search engines (including Google, Alexa, Yahoo!, MSN), as well as the PageRank and Alexa Rank. A recent addition also allows our users to view the number of end-users of a website that bookmarked the website using Furl or Del.icio.us.

6. YAHOO.COM & GOOGLE.COM
Use Yahoo & Google Search to determine who links to a particular site.

In the search box enter EACH of the following permutations, as even though they appear the same, they may produce different results

http://www.DomainName.com
http://DomainName.com
DomainName.com
link:http://DomainName.com
link:http://www.DomainName.com
link:DomainName.com
"http://www.DomainName.com" with the quote marks
"www.DomainName.com" with the quote marks
"DomainName.com" with the quote marks

Please note, that some of the above searches will return zero results, while others may return thousands of results.

7. WHOLINKS2ME.com
Use online link analysis resources to analyze competitors links, such as WhoLinks2Me.com.

8. SOCIAL ENGINEERING LOOK-UPS
Try asking by using "social engineering look-ups" and try and guess the admin page for the competitors stat program.

domainname.com/logs.htm
domainname.com/logs.html
domainname.com/stats.html
domainname.com/stats/
domainname.com/admin/
domainname.com/logs/

... not all these work, but you get the idea.

9. SOCIAL ENGINEERING SEARCHES
Try "social engineering searches" ie

"domainname.com" +logs
"domainname.com" +stats
"domainname.com" +"number of visitors"
"domainname.com "+visitors
"domainname.com "+"mortgage leads"

... not all these work, but you get the idea.

10. Try peeking at the HTML

Do a right click on your mouse and "View Source" and see if you can see a reference to a stat counter. Usually you can find the code for a stat program right before the closing body HTML code, ie /body

Sometimes domains use free stats counters I just randomly searched and found http://extremetracking.com/open;unique?login=tgrmn you can see their stats - about four visitors a day.

Also, if you look at the referring sites, such as I did at
http://extremetracking.com/open;ref1?login=loan2b
you can see which sites are linking to them, then you can approach that site and ask for a link as well.

First try these techniques on your site, then compare the results to your competitors sites. From their results, you may be able to find more ways to drive traffic to your site. And more targeted traffic…means more closed sales.

How a Blog can Increase Traffic to your Web Site

How a Blog can Increase Traffic to your Web Site

"Why YOU Should Blog - You Can Receive More Traffic"

Normally, I save the punch line for the end of an article, but this time, the conclusion could impact your site is such a dramatic manner, I am including it up front -- you need to blog your site.

I wrote this article on blogging because many mortgage site owners can add valuable content to their site; but don't because they don't know HTML or because they think they don't have the time to do it. By using a blog you can add your views and comments to your site by simply going to your blog, typing in the entry box and then hit "submit." Yep, (once set up) it is that easy.

That's it - no FTP program, no HTML editor program and no special knowledge (hey, my mom is doing it and she calls me on the phone asking me how to spell a word). You type what you want to say and it is posted to the net. It is that fast and that easy. And a blog can be set up with a free host in minutes or routed to your own domain with just minutes more worth of work.

Of course, I am not talking about your site when I say that many corporate mortgage sites reek of content as if written by emotionless mannequins in a faraway place. The site content has a predictable, high school textbook like quality; somehow attempting to be knowledgeable yet officious, with the only result often achieved is a dull glazing of the eyes and a quick click of despair with the mouse. A blog gives you the opportunity to escape the veil of corporate protocol and drudgery and add a "human voice" to your site, to let your visitors know that there is actually something with a pulse behind the written words.

Now here is where it could get interesting for you. A well-written blog can bring additional traffic to your site, which in turn converts visitors to customers. You need to be blogging.

Just What is a Blog?

A blog is an online journal that is kept on the web. The term "blog" is derived from a blend of the words web and log (Web log) (sorta' like that old FedEx commercial when the actor spoke at 500 words a minute to illustrate how fast their service was). The activity of updating a blog by writing a "post" is called "blogging" and if you have a blog you are a "blogger." One of the reasons blogs are so popular is that you can post to your blog with little or no technical background as the software does all the work for you. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of most early blogs.

We even set up a blog to show the past seven years of articles we have written for NAMB magazine at MortgagePromote.com/articleslist.htm on everything from internet marketing to mortgage leads.

Some of the reasons people blog include:
* to be creative (some people are good writers and they blog because they can)
* to release stress or serve as a personal diary (I have a friend who recently became single and is blogging about dating in your 40's)
* to share news with friends (here is what is happening with the proposed park)
* to talk about a favorite item (wine or Chargers Football) or hobby (organic gardening or stained glass), and
* to attract business (that's you)

Can A Blog Increase Traffic To Your Site?

Well, yes, it can... but only for "good blogs." The same way that there are many mortgage sites; but generally web sites with quality and many links get ranked high, works the same way for blogs. You can receive traffic, but it is often related to the quality or appeal of your blog.

What To Blog on your Mortgage Site

You can take a few lessons from real estate agents who operate their own personal sites. Add links to local schools, reference news articles on how testing scores were for each grade, comment on how the new widening of the freeway, while a drag for the next two years, will actually make some communities benefit in the long run (which may subtlety help convince a potential buyer to purchase a home there, leading to a loan for you).

You can also discuss sites that make your life as a member of the community a bit easier. You might include a link to the online traffic report saying you always check that site before you leave for work and before you return home. If your company recycles, be sure to include that type of info in your blog, saying how you arranged with the local girl scout troop (add a picture if you can) to come in once a month and collect all your cans and bottles so they can raise monies for their projects.

You can pepper in a SMALL does of corporate advertising, but try and masquerade it somewhat either by using a testimonial format (John and Tami Smith recently closed a home loan with us and they said they really appreciated us sending our notary to their office) or "news-like" bulletins (Interests rates dropped today, and according to CNN, this appears to be the bottom of the market - possibly, a good time to reexamine your home refinancing needs).

Use a Human Voice

There is a scene from the movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the voice of the HAL 9000 computer, says, "It can only be attributable to human error." HAL says it with such remarkable efficiency and conviction, that it initially is hard to doubt the computer, except... that it is a computer.

Trust, charisma and credibility are precious traits, and they are difficult to convey via a blog. Your readers will appreciate empathy, compassion, authority, honesty and even humor. A little humility (umm, my wife suggested this after reading my first draft) in your blogging is also helpful.

In the same vein, don't write about your favorite Star Trek episode, what kind of car you just bought or how that vacation at the six star hotel on the remote South Pacific island is soooooo overrated. But, if you did happen to catch the largest trout in the last four years at Long Lake, you could probably mention that and get away with it.

And don't forget the little things to mention, such as if you sponsor a soccer team, you can add to your blog, "The mighty SoCal Loan Warriors won two of their last three games in convincing fashion in the tough 10-12 age category. Their next game is Saturday at noon, at Johnson's park. Be sure to arrive early as the game will probably sell out."

Next month we will talk about how to choose the right blog software for you (and more importantly which software not to use), the biggest mistakes companies make when they blog and, most importantly, the hidden secret to use in order to make your blog found, almost instantly, on the net.

Internet Marketing Techniques: The Highway to Disaster - "Get In, Hold On, Shut Up"

"Get In, Hold On, Shut Up"

Internet Marketing Techniques: The Highway to Disaster

There is a bumper sticker that goes something like, "Get in, hold on, shut up." We frequently see mortgage sites try and apply this "Click In, Fill The Form & Shut Up" strategy to their valuable visitors. Visitors don't like it.

One of the most frequently asked question by our clients is quite simply, "How do I make my pay per click (PPC) program more effective?" Everyone is fighting to attract qualified visitors via the internet; but it is what you do with the visitor when they arrive that separates successful PPC efforts from those campaigns that merely cost money.

Keywords Are Not Magical. Content Is.

Internet users are becoming more sophisticated. You can no longer expect someone to show up to your site, blindly do whatever you want, then close a loan. Pay per click marketing is not some wu-wu magic that somehow takes a lost soul and converts them into a $500,000 mortgage loan customer. Undeniably, or is it unbelievably, PPC advertisers think that once you have paid for keywords, people will flow to your site and close loans. I have some very bad news for you... that is not going to happen if you have bad content.

Pay to Play

The fastest way to attract traffic to your site is quite simply to pay for it. By using both Google
http://adwords.google.com/ and Yahoo! (formerly Overture) http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/ you can reach approximately 90% of the domestic US search market. Remember this is pay per click (PPC), so each time someone visits your site, it will cost you, whether they use your mortgage services or not.

Aren't All PPC Words Alike?

Let's assume you are based in Dallas and offer home loans and refinancing to Dallas area customers. If a potential customer searches for "Dallas home loan" at Yahoo < p="Dallas+home+loan"> you get two columns of results. A wide column of search results on your left, and a narrow column of results on your right. The results on the left and displayed according to what the Yahoo algorithm has perceived to be the most relevant findings. The results on your right are determined by what the advertiser will spend. Google is set up the same way with paid results on the right hand side of the screen.

How Much Are Your Competitors Spending For Your Keywords?

Yahoo has a feature where you can see all the bids for any keyword. Here are some comparative top three bids for the Yahoo! PPC.

Keyword Searched Bid #1 \ Bid #2 \ Bid #3

Dallas home loan $14.50 \ $6.50 \ $4.02
Dallas home mortgage $2.79 \ $2.78 \ $2.77
Dallas refi $0.63 \ $0.62 \ $0.35
Dallas refinance $14.50 \ $5.28 \ $5.27
Dallas home refinance $3.21 \ $3.21\ $2.10

As you can see from these recent results, that the top bidder for the term "Dallas home loan" is willing pay up $14.50 per click for visitors to their site. The second bidder pays up to $6.50 and the third will pay $4.02. That is quite a spread, with the top bidder willing to pay three times what the third bidder pays.

Mortgage company owners will bid to land in the top three rankings because these are the most likely links to be clicked.

Don't Waste Your Clicks!

At these prices, you must make sure your site is perfect and delivers exactly what the visitor is expecting (ie Dallas home loan information) because if your visitor clicks on your PPC keyword and you deliver information on anything else (i.e. history of your company, picture of your office, a page listing all the mortgage programs you provided), that visitor will leave. You will lose the money you spent to attract that visitor because you failed to precisely provide information on the keyword they selected, "Dallas home loans".

If you look at the second term "Dallas home mortgage" you see the top three bids are separated by pennies, and the bidders are paying about $2.75 per click. If you get 1000 visitors it will cost $2,750 to attract these highly targeted, potential customers.

You can also research how many monthly searches occur at Yahoo! for any search term. Looking at the keywords we searched for above, we find two words have about 1,000 searches a month; Dallas refinance and Dallas home loan.

Keyword Searched Bid #1 \ Bid #2 \ Bid #3 Monthly Searches at Yahoo!

Dallas home loan $14.50 \ $6.50 \ $4.02 1122
Dallas home mortgage $2.79 \ $2.78 \ $2.77 32
Dallas refi $0.63 \ $0.62 \ $0.35 0
Dallas refinance $14.50 \ $5.28 \ $5.27 1141
Dallas home refinance $3.21 \ $3.21\ $2.10 25

Some may wonder why a term like "Dallas refi," devoid of searches, has bids associated with it. The reason is because if anyone ever does type "Dallas refi" your click will cost just $0.63 which is a substantial savings over the similar keyword "Dallas refinance" with a $14.50 top click value.

Great PPC Keywords + Poor Content = No Sales

When creating a PPC campaign, most mortgage site owners focus upon keywords: keyword creation, keyword selection, keyword bidding, etc. There are many components to the PPC game, including: title creation, description content, keyword creation, keyword selection and keyword bidding.

The single most overlooked aspect of a PPC program is also the damaging and expensive aspect of the PPC process... your written content. Very simple things like: having a copyright at the bottom of your page which shows last year, making the visitor scroll down a page to find what they are searching for, making the visitor click on a link to find what they are seeking to not showing the current loan rates you offer on your site…all can lead to a lost visitor.

You Had Me at Hello

It is not like where Rene Zellwegger says to Tom Cruise (in the movie Jerry Maquire), "You had me at hello." Your visitors need to be wooed, courted, pampered, spoiled, cared for, and treated with respect in order to become a customer. There is a huge (financial) difference between getting customers to your site and keeping them there.

When the visitor arrives at your site, you must have the complementary sales wording in place to convert a marketing lead into a sales customer.

Driving Miss Daisy

If you want your PPC program to be successful, whether to attract home loans or mortgage leads, you must most do more than pick a few words and bid. You must step back and look at the entire process from key word formulation, to bidding strategies, to the customer expectation and experience once they arrive at your site. Make the visitors unknowingly enjoy the perfection that your content can deliver by providing exactly what they want, when they want it, and where they want it.

You must cater to your visitors; so you efficiently and nicely chauffeur them around your web site.