Tag: Boston MA Web Design

Real Estate Firms Not Utilizing QR CodesOctober 16th, 2015

I went for a walk the other day and went by a few houses for sale. Some of them even had URLs on their signs. But none had a simple QR code. Someone driving by could just click on it go right to the webpage and learn more about the property. I figured maybe this was just an anomaly, but over the last week I’ve been driving around and I did not see a single QR code on any signs.

Let me take a step back.  For those of you who are not aware of what a QR code is, I will explain.  QR codes are Quick Response codes. These are barcodes, that can be read by free apps on your smartphone. The barcode example on this page takes you to my website. They can send someone to a website, and perform many more functions. Here is a list of the functions a QR code can do.

Website URL
YouTube Video
Google Maps Location
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
FourSquare
App Store Download
iTunes Link
Dropbox
Plain Text
Telephone Number
Skype Call
SMS Message
Email Address
Email Message
Contact Details
Digital Business Card
Event (VCALENDAR)
Wifi Login (Android Only)
Paypal Buy Now Link
Bitcoin

So why would a real estate company not put a QR code on their signs? I can’t really answer that, truthfully it boggles the mind. My guess is when real estate markets are strong, they get a bit lazy. The problem is this isn’t hard, you generate a code in seconds. You can go to free sites like: http://www.qrstuff.com/ or http://www.qr-code-generator.com/.

In business, there are few things that are free. So when something free and beneficial comes your way, take advantage of it. And this just doesn’t apply to Realtors. Here are some examples:

I put a barcode on my business cards. I know other people that link to a vCard so somebody not only gets their cards, but they automatically add this person to their address book. That is a valuable commodity. With a business card you keep them for a while and typically throw them away. But if you’ve added that person to your address book chances are it’s going stay there for a while.

Are you a business that sends snail mail or hands out paper flyers? Then consider this: You can send somebody your flyer with the picture and all the information about your product and then have a barcode which takes them to PayPal to buy your product (see image).

Do you do email marketing? Say you are having a sale. Use a barcode with a google map. They can then take their phone and grab map and navigate to your sale.

Bottom Line: Real Estate companies absolutely need to use QR codes on signs and marketing collateral. But your business, no matter what it is, can benefit as well. If you have any questions, you can always contact us for assistance.
 
 
 
 

5 Lessons from M*A*S*HSeptember 2nd, 2015

Those who read my posts know I relate everything to web design, development and the management of websites. (I know, makes me a geek. I am what I am :)) This summer has been no different. Bored with TV, I like many people have gone to Netflix. I stumbled upon MASH, a show I watched as kid, liked but in truth never appreciated fully. As I watch more and more episodes I realize what made this show special and one of the most successful of all time.

Here are my 5 lessons:

1. Content – People tend to think a show is only as good as its cast. While generally this is true, MASH lost many of its stars over the years.  After a couple of seasons, Wayne Rogers and McLean Stevenson left.  The show survived and flourished. Larry Linville left, the show survived.  Why? because the writing was amazing, the scripts were a work of art. There are more reasons as well which we will get into, but certainly content was number 1.
   Lesson Learned: Content is the most important thing, whether you are a website or writing for social media. People want to do well in search, but they worry more about what something looks like rather than investing in the most important thing, content. Put money and time into improving your content and posting new, quality content on a consistent basis.
2. Tug at the heart strings – MASH was a comedy, no doubt, but what made it special was that it truly was emotional.  The show could make you laugh, sure but it could make you cry as well.  When Radar comes into the operating room with no mask to say that Colonel Henry Blake’s plane had been shut down over the sea of Japan, I cried like a baby. MASH made you care about these people, even though they were fictional.
   Lesson Learned: Show your heart. Don’t only show your skills, show a bit more, humanize your company. People don’t like cold, faceless companies.  Nice testimonials, showing you go the extra mile, go a long a way.  On social media, show the fun side of your company.  If you do charity work, show it. People want to do business with people they like and respect. If all you do is sell to people, they grow bored and go elsewhere.
   
3. Longevity – The series, which depicted events occurring during a three-year military conflict, spanned 256 episodes and lasted 11 seasons. Incredible, the show was much longer than the Korean conflict.  In television, as a series stays on the air, more and more people become aware and tune in.
   Lesson Learned: Longevity in the web world is important.  Google definitely factors this into their algorithm as it should.  A company that sprouts up complete with a new website won’t outperform a company that has been around for many years (at least for a while). The lesson is patience and not to expect search engine success right away. Add quality content, on a consistent basis and search engine success will come. And remember, MASH struggled in year one in terms of ratings as did Seinfeld.
4. Don’t give up on what works.  MASH is the best example of this in entertainment history. McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, Larry Linville and Gary Burghoff all left before the series ended. They all had their reasons, but none came close to the success they had on MASH. As an actor you dream of participating in show that lasts over a decade.
   Lesson Learned: Don’t abandon a ship that ain’t sinking. If your site works well, don’t be so eager to move to a completely new one, especially if you have search engine success. Say you have a site that has great content but not mobile-friendly.  Rather than blow it up, consider tweaking the design so your site is responsive. We have done this with sites and the results have been impressive.
5. Quality – Watching MASH this summer I realized it isn’t one thing that makes the show great. The writing is brilliant, the acting, the direction, the sets. EVERYTHING! There are virtually no flaws in the show’s execution.
   Lesson Learned: Pay attention to every detail.  Design, coding, testing, graphics, performance are all important. Even things like grammar are truly important. Poorly written content is a major turnoff. No detail is unimportant on a website.  Attention to details pay dividends.

Bottom Line:  You can learn a lot by studying the success of others, even if it is a different industry. In this case it was a classic TV show, but you can apply this to other industries as well. See what makes them a success and apply to your business.