BiggerPockets

Laying the Foundation for your Online Business

Tuesday, October 20

Research - It's Important

Just like how any business starts, research is a key component of starting a website. This aspect is many times overlooked and people design elaborate websites with extreme marketing campaigns but see little to no traffic yield. 

You research before you purchase a rental income home right? Well, think of your online business as another stream of rental income. Research it - it deserves the same respect if not more than your properties.  

What to Research? 

The Real Estate website structure is going to be a bit different than the typical online retailer structure – one reason is because you are not selling anything. Well, you are selling homes, but chances are, your buyers will not be buying it with a credit card through a shopping cart. (Although I can see this happening in the future) The Real Estate website should be in it’s entirety, a lead generating source and a tool to leverage your time and efforts.

Keywords – Content – Social Media
These are the three pillars I focus on when designing my websites. With Real Estate, I place a higher emphasis on Content and Social Media than with retail. For retail, there should be more emphasis on Keyword. So let’s get a quick overview on how we are going to be building our foundation.

1. Keywords
Essentially, there are words, “Keywords” in which your website targets. The keywords should be the service or product your website offers. For my “Super Pocket Bike” retail website, my main keyword is, well, “Super Pocket Bikes”. Because it’s exactly what I offer. Keywords selection is tricky and it takes time. It’s integrated with Pay Per Click Advertising and Search Engine Optimization. More on Keyword Selection in the official article.

2. Content
Content will be a key aspect to your REI website. Why? Well what do you think this is? What I am writing right now is Content. It’s effective because it is in actuality a service. It answers questions and ultimately provides solutions. People pay for solutions. People that get free solutions, well, they are just even more happy and refer friends and colleagues to the same free solution. Content can also be distributed and leveraged. This article I am writing, I can post to my numerous blogs, Facebook, myspace and more. Content can also take in many forms. Most cases, its direct words and text, but it can also be video, audio, and pictures. So content is a crucial. I will go more in depth in content as well and it ties in with Social Media.

3. Social Media
Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube, and even BiggerPockets. That’s all social media. Needless to say, such website’s influence is substantial to the growth of your own. Social Media becomes a hub in which you can post content and ads. Leveraging your time is what Internet Marketing is all about for the Real Estate Investor. What better way than to connect with all of your colleagues on the go wherever and whenever you want. 

(The Topic is Research. The next post will explain how to research for the correct Keywords to build your website upon) 

Tiger’s Real Estate Website Design and Marketing Guide

Tuesday, October 20

So you want to create your own Real Estate website? How? Well, This little guide written by yours truly, will explain in depth how you can create a REAL ESTATE website and start generating leads. The same principles can be applied to any type of website, but the main focus is for Real Estate lead generation. It’s going to be a work of continuous progress so I will be posting up new sections and pieces every week. 

Sections will be posted up right here in this category of the blog.

First topic I will go over is the basics of starting a website.  

My UF College Essay

Monday, October 19

Well, I decided college would be something that would be a wise investment in the future. Not because the numbers make sense, but because there is an experience that can only be learned from interacting with people. 

My main career as an Investor will only make this experience even more enjoyable.

So without further ado, here's my college essay. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. It also provides a bit more in depth description of how I started all this investing nonsense. 

Topic:  In the space provided, please write a concise narrative in which you describe a meaningful event, experience or accomplishment in your life and how it will affect your college experience or your contribution to the UF campus community. You may want to reflect on your ideas about student responsibility, academic integrity, campus citizenship or a call to service.

ESSAY-----

The summer before my freshman year of high school, I officially launched my online business. My friends were all searching for ways to make money and the only way they had engrained in their minds was to find a job, usually making minimum wage. For me, that wasn’t even an option. Because of my legal status in the country, companies couldn’t hire me even if they wanted to, so I was forced into finding a way to make my own money. Out of necessity, I broke out of the typical way of thinking and took on the entrepreneurial mindset.

I started selling various goods on eBay, Craiglist and other similar websites. My inventory initially consisted of video games, simple jewelry, and iPod cases. Never did I expect it to grow to include small motorcycles, kid’s shoes, ATV’s, sunglasses, paintball guns, and designer handbags. At one point, I had Coach, Prada, and Michael Kors packed to the ceiling in my closet.

The winter of my first year in business, I took a calculated risk, mustered up all my courage, and invested all the capital I had saved up in my short lifetime on an online store building software. Thus, SuperPocketBikesX18.com was born. What a life changing birth it was. I became your typical teenage investor, studying hard during school hours, doing homework, finishing projects, and distributing mini-motorcycles across the United States and Caribbean on my free time.

Not everything was success and fortune for me. Soon after SuperPocketBikesX18.com’s conception, my father lost his job and keeping and growing my business became an ever more important aspect of my life. There was no such thing as after-school extra-curricular activities. I had phone lines ringing and inboxes to read, not to mention that customs agent in the Port of Miami I needed to meet with. I once dreamed selfishly of being able to buy the nicest clothes and newest shoes every week. I was making more than enough to buy all that I wanted, but my father losing his job now required all the money made from my business to pay for mortgage, groceries, and utilities. Selfish desires had to wait. My first responsibility as a human being was to take care of the ones I loved.

So I bring to your campus my assortment of skills. The ability to lead, communicate, organize, and create – skills required to start and run a successful business. Ultimately, I give unto my campus an entrepreneurial mindset to inspire my peers to go out and succeed, for failure was never an option for me. Consider me a problem solver. If failure is the problem, then I help my peers succeed – at UF, work, and in life.

I once was a little kid, running through the UF hallways, trick-or-treating through the dorms, playing on the school computers all while my father studied for his degree. That little kid is now ready to attain a UF degree of his own and enter the business world fully equipped. 

END---- 

Investing - A first priority no matter what

Monday, October 19

So I am this point where I have my general lead generation system and listing management system set up, so the bulk of my busy work is complete. Since this was complete, I was taking it easier for a bit. However, my father feels otherwise. I like making money. It's fun, but there are other things I would much rather do - like hang out sometimes with my friends and what not. (I'm still a youngster here). Problem is, for some reason my father seems believe that the only people who succeed are those who love Real Estate investing and put it as a first priority in their lives. 

As wonderful as real estate investing sounds, I know there are other things in my life that Real Estate does not surpass. Besides, isn't the point of investing to have more time freedom to do what you love? I guess for some, that equates to just doing more deals, as that's genuinely what they love to do. But even if I do not have this same drive, is it still possible to become insanely successful. I mean, I love REI. The opportunities it offers. The freedom it offers. The wealth it offers. But, if I had all the money in the world, I wouldn't do it just for fun. I would go do other stuff.

Well, just me wondering what's going on again. Maybe it's just cause I'm young and I'm still looking to have a good time, or maybe I just don't think the same way.

Social Media Already Took Over

Monday, October 12

I hope I am not posting something everyone already seen, but this video was a real eye opener for me. I knew that the social media was going to be the next big market shift, but I never could have imagined how drastic and dramatic a change it would be.  

The video gives some really good insight on the extent of the social media market shift. Well, at least I am now happy I am basing a majority of my business on internet and social media marketing.  

College Applications

Monday, October 12

So it’s college application time. As much as I plan to be on my way investing within the year, I still need a backup plan and according to my mom, it should be college. So I have my University of Florida online application opened up on my computer and I am working on this one field that asks “Do family obligations limit your participation in extracurricular activities? If so, please describe.”

You see, my dilemma is this - family obligations versus extracurricular activities. What if it so happened that my family obligations was an extra curricular activity. In essence, isn’t anything beyond the normal scope of duties extracurricular? I believe that starting up a business from scratch and running it while in high school is an extra curricular activity. My school counselors think otherwise. They believe that if I am not part of any club in some fancy officer position, a school like UF won’t even recognize me. Do they not see how many hours and time must go into a personal business? Do they not see leadership and dedication it takes? Do the colleges not see this either? As pertaining to UF’s application question, they ask you as if you can only do one or the other – obligate yourself to your family or perform extracurricular activities. Why can’t I do both? I began my online business and grew it because I had to help supplement my family’s income. That being said, I have to say I take pride in my business and if a college cannot recognize my abilities because starting a business isn’t a typical “extracurricular activity”, well I guess I shouldn’t waste my time there anyways.