When I first saw the meme with the small child counseling his grandmother on how to get on the Internet, I had a huge laugh at my mother’s expense. I cannot begin to count the number of times she has called me to resolve a tech-type problem—most of which merely involved clearing the cache, powering down the computer, or restarting an application.
But, for real estate professionals, I am beginning to realize that these “grandmas” may possibly be the largest source of pay-per-click homebuyer leads right now. Here’s why: they use Bing.
Bing (previously known as Live Search or MSN Search) is the search engine from Microsoft. It comes preloaded as the default search engine in Internet Explorer. And, when they purchase the computer (unless it is an Apple), IE is pre-installed for them. Not-so-savvy Internet users probably do not know that they can change the default search engine, and perhaps they do not have a preference when it comes to search engines. Continuing along those same lines, these same not-so-savvy Internet users are unaware of the difference between organic searches and pay-per-click ads. As such, these individuals are more likely to click on paid ads.
Firefox’s Default Search Engine Isn’t Google…
Did you hear the news? Perhaps you have already heard that beginning in November of last year, Firefox changed its default search engine from Google to Yahoo (powered by Bing). So, now you’ve got both IE uses and Firefox users with Bing as their default search engine—giving you even more opportunities to get in front of less sophisticated Internet users. (By the way, less sophisticated Internet users are less likely to research every possible real estate professional before deciding to use your services.)
For the most part, millennials use their mobile devices to search for properties. On an iPhone, this means principally using Safari (currently powered by Google, but that is going to change).
As for me, I’m a Google user. I’m somewhat sophisticated when it comes to technology. I know how to change my default search engine, and I cannot remember the last time that I clicked on a pay-per-click ad. With more sophisticated users on Google and less clicks at the top and on the side, the competition is fairly costly—particularly in the real estate space where ads can be upwards of $10 per click.
Should You Invest in Pay-Per-Click?
If you are considering PPC to obtain homebuyer and home seller leads, you may want to think twice. At $10 a click, it is pretty costly. And, how good are you at converting those clicks to homebuyers? On the other hand, if you can figure out a way to leverage the huge trend towards mobile, then this would be the way to go.
A person looks at his or her smartphone screen at least 100+ times per day. Just think, you never leave your house without your keys, your wallet, and your smartphone. When you are standing in line at the bank or sitting in the doctor’s reception area, you are looking at your phone. What better place is there to get in front of millions of prospective homebuyers? And with the average first-time homebuyers at age 31, I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that just about all of them own a smartphone.
What say you?
(Nota bene: Nobody ever said that Bill Gates was stupid.)
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