Many loan officers and real estate agents want websites. But most misunderstand how to capitalize on the technological investment. A website will not bring you business merely through its existence. Like any other tool you sell mortgages with, (ie. a nice office, seminars, a fancy brochure, etc.), if no one knows about it, it does you absolutely no good.

There are two good reasons to have a website:

1. TO BETTER SERVE YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS.

The ability to accept online applications is an important reason to have a website. Calculators, mortgage terms, listings, faq’s, testimonials -- all are value added services that will enhance your current relationship with your existing customers.

However, no matter why you are webbing it, you have to get your customers to your site in order to benefit. Here are some things you probably already do to make certain your current customers know about and use your site:

PRINT IT EVERYWHERE! Your website should be in every ad, on your business cards, stationery, envelopes, flyers, all your promotional materials, and in your signature block on every single email you send out (personal and business).

SAY IT EVERYWHERE! Your phone messages should direct people to your website. Every time you take an application, let people know about it. When you introduce yourself, mention it… TWICE!

2. TO GENERATE NEW CUSTOMERS.

You can find new clients via web marketing, but it may not be as easy as you think. To generate new customers, you’ll have to learn to market ON the web. Not as easy, and not as valuable, but it can be done. Here are some tips:

STAY LOCAL – Obviously the web is world-wide. But when’s the last time you originated a loan in China? Don’t waste your efforts reaching wide. Narrow your target market and try to keep your online marketing targeting your city.

SUBMIT TO SEARCH ENGINES –This is for the real techies among you. It’s time consuming, but you may have some success listing in search engines for real estate or mortgages in Denver, or Dallas, or Los Angeles, etc.

USE PAY PER CLICK SEARCH ENGINES - These are search engines that will charge you "per click" for each person who clicks on your site when they put in a search term that you have pre-defined. It can work particularly well if you 'sign up for' terms that combine words like mortgage, first time homebuyers, reverse mortgages, etc. with the words for your local area (your city and the surrounding areas). If this interests you, visit Looksmart, Kanoodle and Yahoo for starters. They all have fairly large pay per click sites.

BECOME AN ONLINE EXPERT – This may involve giving some time away. This ezine you are reading is free. Writing an ezine, articles, writing a blog or holding chats establishes you as an expert. It will add perceived value for your current clients and may win you some Internet clients as well.

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY – Banner ads, etc. probably won’t give you the effectiveness you need in a local market. Most Internet marketing is free, just time and knowledge intensive. Even if you plan to hire help eventually, it will pay to learn how to do what they will be doing. You can learn the ins and outs of web marketing and be much better equipped to direct your marketing campaign.

GIVE CUSTOMERS A REASON TO KEEP VISITING! Whomever visits your site, you'll want them to feel it's valuable and return time and again. Here are some ideas to keep them coming back:

Publish your favorite recipes (you could even include your customer’s favorites too – imagine how many times they may pass along THAT link to their friends!). List client testimonials and email the families to let them know theirs are published on your page! Make a “customer’s kids page” with published pictures of children’s artwork (your client’s children of course). Have a contest! Play a "Where’s Waldo" game – hide an obscure object somewhere in your site, and have a contest for people to find it! The winners could be eligible for a chance to win a shopping trip, or perhaps they all receive coupons for a McDonald’s fry and a free inspection!

Websites are here to stay, but we need to become savvy at marketing them to make them truly pay off. For more information on website marketing, read 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site: Filled with Proven Internet Marketing Tips, Tools, Techniques, and Resources to Increase Your Web Site Traffic by CA, Susan Sweeney.