MeeboMe as Killer Real Estate Marketing Tool

Some of you have noticed this already, but I wanted to point it out in a post, in case you read this blog in a feedreader or via email: We've added a MeeboMe widget to the sidebar. What's MeeboMe? Meebo is a web-based IM client that lets you be logged into several IM services at the same time (AOL and Yahoo, for example). MeeboMe is a widget that sits on your site and lets any site visitor chat with you directly, right now, when they're looking at your stuff.

MeeboMe web site chat widget

Why is this important to you, Mr/ Ms Real Estate Marketer?

Call it Mike's Internet Lead Law: The success rate for converting an internet-generated inquiry (ie. a lead) into actual business decreases at a rate of 1 / (time to respond).

Any realtor who has handled internet-generated leads knows this from experience. It's why you have the Treo or Blackberry. If you can reply inside of 15 minutes-catch them while they're still at the computer and remember who the hell you are-your success rate is vastly higher than if you wait even a few hours.

IM, of course, stands for Instant Message, so you get the picture.

I prefer to think of MeeboMe as Instant Customer Service.

The widget is currently on our blog page, but we'll be integrating it into the Altos Research site in general. If you're in the process of subscribing to some of our research and just want one question answered before you complete the purchase, why shouldn't we be right there for you?! Now we are.

Here's a cool bonus feature. You get to see how many people are actually looking at your site, right now. If they've input their nickname, you can see them by name. In this screen shot below, you can see there are four people reading the blog right now (Fritz runs the HousingDerivatives.com blog) plus a few folks.

Meebo.com chat page. It runs in a browser window so there's no client software to install.

Our MeeboMe Instant Customer Service is already getting rave reviews. If you're at all interested in converting your web visitors into actual clients, I highly recommend it.

Side note: Dustin and team at Rain City Guide use a Skype contact, which I've always found innovative and intriguing. At Altos, we use Skype too. But with Meebo, no one is required to install any software. It just works. That's a huge advantage.

Another side note: I frequently work out of the RedRock coffee shop in downtown Mountain View. The Meebo HQ is right around the corner and they hang out there too. I love Silicon Valley.