Facebook pages are providing even more Google juice for their owners.  Google announced recently that the status updates on all public Facebook pages will be indexed in their real-time search.  What does this mean for Facebook users?  It means that the largest social network on the internet (Facebook) will have the opportunity to enjoy first page placement from their status updates.  Things to be indexed from Facebook pages include links, photos and videos as well as anything else included in a status update.  While Facebook isn’t the driving force behind Google’s search results, it is sure to head to the top of the class since it outpaces other social networks that Google currently indexes (including Twitter and MySpace) in users.

Since Google is now taking notice of Facebook pages, it is more important than ever before to set up a business page to promote yourself and your brand.  For more information about Facebook pages, please visit the Facebook Pages help page.  If you need help setting up a Facebook page, please contact me and I’ll be happy to lend a hand.  It’s great news that Facebook pages provide even more Google juice than ever before.  Make sure you get yours taken care of today.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Your website is an extended business card that, in many cases, may be the first introduction a potential client has to you and your services.  That is why it is important to make sure you have your site set up properly.  Here are a few business website mistakes you should avoid:

Don’t…

1. …add video or music that automatically starts when your page loads.  This can be hard on the ears if someone’s speakers are set high and they aren’t aware of it.  Instead, set up video and audio clips so that they can be turned off and on at the visitor’s request.
2. …add flashing or flickering images.  This can be hard on the eyes and can cause headaches or even seizures in some people who are sensitive.  This is NOT the first impression you want to make!
3. …use dashes in your domain name if you can help it.  Many people will forget where to place the dash.  If they can’t find you, they aren’t going to use you.
4. …make your page go live before you are ready.  “Under Construction” signs are a turn-off and will send your visitor to another web page that is ready to go. 
5. …add tons of advertising to your site.  Lots of advertising makes your site look like a billboard instead of a professional website.  A few well-placed ads are fine.  Too many ads makes the site look too cluttered and can be confusing.

Think of your website as a home you are trying to sell.  Just like a house, your site’s curb appeal is important.  If you don’t have an appealing presence, potential clients are going to move on to the next site.  By keeping these business website mistakes to avoid in mind when you set up your website, you will be one step up on the competition.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around

Are you feeling overwhelmed and need some help?  You are the perfect candidate for a virtual assistant.  However, I have two words for you when you decide that you want to outsource your work: “Buyer Beware“.  What do I mean?

While doing research to find the right virtual assistant to handle your affairs, you may come across ads promoting VA services for as little as $4 per hour.  When the standard for an experienced US-based virtual assistant is much higher than that, $4 sounds like a steal.  That’s less than minimum wage.  How can they afford to charge so little?  Because companies like this outsource to places like India, where they pay their employees pennies a day.

For the most part, the companies that outsource their virtual assistant work to other countries only do so for basic data entry jobs.  If you need more extensive work, such as website management, SEO or social networking expertise, you need someone who can think “outside the box” and not simply recite from a script.  There can be many approaches to an issue or project.  You need someone who will know the best way to support you and can provide the proper guidance in tackling your goals.

Just this morning, I found that one of the widgets on one of my clients’ websites was no longer valid because the website that it originated from had been shut down.  Not only did I inform the client that this was the case, but I did the research to find her a few options to choose from to replace the widget.  She was unaware that there was an issue on her website, chose the widget she wanted to go with and thanked me for being so vigilant.  That’s not the kind of service you get from someone reading a script.

Since you entrust your personal information to your virtual assistant, ie logins, passwords, credit card info (in some cases), you want to be wary of where that information is going.  While there is just as much of a chance of someone stealing your identity in this country, you have legal recourse to go after the thief here.  And that can be a long and arduous process.  When you throw in the fact that the identity thief lives and operates in another country, that takes identity theft to a whole other level.  (This is not to say that all foreigners are thieves.)

Finally, you have to understand that when you hire a VA, you are paying for experience, not just time.  Sure, a college student may be able to do some of the virtual assistant work you require for less than an experienced VA.  But, they will only be able to do exactly what you tell them.  A qualified virtual assistant can tell you that there may be a better way to approach it and give you four or five options at the same time that may be even better than what you thought of in the first place, giving you a better rate of return.

Consider this: if you pay $4 per hour for a virtual assistant, you’re only going to get $4 worth of work.  If you pay an experienced virtual assistant to do the work, your return on your investment is much higher.  You get a partner who has your best interest in mind…someone who will work with you to accomplish your real estate business goals.  Remember this when outsourcing: Buyer Beware.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Today’s edition of “Connecting the Dots with Carra Riley“. First of all, we at Second Self Virtual Assistance have to give a hearty “thank you” to Carra Riley, the Countess of the Cosmic Cow Pie. We were privileged to be intereviewed by Carra on her BlogTalkRadio program. We were flattered that she recognized the value of what a virtual assistant can do for real estate professionals. As usual, Carra was very complimentary and generous. The time just flew by. There was so much to cover in such a little time. You can hear the entire interview by clicking the play button below.

Highlights of our interview included:

SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) means adding keywords and descriptions that utilize key phrases you want to optimize for people looking for a Realtor® in your area. The keywords are what people type in the search bar of Google, Yahoo or Bing to find exactly what they are looking for (for example, kingwood real estate, homes for sale in colorado springs, etc.). After your site is optimized, we submit it to the search engines and a list of directories that Second Self has personally compiled over the years to help increase your SEO. We also link all your social networks, blogs and websites together so that you can increase your “Google Juice”, sending you to the top of the search engine rankings.

SOCIAL NETWORKS
With the use of social networks simply exploding over the last couple of years, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with your social networks. Second Self Virtual Assistance can create and optimize Facebook fan pages to help you capture the attention of potential clients with a personalized landing page that links to your website, blogs, etc.

Second Self was happy to procure an exclusive deal with HousingStorm.com, a new social networking site. The purpose of HousingStorm.com is to combine the best traits of Facebook and LinkedIn, with the added benefit of a blog thrown in. For any new account set up through Second Self Virtual Assistance, HousingStorm.com will offer a free one year upgrade to a Premium account. This is a savings of $300.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Trying to keep up with social media is an ongoing process. In an effort to stay on top of changes in social media, Second Self Virtual Assistance is currently enrolled in Social Media Marketing classes that teach the latest and greatest methods to market yourself via social media.

If you’re in need of a real estate virtual assistant, feel free to contact me. For a limited time only, if you mention that you heard our interview on BlogTalkRadio, we’ll give you a discount on your first month’s services. I look forward to hearing from you.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance

We all know that content is king.  That will never change.  However, it is interesting to learn how Google ranks page speed when considering the value of a website.  While a higher loading page with little to no content will never outrank a page that is full of great info that happens to load at a slower speed, Google can give a little more weight to a page that loads faster than one with similar content but a lower load speed.

So, how do you keep good content without sacrificing page speed?  Don’t overdo it.  You want to keep your site easy-to-use and not hard on the eyes.  Using too many widgets, videos, slideshows, etc. bogs down the load time.  Not everyone has high speed internet access.  And even those that do can find some pages taking a long time to load because of all the info the program has to read first.  Focus on the key elements you want your viewers to see and direct them to another interior page to get more details.  If a person gets antsy waiting for your page to finish loading, they will head on over to the competition that won’t make them wait.

Google’s goal is to rank the most relevant information highest in their search engines.  How quickly or slowly a page loads doesn’t affect that at all.  However, making your website both user-friendly and quicker will not only keep your audience engaged, it will also help you stay above your slower competition in Google.

In the end, how does Google rank page speed?  It’s not more of a priority than relevant content.  But, it is something that should be considered in your website’s overall design.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Videos aren’t all about what you see.  With the popularity of video positively exploding in the last few years, people tend to focus only on the visual aspect of the video and almost completely forget about the audio part.  This is funny, considering the bulk of information provided on a video is through what you hear, not what you see.  If what is being said can’t clearly be understood, what is the point of making the video, right?  Following a few basic rules will help you make a more professional sounding video and make sure that your message gets across clearly and concisely.

1. Don’t rely on the built-in microphone on your camera for your sound.  This basic microphone is not meant for higher-quality sound.  Instead, look for a camcorder that includes a jack for an external microphone.  Most of the more professional cameras have an XLR connector while others utilize 1/8″ or mini-jacks for their external microphone feeds.
2. Cheaper isn’t better when it comes to sound.  While you don’t have to spend thousands on a high end external mic, don’t go for the $35 low end either.  They aren’t much better than your built-in camera microphones and will usually pick up all the sound around you, drowning out whatever you are trying to say.  Lavalier mics (similar to the small mics used on the lapels of newscasters) are excellent so long as you place them near the face (on the lapel or collar of a shirt) and away from anything that can rub up against it, causing disruption in the audio.  If there will be several people being recorded on camera, you may want to consider several microphones with a mixer or a boom mic.
3. Make sure the high or low impedence of whichever microphone you choose matches the technical aspects of your camera to avoid feedback.
4. Use headphones to monitor audio sounds when recording.  These will help pick up any outside noises that you may not be able to hear while you are videotaping but sounds that the microphone will pick up easily, such as traffic, phones, etc.
5. Monitor your video in real time.  This will allow you to see exactly what the camera is seeing and avoid costly retakes when possible.
6. Check the microphone levels.  If the level is too high, it can create distortion.  If the level is too low, you may not be able to hear what is being said.
7. If necessary, rent professional equipment.  If you find that you will only need the higher end camera and audio equipment once or twice, it is more cost effective to rent the equipment.  However, if you are looking to make professional style videos more often, it is well worth making the investment.

If you plan on creating and utilizing videos for your online marketing, you need to remember that videos aren’t all about what you see.  Invest in proper audio equipment so that your message can be heard.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Is linking considered a copyright infringement?  Some news organizations want you to think so.  Now, to be clear, I am not talking about plagiarism or using copyrighted photos as your own.  I’m actually talking about simply linking to an outside source, whether on your site, in a blog post or even through an email.  News Corp, one of the largest media corporations in the world, is considering blocking search engines and feeds from utilizing its content.  It considers all of its content copyrighted intellectual property, including links.  While the content itself is, indeed, the property of the person who originally wrote it (and rightfully so), why would they consider a simple link to the article an infringement on their copyright?  And why would they want to block their content from being linked?

As you know, SEO is partly dependent on good links.  Linking to a good site, article, etc. that carries weight in the search engine algorithms can help increase the weight of your site, bringing your site up in the rankings.  If search engines don’t have access to these reputable sites, will that have an affect on your site?  It might.

Some people who are against News Corp’s stance (primarily journalists) say that this is a way to control what people read instead of allowing freedom to see differing viewpoints.  They believe that this opens the door for online news media to negotiate with corporate search engines, giving them “exclusive” access to only their online media that includes only their opinions and blocking out others that don’t agree.  Since journalists are relying more and more on digital media for source material, limiting access to information hurts them.  Other opponents believe that, if the information in question is freely available to some members of the public, it should be available to all.

Not all news organizations agree with News Corp’s argument, however.  Many media companies understand that links drive traffic to their sites, increasing their audience and adding value to their contributors and content.  And, the whole point of creating online content is to drive traffic to your business, isn’t it?  So, do you consider linking to be a copyright infringement?  Please let me know.  I’m very curious to see what you think.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Since January is National Get Organized Month, I found a great way to get organized online with OfficeZilla.  OfficeZilla provides a private and secure online area for your company or organization to share files, calendars, forums, tasks, phone messages and more absolutely free.  The unlimited space allows for any sized files that you need to be shared amongst as many people as you choose to have access.  You can even assign people to “groups”.  Only the people assigned to the group you create can have access to the information in the group.  This information is not shared to any outside source anywhere else.  Also, you are in control of everything: what is seen by whom, giving permissions, etc.

Why should you use OfficeZilla?  With more and more people and businesses communicating via technology: email, faxes, phone, teleconferences, etc., it can be difficult keeping up with changes to important projects or information being passed around.  OfficeZilla provides a place to store all up-to-date information for any project, discussion, etc. and keep all involved parties “in the loop” at all times.

No matter how many members, no matter how large the size of the file, OfficeZilla is the perfect way to keep yourself, your staff and your company on track.  Get organized online with OfficeZilla today.

Pamela Cendejas, your Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Are you looking for a way to get your website and/or blog content sent to dozens of social networking sites easily and automatically?  OnlyWire is great for online syndication.  OnlyWire uses four content syndication tools to get their online publishers exposure to the internet’s biggest social networking sites:

Browser Tools – With their Browser Button, you can submit web pages to OnlyWire directly from your web browser.  They have browser buttons for Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera and Google Chrome.

Bookmark and Share Button – By adding the Bookmark and Share button to your website or blog, you are allowing all readers and visitors the ability to bookmark the post or page so they can visit it again with ease.  You are also giving your readers and visitors a chance to share your content with other parties, ensuring your content gets more exposure.

Developer API – OnlyWire API allows you to use your content management system (CMS) to automatically submit a bookmark to all social bookmarking sites you already use as well as those that OnlyWire already has made available.

Account Management – You can manage your OnlyWire account, view your submission history, finalize all your bookmarking submissions and set up the social networking sites you use in one easy place.

OnlyWire offers two separate kinds of accounts: Free and Pay.  The free version requires that you add the Bookmark & Share button to your blog or website.  However, your bookmarking buttons will also contain ads from OnlyWire sponsors.  If you choose the Pay version, it will cost $2.99/month or $24.99/year.  But, it is totally ad free.

Gaining exposure to your business is the reason you have a website and/or blog.  Syndicating your content helps you gain more exposure.  See for yourself how OnlyWire is great for online syndication.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

I just read a great article by Mike McDonald at Web Pro News where he talks about the use of ghost tweeting on Twitter.  What is “ghost tweeting“?  This is where the tweets being tweeted on a person’s account aren’t actually being tweeted by them.  Just like hiring a ghost writer for blogs, articles, copywriting, etc., many Twitter users have taken to using ghost tweeters to handle their Twitter accounts.  Is this moral, ethical, trustworthy?  You have to ask yourself whether you are following someone because they are a “name” or because of the content of their tweets.  If you are following the “name”, then you might be disappointed.  However, if you are following them because you value their tweets and the information they share, does it really matter that much if the tweets are actually tweeted from their very own fingers?  The information is the same, right?

Truth be told, ghost writing has been going on as far back as literature itself.  With all the social media outlets on the internet, it can be hard for busy people to keep up with everything themselves.  The fact that someone sees the value in places like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. shows that they understand the importance of social media in modern marketing.  So, don’t be surprised or even disappointed to find that you are following may not have actually formed the words that are being written.  If the information is valuable, the source shouldn’t necessarily matter.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!