Here are a few things I have learned about marketing my 360 virtual tours.

1. Established customers already know the value of virtual tours. They also know that Real Tour Vision Tours are the best. I work closely with established customers to make VT’s an integral part of their marketing plans. They all look up to me as being the local online marketing expert that Real Tour Vision has taught me to become. These agents naturally order a virtual tour for all of their listings. Keeping them is a matter of communicating with them about what their needs and expectations are. If you ask your customers what they like about their 360 tours, you will be surprised what they say. More importantly you will learn things that you can use when marketing to new customers.

2. New customers don’t know the difference between Real Tour Vision , and other virtual tour technology until you show them. Most agents don’t have a lot of time, I like to use large venues such as sales meetings and such to educate potential customers about why our virtual tours are better. This works pretty well, but one on one is really the best way to market tours. Once “potential” customers see the difference, and realize the extra quality and service that Real Tour Vision tours provide, they convert to “established” customers. The trick is to get them to “see” a few key points about our tours, you will learn what the key points are by asking your already established customers.

3. Our local MLS site offers a saved search function that will send an email to me each time a listing meeting my criteria is added to the database. I built a search that targets a price range above 350K and includes such key words as “custom” ,”views”, “model home” and “remodeled” When I get a hit, I contact the listing agent for a tour. I sell about 50% of the contacts I make in this manner, and convert them to “established” customers.

4. Don’t be afraid to have a higher price than your competition, Somebody has to be the most expensive. in my market we are the most expensive, however, along with being the most expensive comes the responsibility of being the best, and offering the best service. This business model works. The other day, I was faced with a competitor that was selling Real Tour Vision tours in an adjoining market for about 30% of my price. I told the customer that we had stabilized our prices at the current level because it would do nobody any good if we could not afford to stay in business. I also told the customer that I wished to provide a higher level of service than the competition and needed to charge a higher price. She understood, and gave me her continued business.

5. Publish a list of standards that all tours will adhere too. Show that list to the customer. Customers feel more secure if you provide a list of exactly what you are doing for them. It looks impressive to the customer that you provide consistency.

Here is something I tell my sales people when they need a little boost.

“Our virtual tour company sells a valuable product. Real Tour Vision virtual tours offer listing agents a quantifiable marketing tool for their listings, and a competitive marketing advantage for getting listings. Like us, our customers are very busy, how many people have the business card of a very important lead or resource sitting on their desk but never seem to get around to making contact? I believe our customers are the same way and I prove it every time I do a follow up call. Our service is not just about providing the best 360 virtual tour on the Internet, it is also about making contact with customers and potential customers and becoming the local online marketing expert they can look up to and depend on. Make those calls, chances are you will catch somebody that has been “meaning to call you for a virtual tour” By doing a friendly follow up call you just saved them the effort.

Kurt Steiner
Alaska Virtual Tours
www.akvirtualtours.com