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The Verisign Interview ~ a little behind the scenes

July 24, 2013 By Doug Francis

Verisign interview with Doug Francis realtor

Ad agency crew

What makes being a real estate agent fun is the number of hats you have to wear while running the business.

Since I have been the Chief Content Creator here on the blog and PR Director for dougfrancis.com , I was the obvious choice to handle an interview with Verisign to discuss using the Internet as part of my business strategy.

So, who the heck is Verisign? Essentially they are the authoritative registry of .com, .net and other top-level domains. They are based in Reston, Virginia which is kind of where the huge trunk line for much of the world’s web traffic is buried.

They contacted me to discuss how I use dougfrancis.com in my business.

The answer was pretty simple because my site is the main reason that I am still in the real estate business today ~ in essence… the redesign of dougfrancis.com into an active blog during the late 2008 and 2009 economic crisis (which crushed the real estate business) was the pivotal moment for my business.

Vienna real estate agent 2013 Doug Francis Verisign AdMaybe it was dumb luck to register dougfrancis.com way back in 1999 and, even back then, I knew that people understood that .com was the top level for domains… if that makes any sense to you. And today, search results still seem to list .com domains first and that’s what consumers will click on.

Your .com will top search results

Although you can get some good geeky insight on my FAQ page, for anyone with a small business who is reading this please understand that my idea or philosophy in 2009 was to create a site that could be a local information resource for real estate consumers wanting to know more about Vienna Virginia. Yes the primary objective is still real estate, but I learned early on that someone who will click on my site wants to know about my area of specialized knowledge. The goal remains to serve their need for an answer.

For example, people relocate to Vienna from all over the world and I want to make sure that I end up in their search results. What I did not want to create in 2009 was a keyword stuffed piece of crap static web site like every other Realtor seemed to have plastered up on the InterWeb! I wanted to provide something totally different with information people would appreciate, read, study, watch, and eventually decide that they wanted to talk with me about local real estate.

What I did not realize in 2009 was that this angle had a name: Content Marketing.

There are a lot of reasons why having a web site full of information can help your business, but when I chatted with a friend over the weekend about the groovy interview and how I write about my business in a way that helps convey my professional experience to readers, he told me an interesting story.

His business helps customers comply with the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, the EPA and the state EPA. For example, they collect products like waste oil, filter it and then supply it to companies that can burn it as fuel.

It is a highly specialized business that requires hazardous waste vehicles, elaborate EPA containment protocols and lots of paper documentation.

He told me about losing a big job to a small company that had a great web site but was only “two guys in an office with no trucks of their own, and then everything is going to be subcontractors” he explained.

Now here is a sales guy who know the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 better than most lawyers who has seen a slick website win a million dollar deal away from a super experienced company. That slick web site was a sales tool, but the reality six months from now will unveil the real truth.

So I took a look at my friend’s company site. It had stock photos, read like a boring brochure, and really needed to be overhauled to come into this century. The take-away: search results are powerful.

What Google results do people find about your business?

The ad agency folks asked me about my site and if I worked on it often?

The answer: YES!

It is essential that anyone putting together a web site for their business keep it current, use original photographs and understand some basic principals about internet search results and consumer behavior.

Having a .com site, in my opinion, is critical and may require some creative thinking if your company’s name has already been registered. You don’t want to go too far out there but keep it as close as possible – and most registrars will give you suggestions if your name has been taken. It may take days, but understand that your business is likely to depend on your .com to survive in the future.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: real estate

About Doug Francis

A Realtor specializing in unique and new homes around Vienna, Virginia, Doug started writing a first-hand blog about his everyday real estate experiences a decade ago. In depth, helpful and fun has always been the objective. Outside real estate, he was profiled in a commercial for Verisign's "Where the World Clicks" campaign, and was quoted in Money Magazine's Best Places to Live article on Vienna. He's a Boston University graduate who feels morning coffee is non-negotiable.

Helping my clients add value to their home has always been important to me. My step-by-step recommendations are intended to increase market appeal, return more then invested, and help net more when selling.

Beyond just sellers, I have helped many new homeowners make smart design decisions when remodeling. We gutted our house and totally remodeled it, and I pass that experience along because living in a nice house is simply better.

My background… I’ve been an active licensed agent in Virginia for 25 years, work at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in McLean, and sell homes in all price ranges. I donate to the Town of Vienna tree replacement fund, participate in a neighborhood citizens association, and try my best to stay in shape.

Questions? Email doug@dougfrancis.com or call me at (703) 304-6827 to discuss your plans. Cheers!

Filmed in Vienna and McLean

https://youtu.be/ClqEIV1zoQg
Viva Vienna Vienna Idol event on the Town Green sponsored by Caffe Amouri

The Vienna Town Green

The Town Green in Vienna, Virginia is located where Maple Avenue intersects the W&OD Bike Trail and Mill Street. The Town

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About Doug Francis

I am a Realtor with TTR Sotheby's International Realty® just outside Washington D.C. in Northern Virginia. I have been a full-time Realtor licensed in Virginia since 1991, and cover a big territory specializing in the Vienna real estate market and custom homes for sale.

I have unique knowledge of digital real estate marketing, and my marketing starts here. My clients have been attracted to my results-oriented strategy for years, and I am accepting new clients for Fall 2022 right now.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to contact me at 703-304-6827 or email me at doug@dougfrancis.com anytime!

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Doug: (703) 304-6827

TTR Sotheby's International Realty
6723 Whittier Avenue McLean, VA 22101

Office: 703-319-3344
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