Blue Tangerine

Why Is Experiential Marketing Essential for Home Builders?

October 1, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

^{A giant wall wrap printed by Outhouse, “floating” candles, and authentic table decorations create the perfect setting for a Hogwarts themed party.}

There is a much more businessy answer to this question, but I’m going to start by introducing Darin Keezer, our VP of Operations. Most people know Darin as a number cruncher, spreadsheet whiz, Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) specialist, and an all-around smart guy. Many people don’t realize he is also an expert on experiences and a brilliant party host (watch out, Martha!). Whether it be a Wizard of Oz Halloween or a Harry Potter Birthday bash, Darin and his wife Angie create the most amazing experiences for their two daughters and others. I am so jealous! With all the chatter about left brain vs. right brain – how is it possible that someone so technical can also be so immensely creative?

The bottom line is Darin and Angie know their audience and what kind of experiences they crave. With this knowledge, they put in the time, effort, and expense to create the best, most engaging experiences possible.

People crave personalized experiences. And after spending a significant amount of time sitting at home the past couple of years, we are seeking them out more than ever. In response, companies, and their marketing teams, are ramping up efforts to create unique, hands-on experiences for clients/customers. Salesforce tells us, “Brands who can facilitate outstanding customer experiences will be the ones that will differentiate themselves. And it’s not a secret to executives, as 68% of marketing leaders claim their company is increasingly competing on the basis of customer experience.”

_{Darin and his wife Angie turn their backyard into the road to the Emerald City.}

Outhouse and our digital marketing and web development partners like Blue Tangerine, Group Two Advertising, Meredith Communications, Adlanta Creative, Denim Marketing, A2 Digital Consulting, Boe Creative, Bokka Group, Evolution Marketing, Flying Orange, Kovach Marketing Pepper Glen Creative, Rhoads Creative, Wick Marketing, and 616 Marketing, and more understand the importance of experience when marketing for home builder clients. In today’s scroll through, swipe left, swipe right world, home builders need to stand out from the crowd if they want to be memorable. Experiential marketing gives a competitive edge to forward-thinking builders.

So what does experiential marketing encompass? A few general examples include:

Demos
Events and festivals
Activities and kiosks at trade shows
Unique brand experiences
Retreats

In other words, pretty much anything that actively engages clients/consumers.

_{Darin’s Halloween experience gives Tim Burton a run for his money.}

How does this relate to home building? The past couple of years have been huge for our industry. As the pace slows down, the top builders are elevating their homebuyer experience to grow sales. Static floorplans and stick renderings are out. Interactive Floor Plans, Interactive Site Plans, Visualizers, User-Controlled Virtual Tours, onsite Interactive Sales Kiosks, and community events/open houses are in. Today’s tech-savvy home buyers expect and respond most positively to experiential marketing online and in your sales centers. This interactive community map created for SoMi by Homes Built for America is a prime example.

_{Click the image to engage with the multi-layered site map, interactive floor plans, and more for SoMi, the new community by Homes Built for America.}

Here are the most significant benefits you will see if you create a more engaging website and sales center:

Increased Brand Awareness
Emotional Connection: People purchase products based on emotions — positive, hands-on experiences move them closer to conversion.
Word of Mouth: Draw potential buyers by giving people something to talk about on social media with a fun activity and a hashtag.
Lead Generation: Outhouse has designed our Interactive Floor Plans and, Interactive Sales Kiosks to deliver leads directly to your inbox. Participatory social media campaigns can generate leads as well.

Humans crave experiences. Think about that when you open a new community or redesign your website. A day at Six Flags can be fun. But, like Darin with his Harry Potter-themed parties, the best theme parks (Disney, Universal) understand people want more than a simple roller coaster. They return again and again for the experience – the interaction and emotional connections.

Outhouse has dedicated significant time and resources to developing online experiential marketing tools housed on a single Virtual Interactive Platform. Compelling on their own, our Interactive Floor Plans, Interactive Site Plans, Animations, Virtual Tours, and Visualizers are even more engaging when builders roll them all into an Interactive Sales Kiosk.

The benefits of experiential marketing are numerous. Outhouse is here to help you explore, learn how to create emotional connections with homebuyers, and discover which online and onsite engagement tools will boost your sales. Contact us today to learn more.

Education Sessions We’re Digging at IBS 2022

March 28, 2025
By Jim Sorgatz

With the International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando only a week away (Feb 7-10), we wanted to give a quick overview of some of the great educational sessions presented by Outhouse, industry partners, clients, and friends. The event may be smaller this year, but the programing is top-notch! We also look forward to exploring the show floor, attending The Nationals, the VIP Builder Party, and meeting up with you all. Speaking of the Nationals, the Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast featuring our own Kevin Weitzel is a Silver Award winner. We are excited to be in the running for the Gold!

Here are a few of the sessions we look forward to attending.

Strategies & Success Secrets for Creating the Online Home Shopping Experience Buyers Expect

Featuring Outhouse’s own Kevin Weitzel, and Greg Bray of Blue Tangerine
Thu, Feb 10 \ 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm EST \ W308-C
Homebuyers now have an online expectation that must be met and are more comfortable than ever purchasing a home without having to physically visit it. Join us for an engaging discussion with a group of top industry technologists who will show you the online experience your customers expect and expose how e-commerce technologies can drive new home sales.

The Power of Dynamic Thinking: Embracing Change as the New Normal

Featuring Al Trellis of Home Builders Network and Kevin Oakley of Do You Convert
Mon, Feb 7 \ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST \ W304-A
In this Master Workshop, a powerhouse panel of industry experts explore the concept of dynamic thinking and how you can create a culture of change across your organization that constantly allows for improved operations, competitiveness and profitability. From design through delivery, you’ll explore and rethink all aspects of your business.

Marketing Strategies for the Future: Level Out & Level Up

Mollie Elkman of Group Two, Kerry Mulcrone of Kerry & Co., Bryan Mecsey of Zillow, and Karen Schroeder of Mayberry Homes
Mon, Feb 7 \ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST \ W304-C
As the clouds part and things begin to level out, now’s the time to reassess your marketing efforts and set a course that keeps you ahead of the competition. This Master Workshop has you covered! The Marketing Umbrella approach is about thinking broadly when it comes to research, strategy, branding, content, digital and experiential marketing. We’ll explore the five elements for building a marketing plan with low spend and big results, and dive deep into the most effective tools out there.

Managing Through Success Complacency: Keeping Your Team on Top of Their Game

Chris Hartley and Cory Charles of K. Hovnanian Homes, and Jennifer Cooper of Evolution Marketing
Tue, Feb 8 \ 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm EST \ W311-C
How do you keep your team on top of their game regardless of market conditions? By sharing a proven process, a panel of experts will take you through the steps that support sales, marketing and training to ensure your team does not fall victim to a great market. Learn how to build, develop and grow powerhouse teams that focus on customer experience, sales and marketing. Understand what roles are vital in today’s world, how to train your teams for success and how to get buy-in for roles that you need in the future.

Extreme Makeover Sales Edition: Empowering Your OSC to Guide Sales Conversion & Customer Experience

Featuring Ingrid Prince of Century Complete, Leah Fellows of Blue Gypsy, Cori Masters of Beacon Homes – Shared Drive, and Heidi Schroeder of ECI | Lasso
Wed, Feb 9 \ 9:15 am – 10:15 am EST \ W315
Are you letting your OSCs take the lead, and are your customers getting what they want? If not, it may be time for an Extreme Makeover of your lead handling process. In this fast-paced, game show style session, our five OSC experts will provide their unique and spirited views to this process. Receive unmatched advice as you learn today’s best practices for lead qualification and conversion while giving your customers the experience they desire.

From Prospects to Profits: A Systemized Process for Sales Success

Featuring Erik Cofield from Association of Professional Builders
Wed, Feb 9 \ 9:15 am – 10:15 am EST \ W311-C
Numbers tell a story, and learning to generate and read numbers within your sales process allows for tremendous insight and smart, accurate decision making. But no manual process can deliver the numbers, the story and benefit of an automation one. In this interactive session, learn how to systemize your sales and leverage your numbers into formulas, decisions and a process that will lead to a great level of success.

How K. Hovnanian Uses AI & Digital Engagement to Put Buyers in Control of Their Buying Journey

Bassam Salem of AtlasRTX and Dana Spencer of K. Hovnanian
Wed, Feb 9 \ 10:15 am – 10:45 am EST \ Tech Bytes – W230
K. Hovnanian Homes has been at the forefront of new digital technologies to reduce friction between builder and buyer throughout the entire customer journey. Explore how they use their website as an important salesperson, and learn about their wildly successful digital assistant, ‘Ana’, text messaging, and other automated technologies that have helped them revolutionize the digital homebuying process.

Does Your Website Have a “Buy Now” Button?

Greg Bray of Blue Tangerine, Carol Morgan of Denim Marketing, and Paul Gortzig of Bokka Group
Wed, Feb 9 \ 11:15 am – 12:15 pm EST \ W311-A
Car dealers have perfected selling cars online — even allowing for a variety of options and upgrades. Why haven’t home builders figured this out? This session focuses on what home builders need to add to their websites to make “Buy Now” possible. Integrating technology with marketing messaging and learning how the sales team supports the customer experience for early adopters is key.

The New Rules for New Home Sales: Reevaluating Your Sales Process & Tactics in a Digital World

Matt Riley of New Home Inc, Chad Sanschagrin of Cannonball Moments, and Myers Barnes of Myers Barnes Associates
Wed, Feb 9 \ 11:15 am – 12:15 pm EST \ W315
In 2020, builders hurried to adapt to a shift to complete online selling. From home tours to closings, every step evolved to a virtual system. In 2021, the unprecedented demand pushed builders and new home sales professionals to their limits. In the haste to keep up, did you institute the best practices? Have you maintained the fundamentals you need? This advanced session will help you look at what works and where you can improve your sales system.

Is Your Sales Team Ready to Keep “By Appointment” Going?

Kimberly Mackey of New Homes Solutions Consulting, Melanie Mickie of Engel & Volkers, and Linda Hebert of Diversified Marketing and Communications
Thu, Feb 10 \ 11:15 am – 12:15 pm EST \ W311-C
For years, sales trainers have preached the value of setting appointments versus simply relying on walk-in traffic. After everything we have experienced in the past two years, have our sales teams finally seen the wisdom in doing so? Data shows that scheduling appointments creates a far better customer experience and equates to approximately 50% better closing rate. Working by appointment also generates more quality time with buyers, fewer tire kickers, more qualified buyers and much more. Join us to learn the systematic approach to help your sales team recognize the continued value of working by appointment and build their sales flow.

Uncover Hidden Gems in Local SEO Optimization

Cabe Vinson of Blue Tangerine
Thu, Feb 10 \ 11:15 am – 11:45 am EST \ Tech Bytes – W230
You understand the importance of SEO. You’ve spent a lot of time and money to optimize your content, site, profiles, meta data and more. Yet you still find yourself asking the question: “Why isn’t my business showing up at or near the top of the search results?” In this Tech Bytes session, uncover some strategies you can implement now to build upon your SEO foundation and improve your local search result rankings.

60 Design Ideas in 60 Minutes

Featuring Dave Miles of Milesbrand, and more
Tue, Feb 8 \ 9:15 am – 10:15 am EST \ Tangerine Ballroom – West Hall F3
In this fast-paced session, industry-leading architects, interior designers, developers and builders will share the most current design ideas and strategies that you can use to update your elevations, renew floor plans, animate streetscapes, enhance amenities and develop dynamic neighborhoods. Using a wide array of drawings and photos, the panelists will show you how cutting-edge design can capture your buyer’s attention and make the sale.

Tools for Growth & Protection When the Market Ebbs & Flows

Mike Dildine and Jared Maybon of Highland Homes
Wed, Feb 9 \ 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm EST \ W304-C
Markets will always have their highs and lows, and for many small business owners, those variations can stunt or slow desired growth, or restrict holding the status quo. This session will highlight the tools used to help builders and remodelers not only accelerate growth beyond their goals, but also protect them from losing traction when conditions of uncertainty, even unprecedented ones, surface in the market.

Meredith Oliver and Kerry Mulcrone in a fun session at IBS 2020

10 Lessons Ted Lasso Would Have for the Home Building Industry

October 1, 2024
By Tabitha Warren

Courtesy Apple+

This Fall, “Believe” wore me down. I had been hearing about Ted Lasso for two seasons. As a person that isn’t into watching sports, I wasn’t interested in a show about a football (soccer) team. But references were everywhere. Finally, on a walk with my husband, I (begrudgingly) looked at him and said, “I think we should watch Ted Lasso.” His eyes nearly fell out of his head.

This wasn’t because he had wanted to watch it. He didn’t even know what it was about. Recently, he had to return to the office. He had to host a temporary project for an executive team and teach them to use new tools. Early in the experience, they made him write “Believe” and hang it over the door to the conference room. He didn’t get the reference. We hadn’t watched Ted Lasso. His team was floored that he didn’t get it. He was happy to dive in with me and be in on the mantra.

Ted Lasso is a heart-warming show about an American football coach that is hired by an English football (soccer) club. They hire him for his uniquely up-beat and sometimes over the top coaching style. He’s charismatic. Ted arrives in England only to discover that the English don’t believe in hope and optimism. His own brand of hopeful leadership continuously hits brick walls of negativity. Ted finds that his first obstacle won’t be helping with soccer strategy, it will be battling prevailing negative, downtrodden attitudes. After his first day on the job, he posts a sign above the locker room doors that simply says, “Believe.” It’s his way of planting the seed of hope in the minds of his players.

It took three episodes for Ted’s charisma and off-beat leadership style to win my husband and I over. From there, like many people, I started writing down Ted quotes and applying them to my industry: home building. Here are ten key take-aways for anyone working in home building out there:

1. “Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn’t it? If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.”

If the pandemic has taught us anything, things in the home building industry need to change. This varies from updating our websites, to having new virtual tools, to designing houses to have better flex space for families that are working and schooling from home.

2. “As the man once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get.”

There is no doubt that home building and sales are hard work! The market might make it seem like hard work isn’t necessary now. However, home site availability, or lack thereof, has presented new challenges. How are competitors retaining customers with wait lists that can seem unmanageable? Are they just lucky? Or maybe they are creating luck by working hard and listening to customers? Have a plan that keeps customers interested. When products aren’t ready and available, get good at customer nurturing. Wait list management can be one of the more difficult aspects of our industry. It is hard work, but there are several different strategies to take this on when experiencing “gapping.” Solutions include setting a priority list without target dates, a priority list with target dates, reservations with or without base pricing, price increases every x sales, lottery releases, eBay style auctions, sell with escalation clauses on costs, or pause sales entirely for a set amount of time. For more information on these strategies check out this article from our friends at Do You Convert: The Definitive Guide To Priority Lists In 2021

3. “You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory.”

There is a rule out there called “the 15 second rule”. This is how long your website has to catch your prospective customer’s attention! Are you running SEO to see how long customers are staying on your website? This will tell you if you need to consider updating your website, adding new interactive tools, or scraping it and starting over from scratch.¹

Customers need that 10 second hit of endorphins. Does your website delight? We want those happy goldfish. Don’t let them forget you. Well-designed websites, like those made by Blue Tangerine, with great interactive tools, like Interactive Floor Plans by Outhouse are great ways to keep customers on your website and interested in your homes. For more information on how to build an award winning website and win your customers over, check out this blog by Blue Tangerine: 10 Tips for Home Builder Websites.

4. “If the Internet has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes it’s easier to speak our minds anonymously.”

This one is an internal suggestion. In an early episode, Ted implements a suggestion box for the team. Things are brought to his attention by a few players that he may not have known on his own. Not all decisions can be made in a vacuum. Not all information can be caught by one or two people. Here at Outhouse, the management does an anonymous annual survey asking what our team would like to see change at the company. It, also, asks what they like and would like to see stay the same. It has helped us change and evolve. There is an open-ended question asking for any other input we think they should know. The anonymity really opens people up. They feel freer to say what they feel and think. Maybe your company would benefit from doing things like this a few times a year. Maybe your sales agents and marketing team has caught trends or gaps in your system that you’re missing.

Courtesy Apple+

5. “I think that you might be so sure that you’re one in a million, that sometimes you forget that out there you’re just one in 11.”

Demand was at an all-time high in 2021. It’s forecast to continue this way into 2022. There are stories out there about customers feeling like they weren’t treated as having been valued. Home builders knew that another customer would come along and buy the home if the last prospect was unhappy. This is a terrible way to build a brand reputation and repeat buyers! Don’t be so sure that your company is the end-all-be-all. Even in a high demand market, customers need to be treated with value.

6. “I feel like we fell out of the lucky tree and hit every branch on the way down, ended up in a pool of cash and Sour Patch Kids.”

Remember that markets change! What are you doing to market to the future that slows down? Are you planning ahead? Our friend Meredith Oliver at Meredith Communications hosts a live stream event the first Friday of every month to discuss sales and marketing. It’s a great place to get ideas, keep on top of market changes, and connect with other people in the industry. She also has guests that are worth following. One of her guests may become a valuable resource! Bottom line: find resources that work. Luck won’t last forever.

7. “There’s two buttons I never like to hit: that’s panic and snooze.”

I just wanted to drive the point home here. We are at an unprecedented time in the housing market. But it is not time to panic. Maybe it was a few months back for those of us who weren’t prepared for the sudden and massive shift to online home sales, but that ship has sailed my friends! Hopefully, by now everyone has made the necessary changes, and customers can explore homes online. It is, however, time to put a plan in place on how to continue that progress. Know customer expectations. Have a budget for those things. Even if those things are in place, it is not time to get complacent. It is, also, not time to snooze because the market is booming! It’s time to be preparing for when the market slows. Know how to make it through lean times, and how to drive sales during those times.

8. “I believe in Communism. Rom-communism, that is. If Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan can go through some heartfelt struggles and still end up happy, then so can we.”

This is an industry with extreme highs and extreme lows. We struggle together, and luckily, we are not in it alone! What can we do to prepare for those heartfelt times of struggle? First, consider working with industry experts to grow your home sales. Many larger builders already do this as regular practice. Experts help incorporate web tools like interactive floor plans and virtual tours that buyers expect and that top builders are already using. They also help maintain unique brand identities. Those items are our second point. Even without expert help, it may be an important strategy to incorporate web tools and present a strong brand identity. We want customers to recognize us in the din of online marketing vying for their attention. This is how we all end up happy, builders and buyers, no matter the market position.

9. “We all know speed is important. But being able to stop and change directions quickly? Well, that’s like Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak. It don’t get nearly enough credit.”

During 2021, we witnessed the beginning of the “Great Reshuffling.”² People began to move from where they had to live for work to where and how they wanted to live for work from home. This shifted market demands to different areas as well as the type of housing that customers were demanding. Amidst a housing shortage, it was now the mark of a great home builder to be able to shift their offerings. We’ve seen a high demand for things like flex spaces, green spaces, and so many other trends. Ted’s lesson here: be able to build a quality product quickly but be able to evaluate market demands and change quickly when the market calls for it.

10. “Here’s an idea that’s gonna help a little or hurt a whole lot. Who needs a drink?”

Like Ted, making real changes and progress in home building starts with belief. From there, it takes a whole lot of hard work. For many, it may take changing decades long attitudes, traditions, and processes. It may take going against the grain, investing in new technology and new talent. What can’t happen is continuing to do things the same way that we always have. Like my TV mentor Ted, I’m going into 2022 with a little belief, a whole lotta optimism, and an open mind. I can’t wait to see how all of our friends out there progress as they adapt to this ever growing industry! We’ll be here to help.

Courtesy Apple+

Tabitha Warren was an Income Tax Accountant for 15+ years. In the first months of the pandemic, she took a chance and re-careered to freelance in Marketing. She currently, and very happily, works with video and photo editing, social media marketing, and now blog writing.

Zheng, D. (2020, May 14). The 15 Second Rule: 3 Reasons Why Users Leave a Website. Retrieved January 7, 2022 from https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/why-users-leave-a-website/
Zillow NewConstruction (n.d.), New Construction Conversion Playbook. Retrieved January 7, 2022 from https://wp-tid.zillowstatic.com/bedrock/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/09/Zillow_NewConstruction_ConversionPlaybook_2021.pdf

New Year – New Front Door!

October 2, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

“There’s a new front door, and it’s online.” This quote from new home sales expert Kerry Mulcrone of Kerry and Co., on changes in the buying process, sums up how much the world has evolved in less than a year. The significant shift to online new home sales was the main topic of discussion at home builder marketer Meredith Oliver’s January Builder Town Hall. For a growing number of buyers, the journey to a new home doesn’t even include a sales center trip. And that is why having a well-designed website with engaging, interactive platforms is critical. As noted by Meredith, Interactive Floor Plans, quality renderings, and virtual tours are no longer luxuries; they are cost-of-entry items for home builder websites.

Door set on computer keyboard, opening, with Interactive Floor Plan in background — *Open your front door to online new home sales*.

With the housing market booming across the U.S., now is the time to review your online marketing strategy and website and make the changes needed to swing your front door wide open. A recent audit of the Outhouse website by digital marketing firm Blue Tangerine is leading us to invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). We are also revamping our home page to showcase our products better “above the fold.” Updates of demos and product samples are on the agenda as well. Styles change and technology changes, so it is critical for us to spotlight our newest and most innovative virtual tours, visualizers, interactive platforms, and print materials.

Many builders rebuild their website every two years! That’s how rapidly styles and technologies change.

A builder panel featuring Ashley DeYoung from DeYoung Properties, Michelle Smallwood from Holiday Builders, and Chris Hartley from K. Hovnanian Homes at our November Home Builder Digital Marketing Summit discussed the importance of fresh website content and staying relevant with the latest technology. One surprising fact that came up is many builders rebuild their website EVERY TWO YEARS! Wow! That is how rapidly styles and technologies change.

Colored Interactive Site Plan with pop up showing home renderings — *Click on the Site Plan to see how engaging it is, integrating with Interactive Floor Plans, Renderings and Hotspots.*

Where will you start with online marketing and website upgrades to open your front door to homebuyers? Perhaps hiring an experienced Online Sales Counselor if you don’t already have one is at the top of the list. Then consider something as simple as a home page refresh to increase functionality and showcase your homes to their fullest. Adding Interactive Floor Plans to engage homebuyers and capture leads from their saved plans is a must. How about taking it to the next level and creating WOW with Visualizers and Virtual Tours? Invest the time today reviewing and considering all the options. Then implement those that make sense. By doing so, you will stay ahead of the competition and lead buyers through the front door to your new homes.

5 Tips for Selecting the Right Digital Marketing Agency for Your Home Building Company

October 2, 2024
By Outhouse Partner

As a successful home builder, you know that the home buyers in today’s world begin their home buying journey online. They are searching for homes and evaluating builders’ new home communities and floor plans via their websites long before they ever decide to make contact with a salesperson and visit a community.

Lady checking out builder website. — An engaging website is critical to new home sales.

You know you need to have a home builder website that generates quality sales leads, and you also want to grow the number of qualified home buyers that visit your site.

You know it would be terrific to have a trusted partner agency to help you navigate the increasing complexities and options that are available in today’s digital marketing toolset. But let’s be honest. You are not an expert in digital marketing techniques and technologies, and you don’t have the time to become one. You are also working with limited marketing resources and can’t afford to waste money on selecting the wrong partner.

We all fear making mistakes, especially when those mistakes will cost us time and money. So how can you move forward with more confidence to find the digital marketing agency that is right for you and will help you sell more homes?

Here are some key questions to consider to help you evaluate a digital marketing agency that you are considering as a partner.

1.) Do they understand the home building industry?

There are a lot of agencies out there that are very good digital marketers but don’t have specific experience in working with home builders. Your local agency down the street may be very good at understanding the nuances of SEO, paid search, email marketing, and more, but do you want to pay them to learn the difference between a floor plan and an elevation, or between a model and an inventory home?

If you are looking for a partner who can help you execute on the tactical level, and will simply take your direction and implement it, then this type of agency may be a good fit for you.

However, if you are not sure what the best steps are to move forward online and you are also looking for strategic advice and guidance and an understanding of what others in the industry are successfully doing, then you will want a digital marketing agency who has not just worked with a few other home builders as clients but is also participating in industry events and sharing ideas on industry best practices.

2.) Can they explain the technical things they do in a way that you can understand and be comfortable with?

Just because digital marketing can be technical in nature, doesn’t mean that you must work with an agency purely on blind trust. It is important that you are comfortable with the direction and tactics that your agency partner is implementing on your behalf. While it is not necessary for them to train you to become a digital marketing expert yourself, they do need to be able to communicate the details of what digital marketing activities they are doing and why they are doing them and do that in such a way that you can understand and be comfortable.

These communication skills will continue to be important well beyond the initial sales discussions when you are deciding whether to work together. While fancy charts and graphs can look pretty and impressive, as the agency reports their progress periodically, ensure they will not just send a canned report but will explain the data and the implications of that report. With every report should come an understandable answer to the question: “Therefore, what’s next?”

3.) Can they describe their process and demonstrate that they understand where to start and how to get you where you want to go?

You feel like your business and the homes you build are unique and special, and they are. But usually, those differences, while important, are a relatively small part of the overall picture of what you do and the homes you sell. This means that an experienced agency is going to be able to see the commonalities between their clients across the services that they offer and define and create their process or framework for successfully serving you.

Having a process to follow does not mean that you will get a cookie-cutter service or that the solutions provided will not be customized to your needs. It does mean that you will get consistency in what they deliver for you and it demonstrates a deeper understanding of how the execution of digital marketing services can help you sell more homes, even when your homes are in a different location or target a different buyer demographic than someone else that the agency has worked with previously.

4.) Does the agency claim to be an expert in everything?

Confidence is great, arrogance is not. It is very challenging in today’s environment for a single agency to be an expert in everything. Be sure to ask where the agency draws the line of which services they will offer for you. For example, at Blue Tangerine, we recognize that we are not experts in helping our clients with their core branding or with logo design, so we have established relationships with several other branding agencies so that we can provide referrals if our clients have a need for those particular services.

5.) Will the agency clearly measure success in a way that you are comfortable with?

When working with your digital marketing agency, it is very easy to lose sight of the ultimate end goal, which is to increase qualified leads so you can sell more homes. This happens because agencies feel, often rightly so, that they don’t have the full control to be held accountable for that result. Instead, they want to focus on metrics like website traffic increases and specific keyword rankings. These are, of course, important metrics that need to be reviewed and will inform the tactical execution of your digital marketing plan and strategy. However, if you double the amount of traffic to your website or your website is now ranking number one for your favorite keyword phrase, and you still do not sell more homes, is that really success?

handshake — Trust between builder and marketing agency is key.

Bonus Tip: Most importantly, are they someone you can trust?

Regardless of how the digital marketing agency you are considering measures up with whatever criteria that you apply, at the end of the day, it’s all about trust. No partnership will ever be successful in the long term if both sides are not able to work together from a position of trust. While trust is something that takes time to develop, here are a few ideas of ways to determine if an agency is trustworthy even before you’ve started working with them:

Do they get back to you in a timely manner, the way they promised to when you filled out the form on their website?
Do they deliver a proposal or quote within the timeframe that they told you they would, or if not, do they keep you up to date with where things stand?
Do they have a demonstrated expertise by working with other home builders?
How do their existing clients feel about working with them?

At Blue Tangerine, we recognize that to be trusted as your digital marketing partner is both an honor and a responsibility. We’d love to earn that trust. If you are ready to start selling more homes, reach out today and let’s talk.

Submitted by

Mila Sorensen, Director of Marketing & Marketing Services
Blue Tangerine.

Blue Tangerine is your website design, development and digital marketing agency all rolled into one – from mobile responsive websites, SEO and PPC to email and social media, we provide full-service solutions to home builders, online retailers, and businesses.