Name of your website?The Maui Real Estate Blog
Your name?
Pete Jalbert
Your Location (city, etc)
Paia, Maui, Hawaii
When did you start your website and why?
We started our blog on January 1, 2005 as an extension of our existing website [404 Check: was link to http:/ / www. Mauirealesate. com, anchor: Maui Real Estate] . It was another medium to keep current and potential clients up to date on a dynamic market. It also gave as an opportunity to give some insight into Maui lifestyle. Moving to the most secluded island chain in the world can be intimidating. It helps to know a little bit more about different aspects of the community and culture.
Please give us a short summary of your website, business model, etc
The web has put a tremendous amount of information at the average person's finger tips. We wanted to create a truly comprehensive resource for people interested in purchasing property on Maui. We try to keep our clients as well informed as possible within an overall model of under commiting and over delivering.
What has been the most difficult part of creating and running your website?
It was easy to find time to build content on our website when it first started. As its popularity grew and our customer base grows, it becomes harder to find time to grow the site.
What has been the easist part of operating your website?
Finding things to write about. The nature of Maui, its events, natural beauty and a dynamic real estate market keep us busy.
What was your biggest mistake?
Not starting the blog sooner.
Who maintains your website and why?
We do a lot of the work ourself, but we also work with a web marketing company that handles more technical issues and has been a great source of marketing ideas and tips.
Tell us how your business has benefitted from your website?
We get a lot of repeat visits to view our blog on a daily basis and the varied topics we cover have cast a broad net for potential clients.
What are your views on ecommerce and the future of the internet?
It will only continue to grow.
What are your views on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
I think those that work towards creating a content rich website will ultimately be rewarded. I think linking has been and continues to be manipulated too much particularly in the real estate industry. There are still a number of sites that do well with less quality content and more links to other realtors. i have been reticent to follow the linking path with other realtors as a link is in many ways an implicit endorsement. I want to know more about someone's business practice and quality of service before exchanging links. It will be interesting as multimedia search grows.
What are your views on Search Engines? Have they helped or hindered your website?
For a long time, search engines were a source of frustration particularly for our primary domain mauirealestate.com. It took a long time to get out of the sandbox despite a content rich site. We bought our domain late in the process and I have a feeling it may have been used in a way that put a stigma on the site. Once we got past that hurdle, our site has flourished with recognition for a variety of subjects. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future with universal search. We will need to adapt and offer other media sources to our site.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Word of mouth, brand recognition and quality and depth of content.
What method has been least successful for promoting your website?
A lot of directories just do not drive traffic.
What would you like to see change with respect to the internet?
No paid results above organic results. I am sure Google stock holders might disagree. : )
What is your website address?
The Maui Real Estate Blog
