Name of your website?Your Niagara Home
Your name?
Randy Mulder
Your Location (city, etc)
St. Catharines
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Information and services related to real estate and properties for sale in Ontario's Niagara Region. Includes the search for property, the purchase of property and the marketing of property. I am a registered Ontario Realtor working with RE/MAX in Niagara.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I wanted the best possible place to expose myself and my listings, in order to provide outstanding customer service to my clients, and encourage people all over the world to discover, explore and live in the beautiful Niagara Region of Ontario Canada.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
Five or six years ago - it was a site for my wife's short-lived but fun-filled wholesale book business, called Pam's Books Online, and specialized in books for video stores, garden centers, and flower shops.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Looking to promote the Niagara area, I chose the name "Your Niagara Home" because it was both welcoming and inviting, while straight forwardly proclaiming what I hope you are inquiring about or interested in - a home to call your own in Niagara.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
Clean, user-friendly, and not filled with all kinds of hype about how supposedly great I am. Just direct links to provide homes to look at, services required, or contact names numbers and addresses. Search for a home in Niagara from the first page, without having to navigate through a tangled web-site.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I hope for a long career in real estate, promoting Niagara, and assisting clients in making excellent decisions, and to live in homes they love.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Without time, investment, and energy, I would soon be out of the real estate profession. It takes commitment. Pure and simple.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would have a ton more promotional information on the Niagara Region as a whole, and provide daily or hourly community updates on happenings in Niagara, hoping to become, truly, "your Niagara home".
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, with help from co-workers and family. I have a super support group, including my wife and four children. Bring it on!
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Professional fees never seem to stop, but they weren't entirely unexpected. I actually was well versed in what to expect, so that when the expenses started to pile up, I was well prepared.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Making sure to balance my family and church life with my professional life. With no balance, you are on the road to burnout... quickly.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Word of mouth and referral. If you do things well, then people will recommend you to family and friends.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Pretty much what I expected. Interesting, fun, challenging, and time-consuming. Plus very rewarding.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
Since May 1,2008, and I'll run it until I retire.
What is your passion in life?
Threefold answer: first, to bring praise and glory to God; second to provide a good life for my family; and third, to be a good neighbor to those around me, near and far.
What is your website address?
Your Niagara Home
