eCommerce 101: When 94% of your audience is looking for a tool, make sure that tool is the first thing they see and that it kicks butt. Leading with a strong search function works: CENTURY 21 Access America's old, average IDX Web site had a visitor repeat rate of 4% and the average time on that site was 4 minutes. For May 2008, their Foyer IDX site has a 35% visitor repeat rate and the average time on site is over 12 minutes.

Try this : Pick a listing in your area that features something that you think is really cool, the kind of thing that tips the balance for one listing over another. Think "HDTV": How about "stone fireplace" or "'beach access", or "hot tub with a mountain view"? Or maybe you drove by a yard sign and know what street you were on and what town you were in. It's plausible...

Now, armed with nothing else, go to Realtor.com, or your Web site, and find the listings in your area that meet those criteria...and do it in three clicks.

OK, now click one of the links two paragraphs up and we will put you there in one click.

Thank you, Google, for selling your big yellow juice box.

Read Google's Case study on how MainRhode uses Google Search and Mapping technologies (PDF)>>

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