Tag Archives: Cross river NY Luxury Homes for Sale

Are You Defining Your Niche Properly? | Cross River Realtor

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When I started my blog, I made the mistake of not defining my niche well enough.

In fact, I defined it with one word: “coding.”

Defining the niche my blog targeted with one word was never going to be enough. Perhaps for the pioneers of the internet it was okay, but in this day and age, with millions of websites in the competition, you need more than a one-word topic name for a niche.

I can’t emphasize how important it is to define your niche. You need to be able to know the focus of your blog inside out, what makes it so great and how it’s different from every other blog. A one word simply isn’t enough.

I didn’t know this when starting my blog. But when it did dawn on me, I knew I needed to change. I overhauled my About page, I changed my tagline, and I generally wasted a lot of time deciding on what the heck my site was about.

Luckily for me, the site was still new and unknown, and I doubt a single person noticed my change of focus, but this was time I could have spent building great content and promoting my blog.

I hope that you can learn from my mistakes. So here are the main things you need to think about when defining your niche.

Choose an audience, not a topic

This was the first mistake I made. When you decided what your blog was going to be about, did you choose a topic like business, blogging, or photography? Or in my case, coding?

I did. And it wasn’t long before I realized it wasn’t going to work. Coding is a hugely broad topic, and I had no idea who I was writing for. Beginners? Experienced coders? What kind of coding were they interested in? What needs did they have that I could address?

I didn’t even know my own blog! My blog posts were lacking purpose. They weren’t targeting anyone, they weren’t addressing any needs. No wonder no one was reading them!

Think of all the successful blogs you know. ProBlogger, Digital Photography School, Zen Habits. They don’t just blog about a topic, they’re aimed at a specific audience.

Coding was a weak topic. But those who are learning to write code and want to apply their skills to real projects—now that’s a very clearly defined audience.

Lessons

  • Don’t write about something, write for someone.
  • Know the focus of your blog, inside out.
  • With every blog post you write, ask yourself: what’s the purpose of this blog post and how does it address my audience’s needs?

Differentiate your blog from every other

When I was deciding on my clearly defined audience, there was one big thing I had in mind. How was my blog going to be different from all the rest?

If you’re blogging about blogging, you’re competing with ProBlogger. If you’re blogging about photography, you’re competing with Digital Photography School. If you’re blogging about coding like I am, you’re competing with Tuts+ and SitePoint.

How do you expect to stand out from the pack? You simply don’t stand a chance. Unless you differentiate your blog.

Here’s a little exercise Derek Halpern taught me. Identify the top ten blogs in your niche and for each one, explain how it is unique from all the others. Now decide how your blog can fit in amongst that top ten, with its own unique spin.

In my case, I decided that my blog was going to be focused on coding in the “real world”—guiding people along their learn to code journey, while also helping them apply their skills to real projects.

Lessons

  • Identify how your blog is different from all the others in your niche and how it can compete.
  • Ideally, choose a unique spin that no other blog shares.

Where do you want your blog to be in a year?

Knowing how you want your blog to grow is something that’s extremely helpful for defining your niche. It’s not as important as the previous two points, but it really does help.

Think about what kind of things you’ll be selling, what components there will be on your website, even how you want your site to look and be designed.

For me, I decided that in a year’s time I wanted to be selling WordPress themes and plugins on my website. So, to prepare for this, I now have a WordPress category in my blog which I add to regularly.

I also know that I want my website to be known as a supportive community for coders. Just knowing this gives me a better idea of what kind of content to add to my blog today.

Lessons

  • Have an idea in your head of what your blog will be when it’s fully mature.
  • Think about how it will make money, what it will be known for, and how it will look.
  • Use this insight to gain a better idea of what to focus your blog on today.

Strengthen your blog’s foundation

It doesn’t matter whether your blog is already established or not. Websites are dynamic—you can change them at any time. So take this advice: laser define your niche and strengthen your blog’s foundation.

What niche does your blog focus on? Tell us in the comments—and no one-word answers please!

via problogger.net

Housing starts rise to highest level in 4 years | Cross River Real Estate

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U.S. housing starts in October were up 3.6 percent from September and 41.9 percent from October a year ago to reach heights they haven’t seen since 2008, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Builders started construction on new homes and apartment units during October at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000, up from a downwardly revised rate of 863,000 in September and last year’s rate of 630,000, the Census Bureau said.

Single-family housing starts dropped 0.2 percent from September to October, to a seasonally adjusted rate of 594,000, which represented a 35.3 percent increase from last October and a 68.3 percent jump from a March 2009 bottom of 353,000.

Single-family housing starts are not rising as they often do coming out of a downturn, wrote Bill McBride, author of the blog, Calculated Risk. “Usually single-family starts bounce back quickly after a recession, but not this time because of the large overhang of existing housing units.”

Housing Starts

YearTotalChangeSingle-familyChange
20052,068.3—1,715.8—
20061,800.9-12.9%1,465.4-14.6%
20071,355.0-24.8%1,046.0-28.6%
2008905.5-33.2%622.0-40.5%
2009554.0-38.8%445.1-28.4%
2010586.95.9%471.25.9%
2011608.83.7%430.6-8.6%
2012*770.026%530.023%

*Estimated. Source: Calculated Risk

Housing starts have been rising on an annual basis every month since September 2011 and are up 87 percent from their April 2009 bottom of 478,000, according to census records dating back to January 1959.

Builder confidence is up again, for the seventh month in a row in October, reaching its highest level since May 2006, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported this week.

NAHB attributes the growing confidence to a rise in buyer demand. “In view of the tightening supply and other improving conditions, many potential buyers who were on the fence are now motivated to move forward with a purchase in order to take advantage of today’s favorable prices and interest rates,” said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg.

More builders still think the market is poor than those who think it’s good, however, noted NAHB. Tight lending conditions and “difficult” appraisals are “limiting factors for the burgeoning housing recovery, along with shortages of buildable lots that have begun popping up in certain markets,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.

All regions saw strong, double-digit-percentage, year-over-year jumps in housing starts, the Census Bureau showed, however, the Northeast and South saw a decline in housing starts for the month.

On a yearly basis, the Northeast led the way with a 42.2 percent jump from last October to an annual rate of 72,000, followed by the West with a 41.5 percent increase to a rate of 232,000, the South with a 22.6 percent increase to 431,000 and the Midwest with a 13.8 percent increase to 159,000.

For October, the West led the way with a 17.2 percent increase in housing starts from September. The Midwest followed with an 8.9 percent bump in housing starts for the month. And the Northeast and South’s annual rates dropped 6.5 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.

via inman.com

Touch me, feel me? | Cross River NY Real Estate

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You obsess on product, tweaking it to perfection.

You slave over your service, honing it to deliver a razor-sharp slice of delight.

You market your goods, crafting the most inviting offer.

You think you’ve nailed the customer experience.

Not so fast, Timmy.

No nutritional value

Jeff Smisek, United Airlines’ CEO, spoke at me from the screen. He labored on about the improvements his airline is undertaking just for me.

It was all talk.

Gate 16 had one electrical outlet — a droplet for the dozens of thirsty travelers in need of juice. Boarding was painfully slow. The cabin reeked of locker room sweat and mildew.

The onboard service ran out of real food by the time they reached my row. I was offered Pringles. I passed. They had the same nutritional value as the scuzz caked onto my seat.

The week prior I was on a Virgin flight. It was heaven. This week, I was in hell.

Virgin created heaven by attending to the simple things. Things they know turn us on. Things attainable by United — or any airline — if they reached high enough.

Brand vibes

Ever walk into a place and it just feels wrong? Think Rite Aid. Radio Shack. Payless Shoes. Toys R Us. Denny’s.

Each of these establishments offers the things you’ve entered to acquire. Yet something about the vibe is off. The way things are laid out or designed or the aura the store projects just doesn’t play to your sensibilities. Or to your desire to feel special as their customer.

Instead, you feel like a number. Part of a faceless herd.

Ever go somewhere you never wanted to leave? We all have. These are the places that attend to those little things that make us feel special. The details add up.

For example:

Whole Foods. You shop for more than food at this grocery store. You go to rediscover sustenance. Meet new brands. Local purveyors. Secure the finest ingredients. You leave with items that were never on your list.

Car2Go. It’s transportation, environmental commitment and personal convenience. Avis tried harder for 66 years. Car2Go is trying a lot harder. And they’re winning loyal fans wherever they go. They’ve simplified process and price and made it easy to be environmentally responsible. That feels good.

Four Seasons. Enter the front door. Serenity. Their service bar is high. And it’s consistent. You expect to feel good during your stay, and you leave happy.

Virgin. Their presence is an oasis in the middle of a harsh airport desert. Calm. Convenient. Designed for modern life. People wait at their gates to pass the time until their United flights board. Soaking up the good vibe.

We respond to the simple things these brands do. Time and time again.

Love your customer

Everyone wants unabashed loyalty from their customers. To get that, you’ve got love them in lots of little ways.

Some examples come to mind immediately:

Voice mail. You have an ambiguous, sterile or long message with endless menu options. Fix that. People call you because they want to speak to a person and get information. Make it easy. Personable. And to the point. No one wants to call a menu system so remove it if you can. A friendly, helpful voice that greets people every time and provides them the information or the direct line they need right away is a small thing that goes a long way to getting them to call you again.

Website. Busy websites stress visitors. The more choices, options, images and elements you place on a page, the more likely it is users will bounce or get frustrated trying to find the thing they came to the site for. I know about the pressure you’re under to place everything on the home page. Resist it. The simpler, cleaner and more user-focused the site its, the more of a calm, engaging and clear vibe it gives off. You can scream at the user, or whisper gently. Choose wisely.

Office space. Brokers: Spend a few grand sprucing up your office. Pop a coat of fresh color on the wall. Here’s another idea: Design some of your retail space like rooms in a home. A den. A Finished basement. A bedroom. A man cave. This could be a cool, feel-good environment for agents to meet with clients. Especially if these rooms are staged beautifully. Maybe a local furniture store or decorator could curate and design in exchange for free advertising. Make them want to come for a visit.

Aftercare. None of us do enough to service people post-sale. Asking customers for referrals or sending them holiday cards is OK. That’s touching them. But in a creepy sort of way. People yearn for something more meaningful than a touch. They yearn for value. Relevance. Starbucks sends me a coupon for a free drink on my birthday. That matters more to me than a Hallmark card. Conjure up something more meaningful than a turn your clock back this Sunday reminder. There are a million ideas here — too many for me to list.

Fun. Enjoyment. Happiness.

At Ikea, a color-coded path eases the ordeal of navigating thousands of products. Creatively orienting their goods inspires shoppers. Ikea makes shopping fun, which makes their customers feel good in the process. It’s the simple, singular difference between them and every other furniture manufacturer.

You will return.

Fun baked into functionality. Enjoyment at the beginning of the experience. Happiness when it concludes.

Here’s the thing to consider: The average customer in real estate doesn’t experience fun during the process. It’s clear why. Real estate is stressful. But so is flying and buying furniture — and Virgin and Ikea have taken aim right at that stress, resulting in amazing customer experiences.

While you ultimately can’t extract all the stress from the real estate transaction, you can address the simple things around it that determine how that stress is felt.

You feel me?

via inman.com

The Fiscal Cliff’s Threat to National Security | Cross River Homes

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Both candidates for president of the United States are clearly mindful of the potential for a razor-close election next week. Mitt Romney has been talking more about his bipartisan credentials as governor of Massachusetts while President Barack Obama, out of the blue, said the automatic spending cuts set to take effect early next year “will not happen.”

This is contrary to many clear public statements from the president over the past year. Obama has repeatedly vowed to veto any legislation that would repeal the spending cuts if the deal does not include tax hikes on the wealthy.

But the president recently doubled down on his statement from the foreign policy presidential debate after his advisers tried to walk it back. Obama told the Des Moines Register, “I am absolutely confident that we can get what is the equivalent of the grand bargain…which is $2.50 worth of cuts for every dollar in spending, and work to reduce the cost of health programs.”

[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.]

Many in Washington, including Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio, had long ago written off the likelihood of any sort of major deal. But there have been groups of policymakers meeting to craft the outlines of any-sized bargain to avert the impending fiscal cliff. In the Senate, a bipartisan group of eight senators led by Republican Lamar Alexander of Texas and Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado has been talking about potential frameworks for a deal targeting up to $4 trillion in debt reduction over the next decade.

One popular point of departure has been the Bowles-Simpson report, recently touted by Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Chris Van Hollen Maryland and Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona. One of the key tenets of their plan is a tax reform program that would lower rates while closing loopholes, thereby generating new revenues from the top income brackets while stimulating economic growth.

Despite this momentum for a deal, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, recently rejected this approach. He instead has called for tax rates upon the top two income brackets to be frozen in place after the Bush tax cuts expire at the end of the year. This approach—coupled with his plan to increase capital gains taxes—is likely to be unwelcome among Republicans.

[See a collection of political cartoons on Congress.]

If Schumer’s position is the default Democratic starting point in negotiations, prospects for a deal look bleak. Speaker Boehner is not optimistic, recently calling a lame-duck grand bargain “difficult” and “probably not appropriate” given the large amount of retiring members who would have a disproportionate sway on the future of the country.

All of this signals that any solution to the fiscal cliff would be complicated. Congress has been dealing with the same set of problems since the near-government shutdown in the spring of 2011. The reality is that even if Congress were to pull off a miracle deal, the military is still largely on the hook for more spending cuts. As Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin has proposed, defense dollars will surely contribute yet again to any new compromise.

[See a collection of political cartoons on defense spending.]

What would prolong the damage is a messy muddle through the fiscal cliff, not fully addressing it or not going forward with it. If Congress, say, tries to buy Washington extra time to negotiate a bigger deal, the economy will linger under uncertainty and consumers and business will continue to show they lack confidence. Punting on the fiscal cliff only defers problems. It does not address the fundamentals of the size, role, and scope of federal spending and debt accumulation.

Worse yet is the possibility that elected officials could choose to deliberately go over the fiscal cliff and then try to patch up the damage after the fact. This would be especially problematic for the defense budget as those in uniform; defense civilians; and shipbuilding, aerospace, and defense manufacturers would all be affected; costs for programs would rise anyway and not save any money; and some projects deferred would become projects canceled regardless of action taken later.

A common denominator in all these scenarios is that averting the fiscal cliff does not mean that things would automatically improve. The only silver bullet remains a comprehensive debt reduction deal.

via usnews.com