How To Draft A Welcome Email That Actually Gets Read

Posted on January 4, 2012

When a site visitor subscribes to your dsSearchAgent mapping IDX, they get a custom welcome email. This is an opportunity for you to confirm their registration, and make a good first impression with your new contact.

All IDX registration emails are fully customizable which means you can add your contact information, logo and/or full HTML editing for advanced branding purposes. But, it’s also best not to get too carried away… Sometimes, simpler is better.

Here’s a great example of a welcome email from Real Estate Agent Jay Thompson: (republished with permission of course)

Thank you for registering on our Phoenix Area Home Search!

We promise not to bug you about buying or selling a home. But if you have ANY questions — about homes you see, how to use the search system, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We are here to help whenever you’re ready.

You may be contacted by a Thompson’s Realty agent shortly after registering. This is not to “hard sell” you on buying or listing a home. That’s not how we roll. We just want you to have an agent to help you if you need it.

Regards,

[Contact Info Here]

To unsubscribe from these emails, click here.

Friendly and straight to the point. Don’t you think?

Elements of an Effective Welcome Email:

  • Welcome and thank your new registrant. Confirm their registration to your new IDX. Let them know that you’re there to help answer any questions that they might have (now or later) about how to use the IDX tool, or questions about any specific properties. Be brief, but be welcoming.
  • Let them know what to do next. Kind of like saying “now that you’ve registered, here’s what you can do…” You’re simply restating the value behind what they can do with their new home search tool. This is an effective way to remind them and encourage them to actually use the IDX.
  • Let them know what they can expect moving forward. “You might be contacted by an Agent, but only to see how/if we can help…” This sets the tone for what happens next. It’s a very subtle, but effective way to guide the conversation forward.

How do you do it?

Are you using a custom welcome email that gets sent out to new IDX registrants on your site? What do you say? Is it long and detailed, or short and simple?

The comments are yours…