Thanks to Sellsius Real Estate Blog for this tip.

I really don't like cell phone bills with a lot of extra charges, but sometimes I just have to call 4-1-1.  Which is why I think the launch of GOOG-411 is really cool!  If you need to find a business, dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (or 1-800-466-4411) instead of the standard 411.  Say the city and state and business name or type, and Google will connect you to your selection for free.  No extra charges on your cell phone bill!

Get more information, including a nice little video, at Google's GOOG-411 information page.

A great tool I use whenever I e-mail reporters is SpamCheck.  It's a free service that allows you to paste your e-mail address, subject line and the body of your e-mail into the "SpamCheck Form."  Click "submit" and it will give you a "Total Spam Score" and tips for improving your score and staying out of the junk e-mail folder.

You can use SpamCheck for e-newsletters, market updates, follow up e-mails... any electronic communication with your customers.

It's quick, easy... and did I mention it's free?  I added it to my toolbar in Internet Explorer so it's always front and center on my home page.

Before hitting send on an e-mail to your customers (and reporters!), visit http://www.spamcheck.sitesell.com/ and make sure your message actually makes it into their Inbox.

It's not totally related to what we're talking about (attracting homebuyers and sellers) but I do think it's relevant... eMarketer released a survey on Friday showing that most Internet shoppers seek out user reviews.  They report that nearly nine out of 10 U.S. online buyers surveyed this month read customer reviews at least "some of the time" before making a purchase.  Wow!  That's a lot of people. 

I know I'm one of those people.  I don't do anything without reading reviews first.  Amazon is my first stop for things to buy (they have everything!) and I go to Yelp for service providers and things to do. 

The eMarketer study doesn't extend to service provider reviews but I'm sure the percentage is up there.  So make sure you tap into this growing trend.  Many local search sites, like Yelp, have user reviews built into them.  An article on iMedia Connection's Web site has some great ideas for maximizing your online business listings.  Make sure you read "10 Winning Ways to Optimize Local Search."

Word of mouth has always been important but the growth of the Internet has made it even more important.

P.S. - The eMarketer survey also shows that 64% of consumers want user ratings and reviews on Web sites.  So don't forget to ask your customers for testimonials and post them online.