Part of a modern real estate marketing arsenal for professionals requires having an online presence. You will need to have your website equipped with certain tools that will allow you to have a greater impact within your industry. Here are eight of the most important elements:
Website Should Have A Responsive Design
Every day more and more people are using mobile devices to access the internet and those devices now surpass desktop use. If you fail to have a website that is easy to use on tablets and smartphones you will be behind other more up-to-date sites. Because a majority of searchers are using these devices it will be necessary for your website to have a responsive design to allow those users to access your site comfortably from any platform.
Tablets and smartphones use touch technology as well as smaller screens and they have variable connection speeds. Take a look at your site on one of these devices and see if you can view it comfortably and use its functionality as easily as you could on a desktop device. The ability to comfortably use your site regardless of the platform will help it stand out from others.
As well as giving your users a more comfortable experience it will also help in boosting the website’s rankings. For some time now Google has been favoring sites that are mobile-friendly and allow those sites to reach higher rankings than those that are not mobile friendly.
Develop A Lead Capture Program
It is no longer enough to just simply get visitors to your site and have them clicking on links according to David Sessford of Ready Steady Sell. To truly get the most benefit from an online presence you will need to have an effective way of capturing leads that have the ability to become new customers. It is important to make a connection with your visitors before they leave your website. You can do this by encouraging them to give you their contact information by having a call to action on the site.
You will want to do more than just use catchy phrases. To be effective you should make your calls-to-action more subtle. You can do this by highlighting the benefits your visitors will receive for subscribing and these can include getting listing updates on a timely schedule. You can grab their attention by strategically laying out your website with graphics that lead the visitor to the contact form.
To give them more benefits you should offer a special report or an ebook that covers a topic they’re likely to be interested in and you might even offer them access to exclusive listings. You will want to make sure that the site is laid out so that it gives the visitor several chances to either reach out to you or to leave you their contact information. Your information should be easily seen on every page of the site and you should include links to social media accounts which can further extend your access and the opportunity to engage your potential customers in a conversation.
Include Featured Listings
It takes a lot of effort and time to look for the best homes especially when a buyer is looking at neighborhoods they are unfamiliar with. You can make the process more fun for your users by posting special or exclusive deals and by making recommendations on a dedicated page of your site. If you specialize in a certain type of property then this is another opportunity for you to highlight those.
You may want to showcase the most luxurious estates in the area. There may be a new community that’s currently under construction that you might want to highlight. If you specialize in properties with large acreage then you can list those. You can even create pages that spotlight a special listing. On those pages, you can create customized layouts that give the viewer a quick and easy way to get all the necessary information. Your potential customers will find your website informative, useful, and fun and this will make you stand out as a professional.
Search Tools Are Necessary
When a visitor lands on your site they are there to look for what they think of as the perfect home to buy or they may be looking for opportunities to sell. This is why it will be necessary to have good search tools as the visitors will find these to be indispensable. Some of your visitors will be very inexperienced while others will be quite savvy and that’s why it’s necessary to have these types of tools.
Having a variety of tools for your visitors to use will add great appeal to the site and will increase your chances of gaining potential customers. Here we will take a look at some of the search tool styles you might consider using.
Toolbars
These are very easy to use and compact and they are the perfect choice for first-time buyers and those that are less familiar with the area. It’s recommended to put these on interior page margins as well as the home screen so that visitors are able to use it regardless of where they are on the website.
Advanced Search Page
When the search parameters are wider it gives a better tool for both sellers and buyers and helps them have a clear idea about what they want.
Interactive Map Search
This tool is visual in nature and will help a homeowner who wants to relocate within an area and it will help buyers who want to move closer to the area for reasons such as school or work.
Have Plenty Of Quality Images
Great images help a website stand out and it is especially necessary for a Realtors website. Writing good copy is certainly important and it is very useful and having other features help keep your visitors engaged but it is the images that will evoke emotions that really capture your potential customer’s imaginations. In the real estate profession, these images will help project ideal living situations and lifestyles that an ordinary listing will often fail to capture.
These images will also help break up the page in a more appealing way. Strategically placing images that are relevant will significantly improve the readability of the content on your site. The use of stock photos and video is very often cost-effective. When it is possible you may also want to invest in more professional videography and images as this will help you to stand out and will often create a more trustworthy site.
When designing your site keep in mind the three click rule. This means that a visitor should be able to find any information on your site with a maximum of 3 clicks. It may sound difficult to accomplish but actually, it’s not as difficult as it might seem. Making the effort to do so will improve the visitor’s experience.
Streamline The Navigational Structure Of Your Website
Begin with having a fixed header that has the main sections of the site always visible. Make your labels descriptive rather than generic. As well as helping the visitor it’s also great for SEO. When possible you should avoid drop-down menus. They are not particularly friendly for users or search engines. You should never exceed 7 items in a menu. Have a large footer at the bottom of the site that gives the customer more access to pages while not distracting them from the content of those pages.
Show Affiliations And Testimonials
Word of mouth is something that should never be underestimated. A glowing review can play a significant role in your real estate business and may be the one thing that helps you stand out above another agent. If possible, you should dedicate an entire page on your site that gives some of your best testimonials. When doing so you should highlight any words that promote your strengths along with some memorable anecdotes.
Try to ask some of your most satisfied clients to make a video testimonial and if possible have them film it at the home you help them get. If you have any special affiliations you should present them on the site and this is especially true when you work with key partners and with the community. When you associate yourself with respected and recognizable companies it helps to boost your credibility and your partners will appreciate it when they see you have acknowledged them on your site.
Provide Useful Resources
Your site should offer more than just property listings. You will want to create a site that serves your customers needs and acts as a one-stop-shop for them. To achieve this you should create a number of informative sections that will help your customers with resources and other local information. Some examples of the kind of information you might provide includes various guides for buyers and sellers.
Because the purchase process of a home is lengthy you should try and give your clients something that will help them while they’re working through the process. Providing a mortgage calculator can help a prospect avoid trying to purchase a home that’s beyond their means. You can also help keep a buyer’s expectations within a reasonable range.
You can even help your clients with a reliable home valuation. This can help them to maximize the returns on a sale. Providing visitors with market reports will be appreciated by investors in savvy property owners that like to keep an eye on such information. When you publish these reports on your site it will keep the visitors coming back again and again.
Lifestyle blogs and guides are always popular. Those who are in the market to buy property enjoy looking at local lifestyle as it helps them imagine being a part of the community. It also is something easy to add to the site and allows you to cover interesting topics. These topics can include notable attractions as well as lifestyle guides and a description of the different neighborhoods.