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Ever wonder why so few real estate websites even come close to reaching their potential for generating new business? It's not for lack of site traffic. There are many agents who have all kinds of traffic but no new business to show for it. The answer lies in the fact that most sites are not built according to proven best practice standards. Which means other than looking good and having lots of generic information, most agent sites miss the mark in terms of truly engaging with the online consumer. Here are five best practices that if incorporated into your website will make a huge difference in its ability to capture your visitors' attention and generate considerably more profit for you. 1. Target Your Audience Targeting your website for a specific niche market is the most powerful thing you can do to make your website truly effective as a lead generation tool. The vast majority of realtors make the mistake of using generic websites that try to "speak to everyone" which results in engaging no one. Your site must be able to answer the question: "What's in it for me?" from the perspective of a specific target market, otherwise your visitors will simply ignore it. Targeting is so important that without it, the following four best practices will have little impact on improving your site's ability to generate business. With it however, these next standards will make it that much more powerful. 2. Web Copy That "Speaks" To Your Visitors Effective web copy starts with headlines that grab your visitor's attention, otherwise they are not likely to read much of your other copy. Most real estate websites incorporate no headlines at all -- and that is a huge lost opportunity. Your headlines need to be crafted in such a way that they reflect the "emotional profile" of your target market. For example, headlines designed for first time buyers are very strongly worded and typically tap into the fear and excitement of buying their first home. Headlines written for the sophisticated luxury buyer or seller on the other hand are much more subtle and refined, often stroking the ego of this particular market segment. Also, the body of your web copy should create a one-on-one conversation between you and your visitor. They should feel that you are speaking with just them, as if you are sitting right next to each other. Most real estate websites are written in either first person ("I", "me", etc.) or third person (i.e. about you, as if you were a celebrity). If you really want to connect with your visitors, have your copy written in second person, where there are lots of "you", "your", "yours". This may seem like a minor point; however from the perspective of your web visitors it makes all the difference in the world. 3. Keep Your Site Internet Empowered Consumer (IEC) Friendly If you are not careful, your site could end up driving visitors away rather than engage them. Here are some standards of web design to help make sure your web visitors feel welcome and safe: Privacy Policy: Having a privacy policy can go a long way to making your visitors feel safe on your site. Don't Require Visitors To Reveal Who They Are: If you have forms on your site make sure that they let the visitor know that they are not required to fill everything out. Consumers use the Internet because it affords them a sense of anonymity. Take that away by insisting they complete all the fields (especially the contact information ones) and you will likely drive many of them away. Human nature is really interesting. Tell people they have to do something and you will find a load of resistance. Reassure them they don't and they probably will just because they like your friendly approach. Have Your Forms Give Instant Feedback: When a visitor completes a form, have your site instantly show a confirmation or "Thank You" page. This adds to the perception that you "heard" their request, thus feeling more connected. Your site can also fire off a confirmation email as well, however it is important that they see immediate feedback. 4. Keep Your Site Navigation Simple We all know that a confused mind says "NO!" That being the case, many real estate websites are hearing a lot of "no’s" because their home pages are offering way too many options. At most you want your site's main navigation menu to offer no more than seven choices. Within each of these main menu options you can have submenus, just don't go overboard with those either. Also, avoid having your visitors work too hard to find what they want. Ideally, all your content should be within three clicks reach from the home page. 5. Visitor-Friendly Look and Feel Make sure the look and feel of your web design is consistent throughout the site. It should also be appropriate for your target market. For example, less sophisticated target markets can have a more light-hearted design approach. More sophisticated ones require a more refined and stylish look. Ideally, have your site located to show up in the center of the browser window and designed to fit for monitors set at 1024 x 768 pixel resolution or greater. Lastly, make sure your web designer has your site conform to W3C standards and use appropriate Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to globally control the look and feel of your site. Realty Times. “5 Best Practices for a Profitable Real Estate Website.” Michael Russer. 28 Sep. 2009 [http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20080130_profitweb.htm].
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