Enrich your Site

When the frame of a house is initially constructed, it is merely a shell. It lacks the features that a buyer would covet and the benefits an owner would experience when living within. The same is true for a realtor’s website.

With 88% of prospects searching online for properties (according to The National Association of Realtors), it’s more than worth it to create the best experience for visitors to your site.

Unfortunately, many in our community just build the shell, little more than a store window for property listings. They fail to capture business if visitors can’t find what they want straight away and there’s nothing else that keeps them on the site.

However, if you take advantage of the potential that value-added content provides, you’re 6 times more likely to turn a prospect into a client. Your site becomes a popular and credible resource, which only enhances your own reputation. Here are a few practical and economic ideas to get you started:

·        Go Beyond The Basics. Aside from photos and detailed information about properties, a recent report, Real Estate In A Digital Age, revealed that prospective buyers are hungry for more:

o   41% stayed on the site if the realtor provided interactive maps.

o   40% benefitted from exploring virtual tours.

o   37% gathered information from neighborhood descriptions featuring key data such as availability of schools, green spaces, ease of travel and access to shopping, entertainment and services.

·        Think Like A Buyer/Seller, Not A Realtor. The majority of realtor websites are more self-serving than they need to be. Visitors are less concerned with agent profiles than they are with information which will quickly help them buy or sell. Instead of lengthy bios, think about adding more about the neighborhoods and communities, and links to specific resources and appropriate services.

·        Boost Your Networking And Cross-referrals. Feature professionals (non-competing) who can really help your visitors:

o   Mortgage and Financial Consultants.

o   Home Dressers and Furnishers.

o   Landscapers.

o   Contractors.

o   Interior Designers.

Look upon this section as an opportunity to negotiate with the other professionals to feature you on their web sites as a favored realtor – at no charge!

·        Contract out. If you have neither the time or inclination, consider using freelancers. Sites such as Upwork, Freelancer and Guru are forums for thousands of experts (writers, site builders, graphic artists, etc.) with in-depth experience and relevant specializations. They’re not expensive, either and, if they’re good, they’re usually fast. For info on the locality, also investigate what Craigslist has to offer in your area – it also has categories for local writers, photographers, etc.

Enriching the content on your site – while retaining the visitor’s perspective – will not only differentiate you from the competition, it will also create more sales and referral opportunities that you’ve missed out on up to this point. Take a few moments now to jot down some ideas on how you can refurbish your site to generate more exposure and business in the upcoming year.

 Enrich Your Site

When the frame of a house is initially constructed, it is merely a shell. It lacks the features that a buyer would covet and the benefits an owner would experience when living within. The same is true for a realtor’s website.

With 88% of prospects searching online for properties (according to The National Association of Realtors), it’s more than worth it to create the best experience for visitors to your site.

Unfortunately, many in our community just build the shell, little more than a store window for property listings. They fail to capture business if visitors can’t find what they want straight away and there’s nothing else that keeps them on the site.

However, if you take advantage of the potential that value-added content provides, you’re 6 times more likely to turn a prospect into a client. Your site becomes a popular and credible resource, which only enhances your own reputation. Here are a few practical and economic ideas to get you started:

·        Go Beyond The Basics. Aside from photos and detailed information about properties, a recent report, Real Estate In A Digital Age, revealed that prospective buyers are hungry for more:

o   41% stayed on the site if the realtor provided interactive maps.

o   40% benefitted from exploring virtual tours.

o   37% gathered information from neighborhood descriptions featuring key data such as availability of schools, green spaces, ease of travel and access to shopping, entertainment and services.

·        Think Like A Buyer/Seller, Not A Realtor. The majority of realtor websites are more self-serving than they need to be. Visitors are less concerned with agent profiles than they are with information which will quickly help them buy or sell. Instead of lengthy bios, think about adding more about the neighborhoods and communities, and links to specific resources and appropriate services.

·        Boost Your Networking And Cross-referrals. Feature professionals (non-competing) who can really help your visitors:

o   Mortgage and Financial Consultants.

o   Home Dressers and Furnishers.

o   Landscapers.

o   Contractors.

o   Interior Designers.

Look upon this section as an opportunity to negotiate with the other professionals to feature you on their web sites as a favored realtor – at no charge!

·        Contract out. If you have neither the time or inclination, consider using freelancers. Sites such as Upwork, Freelancer and Guru are forums for thousands of experts (writers, site builders, graphic artists, etc.) with in-depth experience and relevant specializations. They’re not expensive, either and, if they’re good, they’re usually fast. For info on the locality, also investigate what Craigslist has to offer in your area – it also has categories for local writers, photographers, etc.

Enriching the content on your site – while retaining the visitor’s perspective – will not only differentiate you from the competition, it will also create more sales and referral opportunities that you’ve missed out on up to this point. Take a few moments now to jot down some ideas on how you can refurbish your site to generate more exposure and business in the upcoming year.

Author:
Cindy Bishop is the CEO and founder of Cindy Bishop Worldwide, LLC; a real estate education, coaching and consulting practice focused on transforming individuals, brokerages and leadership teams to achieve superior strategic business outcomes. Cindy brings extensive business development experience from her corporate and real estate career to guide her clients through educational processes to maximize their potential from start-up, survival, turnaround and growth modes.