You can create a single site that aims to build your brand, distribute listing information, and generate leads, but the most successful sites are targeted to specific audiences and interests, as described in the upcoming sections.
Brand-building sites
The aim of brand-building sites is to enhance your credibility and stature in the marketplace. They feature information about your success in the business by showing the number of units you’ve sold, the number of years of experience you have, the designations you’ve achieved, and the awards you’ve received. They also feature testimonials from past clients who have worked with you.
Information-distribution sites
Information-distribution sites present information about neighborhoods, schools, housing areas, and specific properties. Consumers visit information distribution sites to find out about the houses for sale in their area. For that reason, the sites need to include search functions that are easy for consumers to use. To increase your success, information-distribution sites should also include at least a minimal level of lead-harvesting ability. As an agent, you want to be able to get your prospects’ contact information so that you can provide service follow-up.
When it comes to the topic of lead generating and lead harvesting, agents split into two schools of thought. Some advocate setting a low barrier of entry to an information-distribution site — which means a user has to input only a little information before entering the site. Setting a low barrier of entry encourages the greatest number of people possible to enter the site. On the other hand, some agents prefer to set the entry bar higher, requiring a greater amount of information, including name, address, and phone number, so that the prospects who gain access to information also enter the agent’s prospect information base.
I personally prefer the higher barrier of entry approach. Opponents to this approach are right that it delivers fewer leads, but the leads you gather are of higher quality. Plus, you’ll collect complete prospect information, enabling you to stream site visitors into your usual sales channel. By requiring your site visitor’s name and phone number, you’ll gather the information you need to follow-up with a phone call and seek an appointment. The alternative is to obtain only an e-mail address. However, building connection, urgency, and a call to action in the text of an e-mail is much more difficult than it is through a personal phone call.
Lead-generation sites
Lead-generation sites attract prospects through links, banner ads, and offers of free reports and articles that appear on other Web sites. If you’re a newer agent with limited cash resources, or if you lack polished technological skills, build your lead-generation site using an existing site template instead of trying to design and create a custom-designed site. Most templates include areas for your personalized copy and content and opportunities to customize the look so your site won’t look like a carbon copy of another agent’s.
Attributes of a good site
- One site attribute overshadows all others: accessibility. Your site must be easy to use. Many agents mistakenly create sites that are pretty but not user-friendly.
- Before you commit to a site template or design, make sure it can achieve the following standards:
- The information is clearly presented and well-organized so that visitors can quickly find and get to site sections and content.
- The site loads sickly. No one wants to wait 30 seconds for a site to load. Your site should load within a few seconds.
- The site is easy to navigate so that users can move from section to section without confusion.
- The site gives you the opportunity to categorize prospects into buyer and seller groups, and possibly by price point as well. After your site is online, you want to quickly lead users to the information they seek, and you want to know the nature of the visitor you’re serving.
The focus of the site is on the properties you offer. Online real estate shoppers are looking for homes, and your site needs to give them what they want or they’ll bail out in a matter of seconds. Anything that takes the focus away from the properties is a costly distraction. To enhance user responses, consider making an offer of value, perhaps in the form free reports for buyers and sellers.
