Poor Focus can really equal Online Failure for Realtors
Some of you may already be on the top of the search engine results …
… but wondering why you are not capturing leads from your site; here are 5 reasons you may be failing online. Being on the top of search results does not guarantee you will get quality leads.
1. Your site may be optimized for the wrong targets
To be honest I am not sure why this is so common amongst Realtors, but it is.
It happens because the majority of all real estate professionals have chosen to use templated websites with generic content. Another factor is that others design and optimize their sites for that coveted area of town they want to work, and not for where they are or have a good expectation of making a living.
Let me give you an example: say the agent lives and works in downtown San Diego, but his/her site is on the top of the search engines for the super high end luxurious Rancho Santa Fe Estates. Buyers looking for these large Rancho Santa Fe Estates want to work with a Realtor who is an expert in the area; someone who lives and works in the area. Someone who knows the who’s who of Rancho Santa Fe.
So when they do their homework and realize that the agent lives & works in downtown SD, isn’t a member of any Rancho Santa Fe associations and hasn’t done any business in the area the client moves onto another Realtor site.
Why? Because people want to do business with an expert on the area they are looking to buy or sell. It really is that simple!
Another variation on this problem is when agents try to be the expert on all areas. Some agents claim to be the expert on their entire city, really? Are you really knowledgeable with every home and neighborhood within a 50+ mile radius? I doubt it!
We’ve said it several times on this site, you really need to focus on at least one niche(possibly several using multiple sites). Stick to what you know.
Don’t design your site to be something you are not!
2. Your site may not tell visitors they have arrived in the right place to find what they are looking for.
This is so simple, yet so many people miss the target here also. I doubt I need to do this, but let me give you an example of how this works. Let’s say the buyer goes to Google and types in "Rancho Santa Fe Estates for sale" and then clicks on the a top link that has a meta description that says "Rancho Santa Fe Estates". The buyer is expecting to see info on estates in that specific area, NOT homes in other neighborhoods.
Think about it – put yourself in the buyers shoes. The buyer wants to land on a page that says something like "Explore the finest estates in Rancho Santa Fe right here". Most people spend less than 3 seconds on a page before deciding to stay or click away.
3. Your site has a weak call to action or no call to action at all
Does the consumer know what you want them to do? Don’t follow the herd by forcing your visitors to complete some stupid form to look at properties. Buyers want to look at as many pictures as they can so let them. You have to let go of your desire to control the information, they will get it from your competitor if you don’t give them the info they want. Create loyalty.
Give consumers a reason to give you their contact information: offer them a Special Report, a local area guide, something of value. This should be done on your home and MLS search pages and should be clearly identified to grab the prospects attention.
You should have a client capture form on all pages of your site also, these can be less intrusive, but easily found. There is nothing worse than wasting time trying to figure out to find contact info or how to submit a request to the site owner.
Believe it or not one of the best client capture strategies is to encourage phone calls – so make sure your number is clearly visable on your site. I would rather have just one phone call rather that 20 email leads!
4. You have poor follow up with site visitors
What is your follow up system? Do you have a system that is or can be automated?
It is crazy to spend time & money building a site to generate potential clients only to drop the ball when it comes to follow up. Countless surveys done confirm that consumers expect immediate response to their online inquiries. Not tomorrow or the next day, immediately!
One of the best ways to handle this immediate response is with auto-responders, NOT those generic drip campaigns your old real estate template site came with. Custom auto-responder emails that you have written in response to your prospects question.
5. Your site is too cluttered & confusing
Is your real estate site a one stop shop all mess – everything to everybody? There are some really terrible sites out there, jammed with every link imaginable and no identifable focus. This strategy works for places like Walmart, but not so much for local real estate. Consumers are convenience driven and and don’t want to waste time clicking around your site to find what they want.
Your site doesn’t necessarily need to be pretty, but the site navigation must be intuitive and search engine friendly. Consumers want to see property pictures and video’s that highlight the features and benefits of the home and community.
Focus your site on providing specific info to the consumer looking for property in your niche target and you will see far more results than you ever did with your cluttered and confusing template site.
If you haven’t already, you really must set up a wordpress blog immediately, because blogs encourage you to post new content frequently you are forced to stay focused on providing content that your prospects are interested in.
This is critically important that you get this, stay focused on your future clients, NOT on yourself.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks for the article, I know I am guilty of several of these items. I am sure most agents are. We just want to provide the most valuable information as possible, but it can be tough to get it organized.