RISMEDIA, April 19, 2010—During dinner last with my friend Angelique, fellow Syracuse alumni, she took out her cell phone and proceeded to give it the attention normally reserved for me. I couldn’t help but ask, “What do you use your BlackBerry for most?” “Texting,” she replied. Of course! We already know that there are more texts being sent than phone calls being made. “Do you use the mobile web?” I inquired, to which she responded, “Sometimes. I like Google, but after I search, the sites don’t really work right.”
I think we all know exactly what she means. Google has enabled their site for all mobile devices, making it quick and efficient to search for anything you want via your mobile device. They even format list of results for you. The problem comes once you find what you’re looking for and click on the link. Has that company or brand tailored their site for the mobile user?
Today, as the growth of mobile web usage continues to explode, companies are taking the necessary steps to ensure that if a consumer finds them from their mobile device, that consumer can get exactly what they want in a quick and efficient manner. One such company is Platinum Sales Systems, a real estate marketing firm, specializing in turn-key marketing systems for luxury listings.
Platinum believes that in order to secure a luxury listing, the seller’s decision will depend on a multitude of factors. One’s listing presentation, their other listings, their referral source, and often most importantly their marketing materials, website, and overall online marketing strategy. “As a luxury brand aimed at marketing luxury listings, of which the buyers are primarily smart phone users actively using mobile web, we need to ensure our Platinum Home Sites are formatted for all mobile devices,” said CEO Curt Warner, Platinum Sales Systems, Austin, TX (www.PlatinumSalesSystems.com).
A Platinum Home Site is a custom designed, property specific website, which plays a key part in the Platinum System, such as www.7ClunyCourt.com. Platinum’s philosophy is that in order to sell luxury homes faster every home’s story needs to be told. “Since mobile is where people are going to find information now, we need to make sure that those stories translate to their devices,” said Warner.
Furthermore, in order to uncover more high-end clients, the first step is always to be found. Nothing happens until a buyer knows you exist. “We would hate for the all the SEO we do on our sites to go to waste if someone gets there from their mobile device and can’t properly view the info and pictures,” Curt said.
For all these reasons Platinum Sales Systems has decided to take the necessary measures to ensure that a bad experience on a mobile device never happens and all consumers, mobile or otherwise, have a luxurious experience that matches the listings they help market. Moving forward, every Platinum Home Site will be streamlined and formatted for the mobile device. If a mobile consumer goes to a Platinum Home Site, the system will recognize that and send back the appropriate version of site formatted specifically for their device. This allows the property-specific website URL to remain the same so agents need only to promote one destination. In addition, there will be a unique text code for each listing, which Platinum members can use throughout all their marketing, to allow consumers to text in for information and a link that will take them directly to the property-specific website.
Service providers who become early adopters of mobile will realize higher client retention and increased sales volume because their clients will not need to piece together multiple solutions to accomplish the their goal of properly marketing homes. The added value that incorporating a mobile solution provides to Platinum’s customers and their sellers in today’s market makes them truly a complete marketing solution for listings in the luxury market. As more and more companies and brands make a conscious effort to transition their content onto mobile devices, the less we’ll all experience dead-end searches from their mobile device and the better we’ll all be for it.
Seth Kaplan is the president of Mobile Real Estate ID. Contact him directly at Seth@mobilerealestateid.com or, for more information, visit www.mobilerealestateid.com.
