RISMEDIA, August 19, 2010—With the constant evolution of technology, there’s a real need to keep your online presence current and relevant. From content to cutting-edge buttons and widgets, the improvements are endless. However, I believe that if you start with a few, important strategies for improving your website, they will bring you maximum results.
Here are five ways to get the most from your website:
Step 1: Imagine this: placing open house signs at every major intersection to direct home buyers to the location of a home you have listed. Links and main navigation buttons on your homepage allow for quick and easy navigation into specific sections of your website and show visitors that you have valuable content throughout. The easier you make it for users to link deeper into the website, the better.
Step 2: Always start with the towns or communities you specialize in (three to five main areas is a great foundation). Have at least two paragraphs on a separate page for each area. Sure, not everyone is going to read content on that page (that is important for search engines), but they will want to find out what each area offers. By having specific sections on your site that demonstrate your various expertise, it also shows sellers that you are an expert in their area to list their property. Visit www.BradKorb.com to see the areas he specializes in and click through to those sections without the hassle of tedious searching.
Step 3: If you specialize in niche properties like luxury homes, starter homes or golf course communities, you should prove it. Have buttons that match that specific specialty linking to dedicated pages of custom-written content about that market. This will show buyers and sellers you are the best person to list their home.
Step 4: Have specific MLS searches on every town, community or niche page. For example, on town pages, show properties by map and by price ranges so it’s easy for the visitor to click through and see what’s available. This will distinguish you as the expert in that market, and lets clients know they have arrived at the perfect place to find exactly the kind of property they are looking for. For niche sections like “green properties,” have MLS searches like http://winstonsalemhomesandland.com/buying_a_green_home to show properties that are specific to that category.
Step 5: Create engagement points (“calls to action”) throughout your site and “hook” visitors into an automated drip campaign. Statistics show that home buyers start searching for homes months before they actually buy. If your website allows a visitor to register for the latest listings, foreclosure buys or download articles, you will capture the lead and provide them with the valuable information they want. The tipping point is to make sure they go into drip campaigns that are specific to their needs (for example, the foreclosure buyer goes to a foreclosure buyer drip, or a first-time home buyer goes into the first-time home buyer drip).
Tricia Andreassen is the CEO/Founder of Pro Step Marketing, a leader in brand and Web strategy for the real estate industry. As an industry expert, speaker and author, she has over 19 years’ experience in helping Realtors grow their business. For more information, please visit www.prostepmarketing.com.
