How to make the web work in Real Estate Part II

If you haven’t read part one of this two parter you should HERE.

Thanks

First thing we need to do is to stop reassess our priorities when designing our website. Here is a common priority list for a Realtors site.

1. Make it look sophisticated
2. Have all my properties on the front page
3. Make sure the “About Me” section mentions all of my education

What it should be:

1. Make sure it works on mobile just as well as desk top
2. Make sure it captures leads with several calls to action
3. Make sure it has an easy to remember URL
4. Make sure my cell phone number is on every page

These are the beginning of the list of things that should be on the list of priorities but it doesn’t have to stop there.  Once these things are in place you can worry about the incidentals that are sold to you by developers because they know that we are vain and what they sell us is easy to create.

What they don’t offer is high performing well designed websites. If you want one you are going to have to take the above list with you and demand that they build what will help your business not just theirs.

This is not a small thing. Building a site is not building an electronic business card. If that is what you want you are missing the boat. If that is what you have you have missed the boat but can catch another.

The most common mistake that we make is not thinking about the experience of the other person. The user in this case. We tend to think about how we feel about our website from our own perspective which is the exact opposite of the users. They are looking to buy a home and they want to be reassured that they are going to be helped in this very scary endeavor. If we put on this hat we have a major advantage over the other professionals in our area.

Instead of vanity shots of our team we focus on creating trust with statements that are easy to read and understand without being too cheesy.

“Resident Agent for nearly a decade”

“100% Customer satisfaction”…unless you have been sued?

“Voted top Realtor in our state”

All of these present more value to a home buyer than a picture of you or your team on the front page and require the same space. Which one would be your choice?

If you answered the picture go back to part I of this post and start over.