The Internet's #1 source for selling more homes training materials
The Weight of the Web
Having an online presence isn't enough — customers and closings must follow
Like consumers in almost every industry, homebuyers often use the Internet to shop. According to some estimates, more than 80 percent of all new homebuyers begin their search online. In addition, industry statistics and surveys show that Internet leads are the best and least expensive source for new clients. Builders and Realtors should not only understand how to create a Web presence but also how to maximize that presence and turn it into a sale.
In some cases, Realtors and builders will seek help from a Web designer with a combination of experience, background and understanding of marketing — plus some housing industry know-how. Other times, business owners will attempt their own Web design. Whether you decide to hire a designer or do the work yourself, understanding today's online consumers will help you deliver your message effectively. This is true whether you're dealing with your first online project or looking to improve your current Internet image.
A seven-second window
For many consumers, a Web site has fewer than seven seconds to make a positive impression. If it fails to do so, consumers will move on. Because of this, business owners should ask themselves the following questions:
• Does my home page make an immediate positive impact?
• Am I selling a lifestyle?
• Do I represent homebuyers from different backgrounds adequately?
Remember that marketing isn't just about you; it's also about your customers. Your Web site's home page should be attractive enough to encourage consumers to spend time looking around the site and informative enough to answer their main questions. You could have the best product, but until you grab consumers' attention, you will never be able to prove it. The idea is to make the site as sticky as possible.
Though it's important to address consumers' questions and desires, it's also important to realize that many homebuyers choose who they will buy from based on who that person is and how they represent themselves. Make sure to inform potential clients about your past successes, your community-service efforts and your personal hobbies. Promote your personal narrative, your staff specialists and your service. Use testimonials and industry affiliations to your advantage. The idea is to make a connection and to build trust and confidence. When prospective clients feel as if they like you, they are much more apt to do business with you.
In many cases, music and videos distract consumers, and gaudy design can cause Web shoppers to click away quickly. Web sites that take too long to load also are likely to fail. If you want to use video and audio elements, allow users the option of selecting those items rather than having them launch automatically.
Also make sure to update your site often. A good Web site is never complete. It's a living thing that reaches its potential only with new and interesting material. Maintaining a blog is another way to keep information on your site current. This can be done on the site itself or through a third-party service.
Drive traffic
The time and effort you put into Web design won't matter unless people find your site. The following list offers some simple ways to drive traffic to your site:
• Post comments to blogs other than your own. Make sure to include your name, your company and Web address whenever possible.
• Place resource links on your site. This adds value to users, who may end up thinking of your site as an important Web tool. Consider linking to community events, local school districts and government agencies, and anything else about which homebuyers in your area should be aware.
• Ask others to link to your site. Request that your business and referral partners, suppliers, vendors and organizations to which you belong link from their Web sites to yours.
• Join online social networks and link from there to your site.
• Consider business-directory listings and ads in the phone book. It might seem antiquated, but the phone book still represents an important research tool for many consumers. It's OK to drive traffic from a printed page to the Web. Generally speaking, phone-book listings also appear in the associated directory's online pages.
• Post your company's news releases on appropriate public relations sites. These releases often get picked up by other Web sites and can improve your Internet search rankings.
• Research which keywords home buying customers use in their Internet searches and consider purchasing pay-per-click advertisements on popular search engines. These ads can appear next to keyword search results for the products you offer.
Create leads
Beyond getting people to your Web site and keeping them there, it's also crucial to turn the best prospects into business. One way to do this is to include a contact button on each page of your site. This makes it easy for customers to get in touch with you, especially via e-mail. When they do reach out, make sure to respond quickly.
According to one survey, when customers submit information online, 21 percent expect an instantaneous response, 44 percent expect a response within 40 minutes, and 100 percent expect a response within one day.
Think of your site as a lead-generator and demand its top performance. Make sure to track your Web site statistics, including the number of unique and new visitors and the amount of time spent on the site. Relate those statistics to the number of clients you gain from the site and make adjustments as necessary.
Another great way to utilize your Web site is to include hidden pages where you post special information or data to which you wish to control access. This can be ideal for forms, sample quotes or contract examples. When you meet customers in the field, you can let them know specific Internet addresses — make them easy to remember — where they can find items invisible to other site visitors.
Finally, make numerous attempts to collect customers' information — if only an e-mail address and first name — but do so without disturbing their Web experience. A strong e-mail database can represent powerful currency both today and as the market recovers. Create newsletters, articles, special promotions and seasonal specials that call site visitors to action and entice them to share their contact information.
Having a Web site is one thing. Making that site an attractive lead-generating machine is quite another. Builders and realtors should understand how to drive Web users to their sites, how to keep them there after they arrive, and how to turn shoppers into customers.
Like consumers in almost every industry, homebuyers often use the Internet to shop. According to some estimates, more than 80 percent of all new homebuyers begin their search online. In addition, industry statistics and surveys show that Internet leads are the best and least expensive source for new clients. Builders and Realtors should not only understand how to create a Web presence but also how to maximize that presence and turn it into a sale.
In some cases, Realtors and builders will seek help from a Web designer with a combination of experience, background and understanding of marketing — plus some housing industry know-how. Other times, business owners will attempt their own Web design. Whether you decide to hire a designer or do the work yourself, understanding today's online consumers will help you deliver your message effectively. This is true whether you're dealing with your first online project or looking to improve your current Internet image.
A seven-second window
For many consumers, a Web site has fewer than seven seconds to make a positive impression. If it fails to do so, consumers will move on. Because of this, business owners should ask themselves the following questions:
• Does my home page make an immediate positive impact?
• Am I selling a lifestyle?
• Do I represent homebuyers from different backgrounds adequately?
Remember that marketing isn't just about you; it's also about your customers. Your Web site's home page should be attractive enough to encourage consumers to spend time looking around the site and informative enough to answer their main questions. You could have the best product, but until you grab consumers' attention, you will never be able to prove it. The idea is to make the site as sticky as possible.
Though it's important to address consumers' questions and desires, it's also important to realize that many homebuyers choose who they will buy from based on who that person is and how they represent themselves. Make sure to inform potential clients about your past successes, your community-service efforts and your personal hobbies. Promote your personal narrative, your staff specialists and your service. Use testimonials and industry affiliations to your advantage. The idea is to make a connection and to build trust and confidence. When prospective clients feel as if they like you, they are much more apt to do business with you.
In many cases, music and videos distract consumers, and gaudy design can cause Web shoppers to click away quickly. Web sites that take too long to load also are likely to fail. If you want to use video and audio elements, allow users the option of selecting those items rather than having them launch automatically.
Also make sure to update your site often. A good Web site is never complete. It's a living thing that reaches its potential only with new and interesting material. Maintaining a blog is another way to keep information on your site current. This can be done on the site itself or through a third-party service.
Drive traffic
The time and effort you put into Web design won't matter unless people find your site. The following list offers some simple ways to drive traffic to your site:
• Post comments to blogs other than your own. Make sure to include your name, your company and Web address whenever possible.
• Place resource links on your site. This adds value to users, who may end up thinking of your site as an important Web tool. Consider linking to community events, local school districts and government agencies, and anything else about which homebuyers in your area should be aware.
• Ask others to link to your site. Request that your business and referral partners, suppliers, vendors and organizations to which you belong link from their Web sites to yours.
• Join online social networks and link from there to your site.
• Consider business-directory listings and ads in the phone book. It might seem antiquated, but the phone book still represents an important research tool for many consumers. It's OK to drive traffic from a printed page to the Web. Generally speaking, phone-book listings also appear in the associated directory's online pages.
• Post your company's news releases on appropriate public relations sites. These releases often get picked up by other Web sites and can improve your Internet search rankings.
• Research which keywords home buying customers use in their Internet searches and consider purchasing pay-per-click advertisements on popular search engines. These ads can appear next to keyword search results for the products you offer.
Create leads
Beyond getting people to your Web site and keeping them there, it's also crucial to turn the best prospects into business. One way to do this is to include a contact button on each page of your site. This makes it easy for customers to get in touch with you, especially via e-mail. When they do reach out, make sure to respond quickly.
According to one survey, when customers submit information online, 21 percent expect an instantaneous response, 44 percent expect a response within 40 minutes, and 100 percent expect a response within one day.
Think of your site as a lead-generator and demand its top performance. Make sure to track your Web site statistics, including the number of unique and new visitors and the amount of time spent on the site. Relate those statistics to the number of clients you gain from the site and make adjustments as necessary.
Another great way to utilize your Web site is to include hidden pages where you post special information or data to which you wish to control access. This can be ideal for forms, sample quotes or contract examples. When you meet customers in the field, you can let them know specific Internet addresses — make them easy to remember — where they can find items invisible to other site visitors.
Finally, make numerous attempts to collect customers' information — if only an e-mail address and first name — but do so without disturbing their Web experience. A strong e-mail database can represent powerful currency both today and as the market recovers. Create newsletters, articles, special promotions and seasonal specials that call site visitors to action and entice them to share their contact information.
Having a Web site is one thing. Making that site an attractive lead-generating machine is quite another. Builders and realtors should understand how to drive Web users to their sites, how to keep them there after they arrive, and how to turn shoppers into customers.
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