Does Your Real Estate Website Have a Pulse?
In the past week I have talked to a couple of real estate brokers about how they are using the web to sell homes. They know that this is where the hot leads are coming from and want to capitalize with it, but are they doing all they can do to maximize how to best capture the excitement of buying a new home?
Most real estate agents have a very bland IDX feed and boiler plate copy on their site. That is why having a blog on the agents or brokers site is such a good idea. The excerpt below talks about having a pulse on your site.
Excitement, interest, fascination.
All the passion of buying a home that will motivate a buyer to pick up the phone or fire over an email to arrange a showing.
I think it will be hard to create that excitement on the typical real estate web page, but a blog can bring that passion to the buyer that will have them pick up the phone and make the call.
Does your site have the passion to motivate your potential customers?
Even the savviest businesses have to constantly redouble their efforts in this regard. Another client of mine, FourOxen (not their real name), a publicly-traded high-tech shop that does things like employ community evangelists and a sort of mascot uber-developer who fosters camaraderie amongst current developers and potential future hires, recently launched a new business line and tried an AdWords campaign to promote it.
At this point, with keywords, ads, bids, and other parameters all set up, there’s only one thing missing. You guessed it: a pulse. For a technology company, their search app is underwhelming at this juncture. It isn’t fun to use. There isn’t much if any benefits copy. No clever user interaction or virtual marketplace features. No editorial direction that points to our “favorite” good buys. You know… a pulse!
Until we build all of those things, it’s an abstract business model that should work in theory, but doesn’t yet. Among other things, the account currently suffers from low quality scores in AdWords. Part of the problem must be site-related. There’s not enough there there.
E-commerce just got harder. You can blame the Macs, Rand Fishkins, and Jeff Bravermans of the world. Markets really are conversations. Locke, Searls, and Weinberger called this thing a long time ago. via Search Engine Land
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Comment by Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice on 21 January 2008:
I would have to say that this “no pulse” is a serious reality for a lot of Realtor sites. Often agents get too busy or too lazy, and after setting up their original site, it mostly becomes a static template site.
I just had a conversation with a past client the other week that found me on the web. He was curious if I knew what facet of my site would prompt potential buyers and sellers to call me….was it my picture, the ease of use, features etc.
I did not have a direct answer and he could not remember why he called me as well (this was 2 years ago).
As the Internet is becoming a huge starting point for most things real estate related, I think an “interactive site” that is engaging and ever changing with a pulse is going to be a must.
Kevin Schmidtchen
kevinschmidtchen@yahoo.com
http://www.SantaBarbaraRealEstateVoice.com
Comment by Tom on 21 January 2008:
Thanks Kevin
The more I think about it the more important interactivity is for the real estate agent and their online presense. Before, if you were online, you were ahead in the game. Now, everyone but the luddites are online.
How are you going to differentiate yourself from the competition. I think providing as honest and candid information to potential sellers and buyers will be the key. Developing that level of trust as a straight shooter will make you stand apart from the IDX feed on your competitors site.
Comment by Excel Builders LLC on 10 November 2008:
not only good interactive content is key but top search engine placement is a must, if the end user can not find the site all that money you spent on a flashy site is useless! Talk to a SEO Expert in your area.