The real estate market is booming, which means you have more competition than ever before as a real estate agent. While you may be tempted to write bad reviews of your opposition online or draw faces on their mailers, there may be more productive ways to boost your business. Here are a few website tips you can use to make your real estate business stand out.
1. Create a user-friendly layout
Have you ever visited a website that was so complicated to navigate that you just gave up? Make sure you aren't inadvertently pushing potential clients away by an overly complicated website design. Remember to follow the 3-click rule, which states that any website should allow the user to find what he or she needs within just three clicks or less. Your website should have a pleasant, user-experience layout that allows users to find things quickly and easily. Here are a few ideas to get you started in the right direction:
- Limit your menu items to no more than seven options
- Keep your headers fixed, so the essential categories of your website are always visible
- Add footers at the bottom of your page so your users can easily find an overview of your site's various sections
- Use brief, descriptive topic labels so users can easily find numerous topics
These practices will also help you achieve a better SEO ranking for your website. The higher you rank, the easier it will be for current and potential clients to find you online.
2. Make your website mobile-friendly
Gone are the days when you could create a PC-friendly website and just go. If your site isn't compatible with mobile devices, you're already behind the curve. Upgrade your template and make sure it's mobile-optimized for the best results. Your clients will thank you, and Google will thank you by rewarding your mobile-optimized site with a higher ranking.
3. Add a featured listings section
Finding the ideal home online can be extremely tiring; especially for new home buyers who don't have a lot of experience. Make things easier for them by featuring specific listings on your website. Featured listings pages are an excellent idea for real estate agents who specialize in particular property types. Your featured listings can include anything, from exciting new constructions to acreage properties in a specific neighborhood or area. Your clients will love the ease with which they can find your most high-profile listings.
4. Use quality images
Do you love to snap pictures from your cell phone and immediately load them to your website? If so, do yourself a favor and stop. Poor-quality photos will instantly make a sour impression on website users and will make you seem like an amateur. Remember, your clients are probably looking for the home of their dreams. Low-light cell phone photos won't sell the property and won't close any deals. If you don't consider yourself a photographer, that's okay. It's worth the time and money to hire a professional photographer to take quality pictures of your most relevant properties. You can even use stock video footage and photos to give your website a more personalized, authentic feel. Quality images will look great on your website and will more accurately reflect your status as a knowledgeable real estate professional.
5. Take advantage of testimonials
Word-of-mouth is still the best way to earn new business in real estate. Home buyers want to work with trustworthy real estate agents who will put their needs first. It's wise to reserve a full page on your website for testimonials from current and previous clients. You don't need to include every nice thing anyone has ever said about you. Instead, select a few choice reviews that highlight your particular strengths and mention specific ways you helped a client find the perfect home or property. You may also want to mention leading affiliations in this area of your website, as well. Potential clients will be more likely to see you as trustworthy if you associate with reputable brands and companies. Your partners will probably return the favor by acknowledging you on their websites as well.
6. Become a one-stop destination
Your website can become so much more than a place to find homes. It can also enhance your clients' one-stop destination for all things related to real estate. Include useful resources like a mortgage calculator, home and lifestyle blogs, home valuation tools and buyers' and sellers' guides. The more tools you have on your website, the more your clients will turn to you as a trusted resource for all things related to home-buying. These simple suggestions won't take long to implement into your real estate website, but they will completely change the way potential clients perceive you. If you've been looking for ways to make your site stand out from your competition, begin implementing some or all of these changes today.
