Property ManagementTake the Fluff Out of Your Web Site
Like your brochures and newspaper advertisements, it"s imperative for your
web site to proclaim your most telling,
selling point. It"s not what you want to say, but what your customers want to
hear that"s important. Is your Web site doing that?
A common reason why REALTOR® web sites don"t work is that the message the
customer is dying to hear is so drowned in extraneous fluff it"s impossible to
hear, or it"s so convoluted your visitor doesn"t want to take the time to
decipher it.
You know your product (you) best. In person, you could espouse epic novels
on what you have to offer, and in such a fashion that it grabs and holds your
customer"s attention. But that is much harder to do on a Web site. No one has
to give you their polite attention there.
Let"s look at a few sites who are doing it the right way. Take Pili Meyer"s site . Upon visiting, you"ll
notice a sweeping picture of her farming area, with the title "Your Port
Angeles Real Estate Lady." Entering the site, you"re immediately presented
with key, crucial information like "Why Choose Me?" "Check out my town!"
"Describe
your perfect home!" This is all done with an enthusiastic flair that jumps
right out at the visitor.
Or check out Brian Wilson"s site.
One of the first things you"ll see is "Everything you want to know about ....
Special programs for military, veterans and first time buyers...Prequalifying
for a home loan (Do it here!), Facts about Buying Real Estate", a comprehensive
towns section, and more.
Ready for more? Go to
Raveis Real Estate Services. Done in a
very corporate style, it gives the impression of a, well-established dignified
firm, one that delivers on all the promises extolled.
Does your web site do all that? Or is your Web site overloaded with
graphics, non-obvious links that your visitor can"t find, and messages that
speak over the heads of your visitors?
As a Realtor, you know your product, but your visitors don"t.
So, think in terms of what the main message is that you want to convey. Is
it "Buy a house though me?" "Use me because I"m a local neighbor?" "I"m the
best because I have the most experience?" "My clientele are all happy
customers?" "I will provide the solutions to your house-hunting needs?" What
is it?
Anyone can provide the service of selling a house. But as you know, closing
is only one aspect towards keeping a happy customer and enjoying referral
business. There"s also following up on all customer concerns, providing
research to answer their community questions, and the like.
In short, you"re not only providing a service, you"re providing the
solution. Not a solution, but "the" solution. The solution
your customers need. The solution that makes you stand out from the rest of
the zillion REALTORS. The solution that makes people come to you.