Your website is often a first impression for a buyer or seller—which makes its appearance, personality, and effectiveness critically important in today’s real estate environment. At its most basic, your website is a place for buyers and sellers to view your listings, find your contact information, and quickly refer friends and family by sharing your website address. But at its best, your website is a reflection of who you are, how you work, and your success in business.
To guarantee your website works as well as you do, consider employing the following tips:
1) Make it mobile friendly. With the continued rise of mobile users, it’s more important than ever for your website to be easy to navigate on a mobile device. According to a 2014 analysis by Smoke of comScore Media-Metrix data, millennial real estate mobile usage grew 81% from May 2013 to July 2014 – and has continued to rise in 2015. What’s more, in an effort to encourage others to adapt their websites to mobile devices, Google favors mobile-friendly websites, e.g., improving SEO, so it’s smart to make sure your website is easy to view from a hand-held mobile device.
2) Include your social media channels. Social media is an easy and effective way to market yourself and connect with buyers and sellers in real-time. If you’re active on social media, make sure you include social media buttons at the top, bottom, or sidebar of the page to encourage visitors to follow you and share your content. You never know when a tweet might lead to a referral or the perfect buyer.
3) Create a call-to-action. Encourage visitors to sign up for your newsletter or email list. This is a simple and yet very effective way to grow your audience. It also allows you to build and maintain your relationships with clients and prospects by consistently sharing valuable tips, resources, or news updates.
4) Feature your photos. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is especially true in the real estate industry where stunning photos are key to attracting buyers. Because many buyers often search online for properties before contacting a realtor, it’s important that your website is oriented around your most fetching hi-res images. Consider having a featured slideshow on your homepage to highlight different properties.
5) Share your kudos. Remember when your client said you were the most efficient agent they ever worked with? Share it! Include client testimonials on your website and update them frequently. It’s a great way to show how you’ve successfully helped buyers and sellers, and makes you look even better to prospective clients.
6) Keep it fresh. Whether it’s your contact information, profile photo, or coverage area, make a note to update your website content and information every 4-6 months. In addition, if you’ve obtained any new realtor designations or certifications, make sure to add the badge to your website upon completion. If you’re a certified ReferralExchange member, you can embed the badge on your website here.
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