Technology has provided us with the capability to have easy access to property listings and other pertinent information with a simple push of a button. Back then, it would take dozens of hard copy publications, legwork, and logistical costs in finding your ideal real estate property.
While the internet has provided real estate agents with such groundbreaking tools, it made the market more competitive and fierce, leaving behind those who fail to realise the need to adapt to the changing times.
What makes a website powerful
Nowadays no real estate business is without a website to showcase property listings, professional experience, credentials, services, and content to attract and engage their clients.
Yet there are still a lot of overzealous agents who want to grab on to everything the online capabilities have to offer and are doing it wrong, only to end up dejected and frustrated when they do not see the results they expected.
A common mistake of a non-performing website is what is referred to as an overload. This means that the website is overwhelmed with information, content, and images that become too distracting and cause traffic to go all over the place and fail to get the information they need.
Another issue with similar websites is that they publish dozens of blog posts stuffed with keywords in an attempt to sell their products or services, but fail to provide any useful or beneficial value for prospective clients.
The goal of a real estate website
The real estate website is one that is designed to make it easy for visitors to find the information they need and in the process establishes one’s relevancy and authority in the market.
In a recent study, 43% or almost half of the homebuyers in the market begin their search process online for potential property options and 12% search for information on how to go about the acquisition process.
Based on research here are five common factors that are effective for great-performing real estate websites.
High-quality and well-organised images
Images are critical for real estate websites and play a crucial role in the success of any real estate deal.
Notice that real estate websites have images of all their listed properties, however, using the right images are critical in attracting customers.
Make sure to have the most recent high-resolution images of any listed property and make sure to get as many images of the best features and angles of the property.
When possible, use quality pictures taken by a professional photographer for you to get the best results.
How images are displayed on the webpage is also a crucial aspect in making potential buyers take the next step in closing the deal. Photos need to be laid out cleanly and cramped on the website page.
Organised layout and structure
Another key deciding factor among your website visitors is your webpage layout, which could either entice or push them away.
Scattered information, poor-quality raw images, or so-so descriptions create an impression of a disorganised and poorly-managed website that could backfire and reflect on your brand reputation. Your best bet is to not allow your visitors to get confused when they see your website.
Plan for a web design that ensures an organised and uncluttered layout to appeal aesthetically to users and make it easy for people to navigate your web pages and conveniently access any information they need.
Do not force or stuff information in one or two pages, but make sure to use the search box, links to your site blog, image gallery, etc. Each section must be clearly distinguishable, user-friendly, and easy on the eyes.
SEO-capable
Despite having high-quality images and compelling content yet unable to be easily searchable online, your website will not get you where you want it to be. Always ensure that your website is optimised for search capability through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
There are SEO techniques such as keywords use throughout your content that is strategically placed on your home page, blogs, about page, service pages, etc. You can also allow other websites to provide backlinks or references to your page.
Critical and relevant data and content
Another study found that 69% of digital marketers believe that personalized and dynamic content is vital to a website. Therefore, quality content is vital to real estate websites such as blogs or news updates that are among key elements that engage visitors and retain their attention to your website.
Make sure to provide useful and compelling information to readers and visitors to win their trust and establish your authority in the market. You can strategically use news updates, white papers, case studies, and statistics to engage your audience.
Mobile-friendly
Portability and mobility is a vital consideration today and people spend a lot of their time using personal gadgets to browse anything they need to know online while commuting to or from work, taking breaks, or get updated with news.
Make your website mobile-capable to ensure that you get the best mileage for your website no matter who, what, or where your audience may be.
Get it done right
You need to determine and incorporate success factors such as those mentioned to ensure that you have a responsive, performing, and effective real estate website. Don’t forget that your website reflects your real estate business, so make sure to do it right for you to get your desired results.