As an observer of the real estate industry from a technology standpoint, I’ve always marveled at the relative ugliness of agent websites.
Now, before we go any further, I’d like to clarify a few things – first, that I certainly don’t want to paint every agent with the same brush; there are some outstanding agent websites out there that are both highly functional and beautiful.
Secondly, that beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder, and this holds true for design and user interface layout. I don’t claim to hold a monopoly on what’s esthetically acceptable, but I can offer food for thought.
Templates
The majority of agents wisely look to a third party to develop their website (as opposed to a do-it-yourself approach). Most agents spend their money on the hosting and management of the site, and spend little or none on the look and feel, opting instead to select from a variety of supposedly customizable templates. While fees for this sort of service vary, one thing is obvious – the development company that developed your website is turning a profit because they sell the same set of templates over and over – leaving customization options (sometimes very little) up to you. It’s a great economy of scale and it works very well for web developers, but it doesn’t make you stand out from the crowd.
One big offender here (in my opinion) is Point2. I can spot a Point2 website a mile away – just about every one of their websites has the same font styles, the same layout, and the same “generic house” or “happy family” imagery. These sites also have the same focus on lead generation – almost ad nauseam – with every link promising ‘free information’ or ‘find out what your home is worth’, just type in your email address and phone number please!
My feeling is that while it may cost more up front, the benefits of a custom designed website that doesn’t look like it just rolled off an assembly line are hard to ignore. I would find it difficult to select any professional if they did nothing to demonstrate that their services are unique, high-quality, and not like the pack.
Links
A huge usability barrier that I see on many agent sites is the vast number of links and menu options. Exacerbating this is the fact that many of these links point to the same information or end point, which lead users into circles of redundancy – and frustration.
A key decision to make is to really decide what side of the transaction your website should cater to – buyers or sellers. The focus should be tailored to that – if your business deals with both, separate those into two distinct sites (you don’t need two domain names, just two sites that don’t overlap) and really streamline your site to what’s really important to someone who is trying to select a reliable, competent agent.
Listing-centric or Client-centric?
Another issue that I see with many agent sites is that some go to great lengths to show me ‘featured listings’. This is a great feature when done tastefully, but with the mish-mash of listing engines and feeds, it’s rare to have this displayed seamlessly on your site – which adds confusion when your visitor clicks a listing and is whisked away to ‘listings-R-us’!
One thing to consider is that the type of customer that is web-savvy enough to even seek out and find your website is probably knowledgeable enough to use MLS-based websites, for example, and already has an idea of the homes they want to purchase. What they *are* seeking is a reputable, trustworthy agent to provide them with respectful service first, and listings second. MLS sites may have won the game of publicly accessible listings, but they can never replace good, quality relationships and customer service. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have listings on your site, but do focus on the battles you can win.
Site Rot
Site rot is what I call websites that take up space on the internet and are like old billboards on dusty roads. Sure, they have information, but it’s stagnant.
Thankfully, with the proliferation of blogs and other dynamic content (RSS feeds, etc.), site rot is less of a problem than it once was. The best thing you could do as far as ‘keeping up appearances’ on your website would be to have some content on the first page dated for TODAY. It means you’re active, you’re in the mix, you work for a living. The death knell for me would be to visit an agent’s website and see “Last Update: 2005” or a posting about median home values in 1999! Don’t just have a website to seem “with it” or because everyone who’s successful has one. It’s like a corn field – you reap what you sow.
Bottom Line
I’m a technology guy – I make a living helping people select technology solutions that harmonize with how they work in the real world. I don’t claim to know all of the nuances of real estate marketing – but I can tell the difference between a website that resonates with me, and one that has zero pizzazz. How you answer the phone, how you stage a home, how you dress and speak – all of these are a reflection of you – and your website is no exception.
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