Website Content - How To Please Your Visitors! *PART 2*

This is Part 2/2 of WEBSITE CONTENT - HOW TO PLEASE YOUR VISITORS!   VIEW PART 1

LISTINGS:  How much information & How many photos?

            As I mentioned before, you always want to give your information for free and without registration!  Requiring information and registration turns away potential clients.  However, on the section of your website where you have YOUR listings, you need to show off!  Have a great list of your properties, Lots of information, descriptions (other than what is in the MLS-don't copy what you put in the MLS description and put it on your website!!! You want the information to be in more depth than the MLS and what is on your flyer/brochure-One of the reasons why people look at your listings online is because they want more information about the listing-not the same info!  Put photos on your listings, NOT a ton of photos (you don't need 30 photos)   Take the best photos you have and post them, if the photos turned out bad, go back and take more.  Show your potential clients and your existing clients that you put effort into your listings, that you care about your image as an agent!  I would say around 6-15 photos per listing is sufficient.  I also recommend you show the address of the listing, so that potential clients can do a drive by!

            MLS search, give your clients the MLS search ability-you have to have this on your site!  Let them view the listing, don't let them see a list of listings then when they go to view more details, it takes them to a registration form  *REMEMBER* NO REQUIRED REGISTRATION-OPTIONAL ONLY!  You should allow visibility of addresses, and additional photos and virtual tours.  Don't use free MLS search sites like realtor.com, or a MLS search site provided by your MLS company (TMLS or MRIS for example)  WHY?  Because you want the pages branded with your information, you want the search IDX system blended in your site to provide a seamless look, and you don't want other agents information displayed on your website!  We use a company called WOLFNET for our clients IDX solutions, but there are others out there.

How To Implement The Content:

First off, you need to have it planned out, designing a website and implementing content for the first time on your site is not something that can be done in a day.  I seriously recommend you hire a web design company to build your website, and add the content.  Not only will it get done properly, and faster than you probably could do it, but it will also be done (hopefully) in the way that will be beneficial to SEO.  When we build a website, we always implement all the content to start, then show our clients how to maintain it and what to add to the site.  They can always come to us for questions about what to implement to the site-that's what they paid us for.  So if you want it done right - hire it out...Most likely your just a Real Estate Professional, not a Web Designer, or a SEO Specialist!  Just as you recommend using a Realtor for selling & buying a home, we recommend web designers & SEO specialists for web design.

OK, back to planning!  You need to plan out your website, you need to have a written plan of WHAT your going to provide (content), WHERE you are going to put the content, and HOW you're going to do it!  This is no simple feat.  We plan each clients website usually for 2 weeks or a little more.  I first interview the agent, figure out what type of client they work with & who they want to work with, I learn what area they service, and I also research what is already provided online in their area.  I then start a note pad for the client's website, writing down idea's and such, also writing down the clients spoken needs.  I then take it to my programmer, we work on what type of system will work best for the client, then I begin the design process (by this point I am usually half way through the note pad)  Then I begin working with my programmer who builds the website, and then I begin the content process.  As you see there is a TON to plan and to IMPLEMENT before you even get to start actually implementing content (if you want it done right, so that it works).  You want to start placing your content on your website, keep it clean, keep it organized in sections, Don't do a bunch of underlined multi colored links... You also don't want to have six pages of content that will take forever to just read through the list.   Have good content, and enough of it, but don't overwhelm people-that will overwhelm people!

Summary:

            As you see, web development and working on content is a very complex and time consuming project.  If you don't do it right, it is worthless.  So either plan it out extensively and test your content (show it to colleagues, or clients and get opinions)  But of course, I recommend choosing a web development company that specializes in real estate website & marketing to fulfill your needs.  It doesn't have to be extremely expensive either, Yes you will have the upfront cost of development, but the goal is to have the web site make money for you.  Statistically template websites don't make money, they cost money!

I encourage you to read my previous 4 part blog on "Which Website Route Should You Go?"

Also, Click here to view our brochure on some of our website features!

If you have any questions on web development, pricing for our packages, our just to chat about marketing in general, feel free to give us a call at 410-274-4871, or send me an email!  The majority of our marketing/web packages are less than $1000, and we have payment plans as well!

Best of luck to you all, and I look forward to feedback!

David Fox,
Owner, The Real Estate Tech Desk
410-274-4871
david@defpc.net