Ever since the April issue of REALTOR® Magazine came out, our phones here at Dakno Marketing have been ringing off the hook and our website has been churning out inquiry after inquiry. In its article entitled “5 Cool Things Real Estate Pros Are Doing on Web Sites”, this industry-leading publication highlighted three custom web sites we designed and developed. The writer of this article, Michael Russer (a.k.a. Mr. Internet®), identifies three websites including a website designed and developed for Sapphire, NC real estate brokerage WhiteWater Realty, CENTURY 21 First Realty of Tallahassee, Florida and Raleigh, NC based brokerage Linda Craft & Team as prime examples of websites that offer technology-leading innovation for site visitors.
One of the first questions real estate professionals always ask when they call is... "how do we get started?"
So how do we get started and what are the 7 steps to a great website?
I recommend you think about some of these concepts if you're thinking about a new website:
- Identify your target audience for your website. What demographic do you really enjoy working with?
Consider first-time buyers and sellers as an example. Think about the emotions experienced by first-timers… identify their “wants, needs and fears”. Make sure your website addresses these elements on an intellectual level but also on an emotionally level too. Address emotional issues like.. "Do I have enough money to buy a home?" Don't forget to address their fears..There is the fear of the unknown - "Will I experience “buyer’s remorse?”… consider concepts like these and don’t forget to include these elements in your web copy. - Think about your marketing brand… logo, tagline… begin to crystallize your digital image… hmmm sounds like a good topic for a future blog post! :>)
- Begin to develop a global site design theme…. Consider the foundational colors that engage the targeted audience, site texture, imagery your site will have in the header or the top portion of your website (local landscapes, typical home architecture of your area, images of your target audience, local icons or landmarks to connect you to your area via the web) and remember all of these should embrace the target audience. You’re encouraged to seek out other sites and create a “favorites” list of websites you like. Be ready to explain why you like them! You can even review our custom site design gallery for ideas... www.rewebgallery.com
- Make sure your new website is dialed into the right radio station… “WIIFM”. For today’s real estate consumer, they are always asking this question: What’s In It For Me!
- Use royalty-free images found at iStock Photo. If you don’t possess your own imagery,why not go to iStock and a create a “Lightbox” to save your favorite photos
- Don’t forget to purchase several solid domain names that ”fit” your target audience. For the first time crowd, why not use something like MyFirstCityNameHome.com. Don't wait...go buy it! Always strive to include a geographical along with maybe a demographic reference in the domain for better “searchability”. A couple of domain rules to remember… make sure the domain is short, easy to remember, free of ambiguity, free of numeric references (it confuses the consumer) and the spelling is simple.
- Last but certainly not least - Consider using the pros to make all of this happen!
These tips should have you thinking and allow you to move quicker once you are prepared to move forward with your new website. BTW - what other tips would you add to this list?
Helping you create great websites,
Bobby
Your Real Estate Marketing Partner
P.S. Be sure to visit my blog on the Crystal Coast!
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Bobby - Thanks for the great ideas, I will see how I can integrate them into my own website. I will also check out the links you have here.