Like waistlines, websites can get soft if you don't keep working on them. Here are a few tips on how to whip your website into shape for the new year and beyond:
- Control Your Movements - You need to have a website that has a user-friendly back office. This means that you can add pages, videos, customize forms and feel comfortable working with it. You don't need to have a total knowledge of exactly how a website works. But, you need to feel comfortable knowing that you have the ability to "get your hands dirty" if you need to instead of relying completely on an I.T. person to get the job done. Virtual assistants are great in helping with these things as well. Another thing to look for is that the company you are getting your website from has a real live person you can speak to about any customer service-related issues.
- Pump up the SEO - Make sure your meta tags, keywords and descriptions for all your pages are optimized to their fullest effect so that search engines and, in turn, potential clients will be able to find your site when looking for their real estate professional.
- Create the Image You Want and Work It - You can work traditional advertising to fit in with your online marketing by creating a consistent look and brand to both.
- Become a Social Butterfly - Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and even Trulia are just a few of the great social media outlets that you should become a member of. They also allow you to add links to your website and blogs. You should also add links from your website to your different social media profiles to help create "stickiness" (capturing a reader's attention and keeping them interested).
- Just Breathe - As you and your business evolve, so should your website. At least every six months or so, you should go through your site and look at it from a fresh perspective. The real estate market can change dramatically in six months. What was the focus then may have shifted to something else now. Make sure all links work properly and that your images still appear correctly. Add new information and delete outdated stuff.
Why wait until the new year to start working on your site's image? Contact me now to see how I can help you get your website in the best shape it can be so you can hit the ground running in 2010.
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