Most Common Complaints About Real Estate Websites
Debe Maxwell has provided us with an excellent primer on improving our web sites, that's if you happen to need to. I certainly do so this post was especially timely for me. Read through Debe's list and see how your web site stacks up on these 11 items.
If you do not have a blog as yet (are there any of you out there that don't?) be sure to get started on one. It is vital and now you have an excellent "how to" guide to get you going.
Most Common Consumer Complaints About Real Estate Websites
So, what is keeping your site from holding your visitors' interest? Could be content, or lack thereof but, there are other reasons that folks just don't stay on your site. Hopefully you've mastered all of the techniques to keeping the consumer on your site. If you haven't, here are a few common complaints about real estate websites and how to remedy each of them:
1. Slow Load Time: Your readers, or should I say potential readers, will not wait for your site to load. You wait because it's your site but, slow loading sites scare off potential readers. Find out what is bogging your site down and correct it or your site will not do for you what you expect it to do.
2. You Have No Blog: Your website should be all-inclusive. Readers like to search for the items that are on their search 'mission list' (like 'what is my home worth?' or 'search for homes.' Then, if they like what they find, they want to learn a little more from the site owner before calling. Blogs are the best way to share your knowledge and even your personality with your readers.
3. Poor Quality Graphics / Photos: You've spent countless hours building a site. Poor quality graphics, including photos, only cheapen your site. Take the time to add quality graphics to your site.
4. Broken Links: If your consumer clicks on one bad link, chances are you've lost them. If they click two, you have lost them!
5. Dysfunctional Navigation: Again, be sure that the consumer can easily navigate your site. If confusion sets in initially, they won't stay around to try to 'figure it out!' Too many navigation buttons are a major distraction and oftentimes the reader does not know where to go next.
6. Too Many Keywords: No one likes reading keyword-stuffed posts. Some are so keyword-stuffed that you can't understand the content that the writer is conveying.
7. Are You Facing A Wall of Words? Does your reader land on your site to see just a wall of words--no white space, no pictures, hidden (too small or too light to be seen) navigation buttons? Readers like clean looking sites and tend to spend more time on a site with fewer 'buttons' and less words.
8. Too Many Distractions: Are there flashing signs, bold colored graphics and too many buttons on your site? If so, the consumer will almost instantly click away from your site. Readers like clean and easily navigable pages.
9. Can't Locate Your Contact Info: Visitors are not only searching for homes for sale--they may just have a question about our business so, be sure that your contact information is front-and-center. Make life easy on them and they will appreciate you without even realizing it!
10. Compartmentalized Layout: Have you ever been to a site that you just can't figure out where to go? Don't make it a maze for the consumer--lay it out straight-forward so that it's easy to see where they want to click next.
11. Lack of- or Mis-Information: How many times have you seen sites that only have home searches or have information that has expired or worse yet, wrong information on them? It only takes a few more moments to check what you've just written before you post it. Be sure that you've given a clear picture as well as ascertained that the information is correct.
Periodically review your site as though you were a consumer--move things around a bit, update old posts, delete expired items and check your links. It doesn't take a long time to do this if you review your site frequently enough. View it as though you were a consumer--you'll be surprised at what you'll find that needs a little tweaking!
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