What Kind of Leads Do You Get From Your Website?
I see it all around the Web, in comments on my articles at About.com, and hear it in discussions between real estate professionals ... "Web leads aren't that great." Or maybe it's "I don't make much money from my website leads," or even "leads from my website are mostly tire-kickers and nut jobs."
First, congratulations to those agents, as at least they're getting people to their sites. But, do you think that possibly the content of the site, their branding strategy, or how they present themselves has something to do with the quality of their visitor and leads? Branding should somehow differentiate you from the competition, so doing the same thing and publishing the same content as the other real estate people in the area is not going to do that very well. You become part of a "commodity group." And we all know that commodities are mostly sold based on price, not necessarily value or differentiation.
Could Your Website Lead Be Exactly Who You're Marketing To?
We need to look carefully at how we're presenting ourselves on our websites, the content we have there, and how these are what drive our traffic, our leads, and our commissions. Before you go forward, I'm not saying that these types of marketing don't work, because they do some of the time. However, they are harder to use successfully on the Internet, where you can't look that prospect in the eye and push your agenda.
I'm Cute, Beautiful or a Hunk
We all like to look our best, but some of those "glamor shots" are a bit over the top. It would help if they were at least updated every decade or so. And I'm not just talking about the ladies!
If the most prominent item on your home page is your head shot, you're just going to have to realize that the serious real estate buyer or seller probably just considers it a waste of space and something they have to scroll past to get to the information they want.
I'll Go to the Mat For You - And I'm TOUGH!
Let's think first about the large percentage of the population who simply aren't confrontational. Perhaps you'll turn them off right away and not get them as a lead. Then, this type of agent marketer is bound to wonder at times why they get such stubborn or tough clients. They're a PAIN to work with ... Duh!
Sometimes you can actually lure leads that are people very dissatisfied with their previous agent, and they are looking for someone who will fight for them more in their next negotiation, the fourth deal they've tried this year with a lowball offer.
Top Producer - I Am The Greatest!
This could just as easily be a photo of the agent with their brand new Mercedes or Lexus. It's the "choose me because I'm successful" approach, and it's used a lot. And, there will always be people who respond to it, as they believe as you surmise, that you must be good or you wouldn't be doing more deals than anyone else.
Of course, they're seeing "I am the greatest" claims on a number of real estate websites in your market, so it's just possible that the approach falls flat because they don't know who to believe. Or, perhaps some are skeptics like me, and they would assume that they're not going to get enough attention to their needs because you're just too busy. Or, you'll have an assistant handle them.
We're Going to Be Best Friends Forever!
There's nothing wrong with becoming friends with a client, but the "best of friends" approach in Web marketing of your services doesn't do that well for lead generation. That's unless you want to attract lonely lookers who never buy houses but love to have a new best friend to cart them around.
When a new visitor hits your website, at least one who is actually wanting to buy or sell real estate, they aren't looking for a friend. If they were, they would be at Friendster.com or a dating site. They're looking for help and information related to real estate in your market. This leads to the approach that seems to work best in attracting serious buyers and sellers...
Local Market Expert
Serious sellers and buyers are rarely looking for good looks, a friend, a fighter, or a braggart. They're searching the Web for a professional who can help them to reach their objective in buying or selling real estate. If you're lucky enough to get them to your site on a local real estate keyword search, then they should very quickly find information and answers to their questions.
There's nothing inherently wrong with any of the other marketing approaches mentioned above, except that they're not easily pulled off on a website. There's a reason I chose this image for the "expert" discussion. There's no face there, and that's how many will arrive at your site, without any idea of who you are or what you look like. However, don't assume that you should immediately plaster your glamor shot all over the site, as they don't really care at this first visit what you look like. They came with a need for information or a question they want answered. Only if you keep them around and get their contact information can you get to the touchy-feely part of real estate.
The Best Leads Come from Reports & Information Offered
Offer up articles or blog posts with a lot of information about your local area, the real estate market, and even statistics. However, hold back the very best, most detailed, and your expert commentary for delivery to those willing to ask for it. For years now, I've offered sold statistic reports, and now a simple eBook for my local market. I sat down, wrote short two page chapters about the negotiation process, inspections, repairs, septic issues, water wells, etc. It was easy to come up with a 30+ page eBook about my real estate market. It's in PDF format, and delivered automatically when they fill out a form.
However, when they fill out that form, I capture their contact data for a follow-up email drip campaign, and I concentrate on keeping them around and aware of me until they're ready to act, sometimes a couple of years or more in my vacation home market. Offering sold statistics reports with your comments, and a simple eBook that's filled with stuff you talk about every day anyway makes you a local real estate expert. Authors are always experts ... you're reading my stuff right? :)
RealtySoft makes this process a breeze, giving you the ability to create custom forms and place them on your site wherever they're needed. If you write a page or article about local building codes, write a longer one, make it a PDF, and offer it on that page. Then do another one for septic regulations, and another for subdivision rules, etc. Give them info on the site, but offer more detailed info with a form, and you'll start getting the type of leads who end up buying and selling real estate.
If you need a friend, there's always Match.com, Friendster.com, and Facebook.
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