Mobile Real Estate Websites, has nothing to do with driving to appointments or showing homes.
The facts are: 2.5 % of ALL Internet Traffic and 12.5% of the 400% increase in Internet usage last year was because of the increased use of "Smartphones".
Google projects that in the next 5 years a 200% growth in Smartphone contributions to the Internet will happen.
That means one thing. Your Mobile Real Estate Websites, will have to be a cross platform design. If you website is not positioned to display properly on mobile devices you could be the next dinosaur, extinct!
43% of the population carries a smart phone. That should give you enough reason to jump early to a cross platform website as a real estate professional. Yet, you are in good company. Just a little more than half the fortune 500 companies have cross platform websites. (275 at the time of this writting)
Of course your real estate business is about conversions, searches and phone calls, right? So if you don't offer a
method for a home buyer standing in front of your listing to look at your virtual tour, grab features and home details and someone else's website does, who are they going to call?
Cross Platform is more than "Smartphones" it's the iPads and laptops that offer searching capability from the front seat of any vehicle, or sidewalk. I have been working to change over my websites to cross platform mobile ready. I have seen the change coming for over a year.
Just like the Internet, agents resisted getting a website. MLS provided didn't have a method of linking listings unless you were a broker initially. Now they all have mobile apps. Active Rain has cross platform but has a few glitches in the setup.
I access may of the sites I build with both my iPad and mobile phone to test them. Making sure the photos, tables and data load properly.
I don't want the consumer accessing my sites, to have to think, what do I press, click or swipe? I want the information to be mobile ready for "SmartPhones", iPads, and tablets. I don't want to have consumers make a decision on which format they see. I want to have a choice but I am going to pick the best presentation possible as their initial page access.
Some of you may recognize this a "Curb Appeal"! I want the user experience to be great the first time without thinking. I have four websites in beta testing right now. Meaning my primary website is still up but with a few weeks will be the latest version to bite the dust!
If you lack the mobile solution you may find your market share dropping or gone as a brokerage. As an agent without the proper Mobile Real Estate Websites for consumers to view you may be forcing their calls to other agents.
You may think you have nothing to worry about, the fact is without a cross platform mobile phone, tablet ready website you have plenty to worry about. If you are a seller's agent, it won't be long and the new marketing methods of mobile will be used against you by more progressive agents. If you are a buyer's agent, just think how you can have buyer's flocking to your website because you are mobile ready, providing crucial data buyer's want to see on homes, right from your clients "Smartphone".
Are you going to keep up with the new age of real estate or take a wait and see attitude. Google has recognized the issue and offered to create sites for large brands for FREE. What does that tell you? I know they are a search engine. I also know Google doesn't do anything without a return in mind. The return in this case is search engine dominance, marketing strategies and Enhanced Keyword Campaigns.
One of the leading Internet reviews by Chris Copeland goes on to say, "Take your current website redesign and TRASH IT, if it is not mobile cross platform! I would say that is a very bold statement as to the importance he thinks Mobile and Smartphones are going to be to Internet search.
Mobile Real Estate Websites the future of just another gizmo to in the toolbox to attract real estate buyer's and seller's?
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