Did you know that 80% of website visitors never scroll down below "the fold" of a website?
It's bad enough that web visitors spend mere seconds on sites before clicking away, but if they have to scroll down at all to get to "the good stuff", it's even less likely they will stick around long enough to, well, get much of anything out of your website.
Like many, I am sure you have spent tons of time - and maybe a lot of money - on your website, but if it is not formatted or designed to attract AND keep a visitor's interest, all that time and money have gone to waste.
So many (too many) real estate websites these days have one gorgeous picture that takes up most of the most valuable website "real estate"...the area above the fold. But I want you to put yourself in your prospects' shoes and ask yourself if a pretty picture is going to make someone want to work with you. Chances are, a pretty picture isn't enough to go on.
If you've read any of my posts before, you know I firmly believe it important to begin the agent-prospect relationship by giving, by offering valuable information that will help the prospect in their real estate transaction. So to me, the BEST way to use that prime, above-the-fold real estate on your website is to have an obvious offer of valuable information.
Using that prime real estate for pretty picutres or for touting oneself or one's services is a waste...every agent is doing that.
Look objectively at your own website...is there enough above the fold to make a visitor want to stick around and dig deeper? If not, use that above-the-fold area to really attract the attention of your visitors. As I said in yesterday's post, the best way to get their attention is to start it off by answering your prospect's "What's In It For Me?" question.