Does your website have this strange hole?

Does Your Website Have This Strange Hole?

You probably know what your website needs, at a minimum.

• The home page, with search capabilities.
• A buyer page
• A seller page
• An "about me" page – and please not a blank page or a page that contains the exact same words as sixteen other agents in your company. (Yes, I have seen that.)

In my opinion, the site also needs community pages and a number of informational pages flowing from the buyer and seller pages. The more informational pages you have, the better. I also think it's wise to link to outside pages about the community – just as long as you create the links so they open a new browser window.  Sites like citydata.com and areavibes.com offer demographic information that you aren't even allowed to mention, due to Fair Housing regulations. (And you know that some of your clients do want that information.)

In addition to these, if you serve a niche market your site should include pages geared solely toward the buyers and sellers in that niche.

For instance:

• If you specialize in short sales, you should have plenty of information about short sales.
• If you specialize in selling waterfront homes, you should offer specialized information regarding building regulations, flood plains, etc.
• If you serve primarily first time buyers you should offer information about qualifying for a loan, things to look for in a first home, etc.

Filling your site with useful information and adding more over time via your blog causes search engines to notice you while it keeps visitors on your site longer and makes you stand out as "the" expert in your marketplace.

What about a testimonials page?

If you don't have one, I think it's a very strange and very noticeable "hole" in your website. Visitors have to wonder why. Does it mean that NO ONE has ever given you a testimonial or written you a note of thanks for your service?

The problem is compounded if you have a template site with space for testimonials and it looks like a couple of sites I've visited lately. Their testimonials sections said this: "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua… "

Now your visitors know it wasn't an oversight – it must be that you really have No testimonials.

But… what if you're new?

What if you're so new that you haven't yet closed a sale? There's nothing wrong with using a testimonial from a client or supervisor in a previous job, or even one from a co-worker who can attest to your level of service, your dedication to helping clients, your negotiating skills, your patience and listening skills, or the fact that you always return calls promptly.