When building a website for your real estate business the goal is quite simple, capture leads and support sales effectively. This might seem like a no-brainer, but over time we have come to see many clients with their websites as the one thing holding them back. Keep reading to find out if this might be you!
Do you need a new real estate website?
Do you think you may need a new website? We’re here to help you find out. Let’s begin!
Does your website have the information potential clients are looking for?
Use the following as a checklist to see how well your website stacks up against your competitors:
- Clear Branding and Messaging
- Photos and Videos of the property
- Floor plans (this is HUGE!)
- Amenities both on-site and in the surrounding area
- Pricing
- Address
- Contact Information
These seven items listed above work together to help elevate the sales experience. Seeing what the community has to offer will greatly impact whether someone wants to call your property home. REMEMBER: Your website should be an extension of what your building has to offer!
Is your website’s user experience up to par?
Now you might be saying to yourself, of course, I have all of these things on my website — but that doesn’t always mean that the user experience is up to par! Be sure to test the following to see if your website is giving a positive first impression to your potential future tenants.
- Mobile Performance – are things adjusting properly to different viewport ie. mobile and tablet?
- Site Speed – slow sites equal higher bounce rates which negatively affects your google ranking.
- Information Organization – how easy is it to find what you are looking for?
- Form Simplicity – how simple is it to submit information or click to call?
- Clear next steps (CTA’s) – are you giving potential customers a simple path to what’s next?
Is your website effective?
Finally, your website is looking beautiful — check!
The user experience is great — check!
But the most important question to ask yourself is — is my website performing? As we mentioned before, capturing leads and supporting sales effectively is your #1 goal!
SEO
If you are not getting the traction you would like to see, ask yourself, is your website attracting the right audience? This is majority based on SEO (search engine optimization). SEO affects how many people are organically searching online and finding your website. If your website is properly set up, you will likely be ranking and showing up in searches when a customer is looking for your product or something similar. Read our blog on Google Marketing for more information on how to improve your business’s SEO ranking!
Paid Ads
Another way to drive traffic is Paid Ads. Paid ads are a quick win, but also a long term strategy. They allow us to pay to reach a specific audience on different platforms. So depending on where your customer is – whether it’s On Social Media, Google, Youtube, TV and Streaming, and more – we’re able to pay to put a specific message and creative piece of content in front of that audience. Be sure to click the links above to read more about advertising on each specific platform!
Conversion Rate
Once you are driving a high volume of traffic to the site, it’s time to focus on your conversion rate (the number of visitors converting into leads and sales). You want to ensure you are attracting the right audience to visit, have a high quality website (UX/UI), and have clear, simple CTA’s and forms on your website. This ensures potential tenants are reaching out and pressing your click to call button.
Using your website effectively in the sales process
Lastly, be sure your website is supporting the sales process. When you are leasing in person you should be able to suggest your website in conversation as a way for potential customers to find the information they are looking for. Remember — your website is a powerful tool, use it to your advantage!
REMINDER: Even if your property is full, turnover is so important. You do not want to put your marketing efforts on hold just because you do not have an open unit. Building a waitlist to fill your pipeline is essential. Leasing should ALWAYS be a seamless, continuous process!
Real Estate Website Examples:
Here at Hey Now! Media, we did a complete rebrand project for the Key Tower building located in Downtown Cleveland. This is an example where we created a complete shift in opinion for the company as they wanted to go the luxury route. Take a quick look at the website we created!
Home Page:
Desktop View:
Mobile View:
Another example is Oak Hill An apartment complex located in Franklin, PA. Their brand and website were started from scratch, and has done its job — they are now currently full and have an extensive waitlist! Check it out:
Home Page:
Desktop View:
Mobile View:
But your website is not all that’s important when it comes to capturing quality leads and growing your real estate business. Check our full collection of real estate blogs, webinars, information, and more HERE.
Curious how Hey Now! Media can help your business? Get in touch with us today for a FREE 30-minute consultation.
