Even the healthiest websites should be refreshed, retooled and refocused from time to time so that they generate the maximum results you desire. Here is a checklist to work from to make sure your website is on track for success:
1. IDX maximized and leveraged. Gone are the days of just one link to search properties and forcing the visitor to do a cumbersome search each time they visit. Have an interactive MLS search on the front page of your site and include quick searches to specific information and ways to register for hot property alerts like www.KristanCole.com. Visitors to your site want to see listings and they want to see them quickly!
2. Reflecting and specialized areas. If your area of specialization is the Alpharetta area of the Atlanta, GA market, then you must have a page about Alpharetta that includes information about market conditions, homes in specific price ranges and more. This enables you to establish yourself as an expert with buyers by having the information they’re looking for, and with sellers by showing you’re the expert in their neighborhood. A great example is www.MarkSpain.com/alpharetta.
3. Visible contact information. Your contact info should be in an easy-to-find location. Side panels and side bars are great for this type of information and help eliminate scrolling.
4. Check links and eliminate where needed. Broken links are not only irritating to consumers, they’re also detrimental to your search engine rankings, your brand and how you are perceived in the market. Go through your site with a fresh perspective and make sure your links are going where you want them to go.
5. Social media tools. Make it easy for people to see how you are different from your competitors, your unique offerings and what your business culture is all about. Have clickable sections to your Facebook business page, your LinkedIn profile and your Twitter account so others can share your message.
6. Niche area and trending opportunities. Is there a niche market that you could accentuate on your site to show you are the expert? For example, if you see a growing trend like investors wanting to buy in your market, create a foreclosure buys section on your site to compel them to engage with you.
7. Offline and online promotion. Fifty percent of your website’s success depends on how well you promote it offline. Take a look at your marketing materials and make sure each element has a specific call to action to drive visitors to specific sections on your website. While a great website can be a powerful tool, a congruent online and offline marketing campaign working in a streamlined manner is real marketing at its finest.
Tricia Andreassen is CEO/founder of Pro Step Marketing. She is a leading industry Web-strategy expert, a nationally recognized speaker with Broker Agent Speakers Bureau, and one of RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine’s monthly columnists.
