25 Feb There is a great article about website development and ranking that I would like to share with everyone. You can read it at Inman.com.
It’s amazing that even the most powerful brands in the world (Coke) can get their website design wrong. The take-away from this is that there are experts in the industry who advise about how to implement SEO, social media, video usage and historically their advise works. Web and social media are such an important part of your marketing package – don’t get it wrong.
Here are a few points and take aways from the article.
Video Rules
Especially for real estate marketing, video can play the key role in search engine optimization as well as enticing the buyer to your community.
We Need To Answer The Questions That Potential Buyers May Have
This is crucial when developing a website. It’s no secret that when today’s consumer wants to learn about a property, they go immediately to the website. When consumers visit a website they are doing so with questions in mind. They are looking for answer to questions they have pertaining to their wants and needs. This could be anything from amenity details to surrounding restraints. When we design our websites, we need to design them with what the consumers may have questions about. And even if the question is negative, you need to address it.
Simple Search Terms
The article touches on simple search terms. This may seem trivial, but you would be surprised how often this is ignored. According to Inman, only 22% of all searches contain four or more words. The lesson here is that consumers search in a simple manner. If you are developing a keyword strategy with phrases containing more than four words, I would suggest you re-think things. I can’t say that you won’t succeed with your efforts with four or more words, but I will say that data proves that keywords containing three are less words are more effective.
67% of Searches are Driven by Off line Channels
The author of the article finds this surprising. I don’t find it surprising at all. I have always believed that real estate is a market where referrals are your best friend. This is why I push social media so much. Social media can take referrals to the next level by putting them on a public channel for everyone to see. Buyers research not only properties, but also the agents and companies selling them.
With that being said, we shouldn’t under estimate the value of word of mouth referrals.
Website design and Web Ranking can seem like a daunting task, but it’s worth every bit of the effort. Real estate companies can’t afford to skimp on their website. You are who your website projects you to be and you only get one chance to make a first impression.
