Today I’m sharing a blog post from RETechnology, a popular source of real estate technology education.
Spring is a great time to audit your online presence. Take a moment to check your marketing materials, social media and search portal profiles to make sure your contact info is correct and all links work.
It’s also an opportune time to take a critical eye to your website, your most important piece of “online real estate,” to be sure it’s not stale or outdated–and that it’s not driving customers away! Not sure how to tell if your site needs an overhaul? These seven signs are a dead giveaway that your site needs a redesign:
1. Lackluster IDX search options.
Does your website’s IDX search only offer limited search criteria like price, beds, baths, and square footage? It may be time to upgrade to a more modern solution. Basic search parameters won’t cut it for today’s consumer. They want a search with detailed local information that’s lifestyle oriented–like what schools are nearby, or what restaurants and other amenities are in the neighborhood? There are plenty of IDX options available today that offer consumers the granular search options they’re looking for.
IXACT Contact Tip: IXACT Contact offers powerful IDX integration options for real estate agents. Find out more about which option is best for you.
2. Your layout isn’t mobile friendly.
Have you heard the term responsive web design? It’s a method of designing a website layout so that it detects the device that it’s being viewed on and automatically scales to fit that’s device’s screen. This approach eliminated the old way of having to build two separate versions of a site–one for desktop and one for mobile. With responsive design, one version is all any website needs. Responsive design isn’t just to appease mobile users, however. Google is now punishing websites that aren’t mobile friendly. If your site is difficult to view on phone and tablets, it’s time for an overhaul–before your site totally disappears into the abyss of Google search results.
IXACT Contact Tip: With IXACT Contact, your real estate website will display quickly and properly on all popular browsers and devices including PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, and other devices. By having a website that looks great on all browsers and devices, you look like the real estate professional to potential hot leads, boosting the chances that they call you and not another Agent.
3. Your site’s SEO is weak.
Speaking of the Google abyss, poor SEO is another way to be sure your site will rank poorly in search engine results. One way to check on the health of your site’s SEO is to Google your name. If you don’t see your site on the first page of search results, that’s a sure sign that your website needs an SEO tune-up.
IXACT Contact Tip: Your IXACT Contact website makes it easy to add your important keywords to your website, making your site easier for Google to find.
4. You’ve received no leads in the past month.
The primary purpose of your agent website is to generate and capture online leads. If all your site’s “contact me” forms are doing is collecting dust, it’s time to rethink why you have a website at all–and why you’re paying for it without receiving anything in return! Are you using the right lead capture forms in the right places? Is the process automated and simple? If not, it’s time to evaluate better options.
IXACT Contact Tip: With IXACT Contact’s integrated Website, CRM, and Email Marketing solution, all your leads will receive the immediate and focused attention they need to convert quickly into clients. You’ll receive an email alert each time you get a new lead, and the lead will be automatically added into your CRM database. You can even auto-assign leads to a drip email nurture campaign and/or your automated monthly e-Newsletter.
5. You’re spending too much.
On a related note, even if you are receiving a few leads a month, your return on investment may be too low. Take an honest look at how much you’re paying for your website solution and what you receive in return. If you’re paying for a high-end site it may be time to look for a simpler, cheaper option. If you’re not using all the bells and whistles, there’s no point in paying for them!
IXACT Contact Tip: IXACT Contact is a three-in-one solution that includes your Agent Website, Email Marketing, and a CRM all for a single monthly subscription. Customers aren’t bound to a contract, and there is a 5 week free trial! You can’t beat the value of this easy to use system.
6. Your bounce rate is really high.
A bounce rate is the percentage of people who only visit one page on your site and then leave. A high bounce rate indicates that your site isn’t engaging to consumers. This could be due to a number of factors, including a cluttered or confusing design, poor or generic information, ineffective (or no) calls-to-action, etc.
IXACT Contact Tip: IXACT Contact websites are full of quality content in an elegant design. Website visitors will be engaged by the helpful articles and professionally written content, improving readership and your bounce rate.
7. It’s not built with the customer in mind.
Here’s a cold, hard truth: if all your website talks about is you, you, you, consumers are going to bounce on over to your competitor’s site. If your want visitors to stick around, be sure your website is giving them the information they truly need. Rich, informative content that comes from a real local expert is what really makes a difference to consumers.
IXACT Contact Tip: IXACT Contact Websites come pre-loaded with 16 pages of quality written content, and a biweekly blog post. But best of all, you can customize any of the content and even add your own website pages to let your personality shine!
Are you ready to start using the website that works for you, rather than you working for it? IXACT Contact Agent Websites are part of a three in one solution including Email Marketing and your CRM – all for just $34.95/month! Sign up for your 5 week free trial now and your website can be up and running in no time!