An Introduction To Websites For REALTORS®
In real estate, one of the biggest challenges is finding people who are ready to buy or sell their house and convincing them they want to work with you. Today, the internet is like a giant marketplace where millions of people gather to do business making it difficult to stand out from the crowd. Having a good website is kind of like setting up your own shop there. But there are two different ways to make your website work for you. One is to set it up and wait to be found amongst the millions of others just like you while the other actively attracts the right crowd.
The first type of website is like having an online brochure. It’s just showing pictures and information about houses but doesn’t do much more. (There are A LOT of these types of websites) The second way is more like having a sales machine that is active 24/7. It not only shows who you are and how you help people but also helps you build your authority, provide value, and convince them that you’re the best person to help them find their dream home or sell their current one.
In this article, we’re going to explore these two website styles: the simple online brochure and the super helpful sales machine. By the end you’ll see why the super helpful one is way better for real estate agents like you.
Section 1: Passive Brochure Style Website
In the real estate world, websites can be as different as houses themselves. Let’s start by talking about the first kind we mentioned: the passive brochure-style website. This type of website is like a digital version of your business card or a paper brochure you might pick up at a trade show. Do you remember what you did with the last pile of brochures you had?
What is a passive brochure-style website, and what’s it like?
Imagine it’s like putting a sign in front of your house saying it’s for sale but not really doing much else. It shows pictures of houses and information about them, but that’s about it. It doesn’t interact with people who visit it, and it doesn’t try to build a connection.
The limits of passive brochure-style websites:
- Lack of interactivity and engagement: These websites are kind of like having a sign that doesn’t talk back when someone asks a question. They don’t engage with visitors or make them feel heard. Everyone and their dog has an IDX listing search on their site. Does it make sense to compete with everyone else for a search function that already exists a million times over?
- Ineffectiveness in lead generation: Leads are like people who are interested in buying or selling a house. Passive websites struggle to attract these leads because they’re not actively providing value that will inspire visitor action. What can you do to motivate your buyer or seller to want to work with you? Sending them property reports? That’s old news. You need to do something different!
- Minimal conversion rates: Conversion is like turning a curious visitor into a real client. Passive websites often have low success rates in achieving this because there’s no clear path for prospects to take. They come to your site, search for homes, and then leave before getting any REAL value from you. They most likely won’t even remember that it was YOUR site to begin with.
Let’s check the numbers:
- Average bounce rate for passive websites: Bounce rate is like when someone walks up to a store, looks inside, and then walks away without going in. For passive websites, this rate can be quite high, meaning many people leave the website quickly. A study done by CXL showed that Real Estate as an industry has an average bounce rate of 44.50%. Meaning almost half of the people that land on your site are leaving before checking anything out – making your marketing efforts half as effective.
- Case study or survey data: There’s data out there showing that passive websites – especially with IDX integration – don’t do a great job turning visitors into clients. People who visit these sites often don’t end up working with the real estate agent behind them. That’s why most of the leads that come from these websites yield a 1-3% conversion rate over 4-9 months. That means 97% of your marketing dollars are being wasted.
So, that’s the deal with passive brochure-style websites. They’re like having a silent house for sale sign on a busy street – it’s there, but it might not get much attention or lead to many sales.
Section 2: Active Marketing and Sales Funnel Style Website
After dissecting the limitations of the passive brochure-style website, let’s dive into the possibilities that active marketing and sales funnel-style websites can unlock for you and your business. Unlike the static and unresponsive nature of passive websites, the active marketing and sales funnel-style website is akin to having a full-time, highly skilled sales team working around the clock.
The Dynamics of Active Websites
An active marketing and sales funnel-style website doesn’t just sit there waiting to be discovered. It reaches out, grabs attention, and leads potential clients through a carefully crafted journey from initial curiosity to final decision-making. This approach is rooted in understanding the customer journey and leveraging digital tools to guide prospects every step of the way.
The Power of Brand and Reputation
In the real estate world, your brand is not just your logo, font selection, or color scheme; it’s the communication of trust, expertise, and reliability. An active website reinforces your brand at every interaction, creating a memorable experience that sticks with prospects and guides them to the destination of working with you. It’s your digital handshake, your first impression, and your lasting imprint all rolled into one. When your website can clearly guide your prospects to your services, getting leads and converting them into clients becomes an effortless endeavor.
Key Elements and Features of an Active Website:
- A Strong Lead Magnet: Just like the name implies, you want to provide something so valuable your prospects are drawn to it as if it were magnetized. Go beyond an evaluation or property alert. There’s so much more that you can be doing to serve your future client. The trick here is that you only have to create it once. If you do it right the first time it will work for you for a VERY long time.
- Lead Capture Forms: These are your digital net, designed to catch information from interested visitors. With compelling calls to action and an easy-to-use interface, these forms transform casual browsing into actionable leads.
- Email Marketing Integration: This tool allows you to nurture leads with personalized content, keeping you top of mind and building relationships even when you’re not face-to-face. It’s about delivering value, building trust, and staying connected.
- Targeted Content and Offers: By understanding your audience, you can tailor your content to address their specific needs and pain points. This personal touch turns your website into a resource hub, making your site the go-to place for real estate wisdom.
- A Well Organized CRM: Keeping track of all your interactions in one centralized database will give you an advantage over everyone else because you’ll always remember a clients birthday, pets names, and what your last interaction was. This is your superpower.
What Does The Data Say?
Evidence speaks louder than words. Studies show that websites with active marketing and sales funnel strategies significantly outperform their passive counterparts. Here are examples of real estate agents and companies using unique branding strategies to optimize their marketing efforts:
- Brown Harris Stevens: Utilized a distinct color theme of subtle light grey and bold orange accents in their logo and online presence, making their branding visually appealing and instantly recognizable. Their branding extends to promotional materials, printed materials, and even yard signs, ensuring a consistent and engaging presence in every medium. WHen their prospects find them they instantly recognize them as a leader in their community, lending them the trust they deserve for working so hard for their clients.
- Mike Schulte: A New York real estate agent who leveraged social media, particularly Instagram, to build his brand. By regularly posting engaging content related to life in the city and the real estate market, he became a valuable resource for his audience, leading to referrals and significant transactions. This content led his prospects to a lead magnet offer they couldn’t refuse turning his marketing qualified audience into sales qualified leads.
- Rose & Womble Realty: Conducted a survey to understand what customers value when choosing a realtor and realty firm. Based on the survey results, they developed a brand strategy and campaign focusing on honesty, ethics, communication, and experience. They also refreshed their branding with a new color scheme and typeface, emphasizing the tagline “Connecting Heart and Home,” which aligns with the emotional aspect of buying and selling homes. This brand outline helped them create a clear path for their prospects to follow so that their website was no longer a passive brochure rather, a hard working sales tool that never quit!
These examples showcase the power of effective branding in the real estate industry, demonstrating that a strong, consistent brand can significantly enhance marketing efforts and business success.
Transitioning to an active marketing and sales funnel-style website is not just a minor upgrade; it’s a quantum leap towards achieving your marketing and sales objectives. With the right setup, your website becomes more than just a digital presence; it becomes a powerful engine driving your business forward.
Section 3: The Benefits of Going Active
Deciding to use an active marketing and sales funnel-style website isn’t just a choice; it’s a transformative strategy that propels your real estate business into a state of heightened efficiency and effectiveness. This approach goes beyond a mere online presence and unlocks proactive engagement with your ideal prospects while turning your website into a powerful tool that works tirelessly for you.
Get More Leads & Higher Conversion Rates
An active website is designed to capture and nurture leads – not just sit idly by. By utilizing lead capture forms, targeted content, and automated follow-up systems, they ensure that every visitor is a potential client ready to be approached.
Enhanced Client Engagement
The active approach is rooted in understanding and responding to client needs. By providing valuable content, responsive communication, and personalized interactions, you establish a deeper rapport with potential clients.
Better Tracking and Analytics
An active website is also a smart website. With integrated tracking and analytics, you can monitor visitor behavior, track lead sources, and refine your strategies based on data-driven insights. This level of understanding allows you to allocate your resources more effectively and continuously optimize your marketing efforts for better results.
Time and Resource Efficiency
Adopting an active approach streamlines your operations and automates repetitive tasks. Tools like automated email sequences and CRM integrations free up your time, allowing you to focus on what you do best – selling homes and nurturing client relationships.
Transitioning to an active marketing and sales funnel-style website brings a multitude of benefits. It not only enhances your ability to generate and convert leads but also deepens your engagement with clients, provides valuable insights through analytics, and optimizes your time and resources. It’s a proactive step towards ensuring that your real estate business not only survives but thrives in the competitive digital marketplace.
Section 4: Making the Switch
Transitioning from a passive to an active website isn’t just a mere upgrade; it’s a strategic shift that can redefine your real estate business. The journey from a static online presence to a dynamic, lead-generating powerhouse requires thoughtful planning and execution. Here’s a guide to making the switch seamlessly on your own. (Stick around if you need help)
1. Assess Your Current Website and Goals:
Start by evaluating your existing website. What are its strengths and weaknesses? How does it perform in terms of lead generation and engagement? Understanding where you stand is crucial for setting clear, achievable goals for your new active website.
2. Define Your Target Audience:
An active website thrives on personalization and targeted content. Define your target audience in detail – their preferences, pain points, and what they seek in their real estate journey. This knowledge will shape your content strategy and lead generation tactics.
3. Content and Offer Creation:
Develop valuable content that resonates with your audience. Whether it’s informative blog posts, engaging videos, or insightful market reports, your content should establish you as a knowledgeable and reliable realtor. Pair this content with compelling offers – free home valuations, buying guides, or exclusive listings previews to entice visitors to engage further.
4. Integrate Lead Capture Tools:
Your website should be equipped with effective lead capture forms and calls to action. These tools should be strategically placed and seamlessly integrated into your content, offering a smooth and non-intrusive experience for your visitors.
5. Automate and Personalize Follow-Up:
Implement email marketing and CRM integration to automate your follow-up process. Personalized email sequences can nurture your leads, keeping you top of mind and gradually guiding potential clients through the sales funnel.
6. Monitor, Analyze, and Optimize:
An active website is always a work in progress. Use analytics tools to monitor its performance, understand visitor behavior, and track conversion rates. Regularly refine your strategies based on these insights to optimize your website continuously.
Making the Transition with Our Expert Services
Embarking on this transformation might seem daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our team specializes in creating active sales funnel websites tailored to the unique needs of realtors.
Here’s how we can help:
What we do:
- Together we outline relevant goals and expectations for your website needs. Following your goals we will create a guiding document for the text, images, structure, and other details that will appear on your website.
- Upon your review and approval of the document we will commence building the first draft of your website.
- Once the initial build is complete and everything is functioning we will prompt you to review and generate revisions.
- When you have completed your review we will commence the revisions and complete the build.
- Upon completion your website will be online and ready for traffic and advertising.
How it helps:
- Through collaboration we outline your goals and expectations, ensuring that your website becomes a powerful tool for attracting and engaging customers.
- A well-designed website connects with your customers on a deeper level. Our goal is to make sure your website tells a compelling story, leaving a lasting emotional impact on your visitors.
- Your website is a visual representation of your brand. We work closely with you to create a website that mirrors your identity and values. A consistent and appealing brand image can elevate your business, making it more memorable and trustworthy in the eyes of potential clients.
- We handle the technical aspects of building your website, allowing you to focus your time and energy on what you do best – running your business. Relieve the stress associated with website creation and get your time and peace of mind back.
- Once your website is live, it’s ready to serve as the centerpiece of your online presence. It can support your business by attracting traffic, converting leads, and facilitating online advertising efforts.
Our basic Website Design package is all about turning your online vision into a stunning reality. We work with you to outline your goals, create a guiding document, and build the first draft of your website. Your input and revisions ensure that the final product aligns with your vision. Your website, perfectly tailored to your needs, goes live, ready to serve your audience and support your online advertising efforts.
Embrace the power of an active sales funnel website and witness a remarkable transformation in your lead generation and client engagement. With our expertise and your insight into your clientele, the journey from passive to active is not just a change – it’s an evolution.
Need More Marketing Help?
If you’d like to take it one step further and get more strategies and information about generating leads you may also consider grabbing a FREE copy of our book “Real Estate Marketing: 65 Questions Real Estate Agents Asked Google About Marketing – And The Answers” as well!
