Six Ways an Outdated Website is Hurting your Real Estate Business
They say it only takes us seven seconds to develop an impression when meeting new people – your website is no different. Keeping your site up to date plays a crucial role in growing your business and client base. How can an outdated website affect your business?
Gives Off the Wrong Impression to Customers
Your website is the first experience most customers will have with your brand, so first impressions are key. An old stodgy design, a poor property search experience and hard to locate information – including your contact information – are all reasons a potential buyer will move on to the next Realtor’s website. Streamline and modernize your web design and optimize for lead conversion with simple forms throughout your site.
Lacks Consistent or Relevant Content
Customers are looking for you to be an expert in the Real Estate industry and the neighborhoods you cover. Content such as blogs, videos and photos are a great way to provide them with relevant information before, during and after the home buying process. Develop a consistent posting calendar or strategy in order to keep customers engaged on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Reduces your SEO Ranking
Your SEO settings and ranking are important so that customers can find your website and listings. Older sites with outdated algorithms, coding and iframes reduce the chances of your site showing up in prospective buyer searches. Many search engines will even penalize sites for not having updated SEO settings. For example, Google launched a new search algorithm on April 21st, 2015 which will rank mobile friendly sites above non-mobile friendly sites. Test your site now!
Poor or No Lead Capture Capabilities
Capturing potential leads is one of the most important functions of your website. Low-quality sites with ineffective capture tools let potential customers slip through the cracks. Updated sites with engaging calls-to-action, easy to find contact information and lead capture tools within the property search increase your lead capture potential exponentially.
The Property Search is Cumbersome
Home buyers will spend a majority of their time on your property search in comparison to the rest of your site. Older search platforms provide limited functionality to customers making the process slow and cumbersome, especially on mobile devices.
Your Website is not Responsive
More than 50% of home buyers say that they use mobile during their home search. Your website being accessible to customers across all platforms (mobile, tablet & laptop) is key to growing more web traffic and leads. A responsive design allows you to provide a smooth customer experience whether they’re waiting in-line with their phone or using their tablet on a flight home.
Using these tools, audit your website often to make sure you’re taking the necessary steps to keep your business and brand relevant to your target customers.