What Realtors ought to know about their websites

What was popular for your real estate website a couple of years ago is no longer working. If you have a site that hasn't been updated recently you can relate to this. You've noticed less activity, visits, leads etc. and likely a drop in your search position on Google. This isn't about your meta tags and keywords, it's about your content.

The good news is that you really don't have to throw money at traditional advertising to improve your online search strategy and conversion. And while improving your content takes work, this work can take the place of other less profitable marketing strategies while saving you time and effort in addition to money.

Take a few minutes to view this video. It will help you get in the frame of mind to accept how quickly things are changing. And why you need to change your online marketing strategy to keep up.

Some people think this video is creepy or scary. Change is always a little scary and seeing how quickly technology is evolving can be intimidating but also exciting.

People surf the web to research or to be entertained. If your website is simply an advertisement about how great you are then you are missing an opportunity to connect with your visitor. You won't be able to hold their attention because you are not meeting their needs.

Your affiliations, years in business, awards and sales volume is not content aimed at meeting the needs of your visitors. Don't say "I'm a luxury homes specialist" prove it. Provide interesting  information about the luxury home market. Define your audience. Who purchases/sells luxury homes? What topics would be of specific interest to that demographic? Educate and engage your visitors.

Check out the following resources for writing engaging customer focused content:
"First of all, you'd better be blogging. You've got to join the conversation and have something valuable to say before anyone will bother acknowledging you. In the excellent business blogging book Naked Conversations, authors Robert Scoble and Shel Israel envision a day when a business that doesn't blog will be viewed with suspicion by the public. Blog marketing has been dismissed as fad and reviled as fanciful, but the denial stage is over, and everyone is getting in on the action."
Quoted from: Viral Copy: Trading Words for Traffic
download the full 30 page report and visit copyblogger.com for more information and articles about viral marketing and creating great content for your real estate web site.

The Customer Focus Calculator (We-We Calculator):
A great tool to illustrate whether your site is focusing on the customers' needs...or just loves the sound of its own voice.

Related posts:

1. Realtors up your marketing not your spending.
2. Realtors choose to be inspired and successful