When you consider how much the recent pandemic has further pushed real estate ‘online’ and couple that with increasing competition from big portal sites like Zillow, it’s never been more important for agents to separate from the pack with a strong online presence that they own and control…
Yet the overwhelming majority of agents fail here.
I can summarize why in just 3 words: hyperlocal, automation and flexibility – but I’m assuming you’d like a slightly more detailed explanation.
I’ve spent the last eight years as Founder & CEO at AgentFire.com working to solve these problems, and what follows are the top 3 reasons that most agents fail with their websites that I’ve observed from thousands of failed websites!
1. Your website tries to play the same game as Zillow and Redfin
By far the BIGGEST reason for failure is that most agents see their website as merely an IDX search.
In the age of massive search portal websites like Zillow and Redfin, why compete at the ‘search’ level when you can play and win an entirely different game altogether?
That game is hyperlocal… and in my opinion, it’s the most misunderstood ‘buzz-word’ in the industry
Here are 3 ways you can leverage hyperlocal within your website to produce actual results.
Your website should demonstrate you as the authority within your hyperlocal market
Keep your homepage simple and laser-focused on providing value to buyers & sellers within your hyperlocal area
Everything from your domain name to the content on your website should be targeted to the specific hyperlocal market that you serve.
In the short term, this gives you INSTANT credibility.
Over the long-term, it helps to build your reputation as the ‘go-to’ agent in your hyperlocal market.
Your website should showcase what makes you special
Your potential clients WILL be Googling you… help make their decision a little easier by highlighting what makes you special!
Your potential clients WILL be Googling you… help make their decision a little easier by highlighting what makes you special!
Most people won’t even buy a pack of batteries before first reading through hundreds of Amazon reviews. What makes you think they’re any different when it comes to working with an agent?
Your website should have detailed pages for Buyers and Sellers that outline exactly what your potential clients get by working with you. What makes you better than everyone else? Tell them!
When it comes to reviews, we suggest you focus on ONE platform (Google Reviews, Yelp etc.) and make sure to leverage that social proof into your website (pro tip: a single video review goes a long way!)
It should include area pages and area-specific searches
Setup ‘curated’ saved searches like the ones pictured above to create a high value, hyperlocal search experience for your visitors that they CAN’T get at the big portal sites like Zillow or Redfin.
Setup ‘curated’ saved searches like the ones pictured above to create a high value, hyperlocal search experience for your visitors that they CAN’T get at the big portal sites like Zillow or Redfin.
Do what Zillow and the big search portals can’t do and provide your visitors access to saved searches that have been curated for your area and target demographic, including- price ranges within top areas and property features like waterfront or golf-course homes.
2. The website doesn’t help you create and syndicate high-value hyperlocal content
If you’re going to be blogging, you want to make sure that you’re getting the maximum benefit for your efforts.
The first thing you should do is hire a writer to at least get your articles started for you (and to force you to adhere to a consistent publishing schedule!)
At AgentFire, we solve this by integrating with TextBroker™ to give our clients the option to 1-click to order new articles or even subscribe to weekly articles, which they can then edit to add their own unique value before publishing.
The second you hit ‘publish’, your website should automatically syndicate your blog posts to ALL of your social networks, and bonus points if it can also automatically pull that blog post into a newsletter that goes out to your entire database every week!
3. Your website fails to scale with your business
Most website solutions focus on being an ‘all-in-one’ solution’ – which may sound GREAT at first…
until you realize that they’re not particularly good at any of those things.
Using the company that provides your website to also run your marketing AND manage your CRM is like hiring your architect to also install your plumbing and wire your electric.
We’ve solved at AgentFire by seamlessly integrating with leading marketing companies (like Dippidi, or GGMS Media) and world-class CRM’s (like FollowupBoss or LionDesk).
Not only do you end up with much better results, at a much lower overall cost, but this also gives you the ability to scale up as your business grows, and the flexibility to add/remove services to your website without having to lose everything if you decide to cancel.
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Your web site is so much more than just a home search tool: it’s a lead generation tool, a sales and listing presentation tool, a knowledgebase for potential & existing clients, a digital showcase for all of your reviews, accomplishments, and what makes you special AND it’s a central hub for ALL of your online efforts!
Choose wisely and don’t make these mistakes!
Learn more about Spark Sites from AgentFire and get exclusive discounts for Inman readers!