Archive for November, 2007
This is the fourth post in the series on website content mistakes you can avoid so that you don’t end up annoyed with your website like our friend here. Use this link to see all the posts in this series: Real Estate Website Content Mistakes.
The first three posts in this series covered issues related to how your website is set up, some related to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and another related to how your content is written.
9. Worrying More About Page Length and Not Enough About Your Message
One day I was talking on the telephone to an agent interested in our assistance in customizing her Point 2 Agent website. I directed her one of my client’s website. The home page required one use of the “page down” key to see the entire message on a 1024×768 monitor. She was horrified. She said she’d never read all that and quickly hung up.
I knew the kind of website she wanted. You’ve seen them. They have lots of pretty graphics and each page is exactly one screen long or less. That type of site is nice to look at. It’s neat. It’s contained. It doesn’t require scrolling. And, I know of very few businesses that can present an effective message in one paragraph.
On the other end of the spectrum are those websites that put 10 screens of information on one page. I’ve never understood the psychology behind those types of sites. If I run across one, I immediately assume I’m about to be fleeced. I usually either leave, or use the slider on the right hand side of my screen to zoom down to the bottom of the page. That’s usually where the real information is.
Somewhere in between those two extremes is the right length for your web pages. Keep in mind that how we think people use the Internet and how they actually use the Internet are often very different.
If you’re interested in more detailed information about website usability, check out a book called Don’t Make Me Think written by Steve Krug, who is a website usability consultant. Here’s what Mr. Krug says after years of watching people use the Web:
“When we’re creating sites, we act as though people are going to pour over each page… weighing their options before deciding which link to click.
The Reality [is that you] look around feverishly for anything that
a) is interesting, or vaguely resembles what your’e looking for and
b) is clickableAs soon as you find a halfway-decent match, click. If it doesn’t pan out, click the Back button and try again.”
In reality, Internet users are more opposed to reading content than they are to scrolling down the page a bit to find that halfway-decent match. Make sure you achieve your objective for each page of your website, but don’t establish a pre-defined page length goal.
There are two more parts to this series. Tune in next Monday!
Can you name 20 things you do as a listing agent? 50? 100? How about 180??
One of the most difficult things to do when you’re operating a real estate consulting practice is to figure out how to market your services. It’s a forest vs trees thing. You usually do what you do without thinking about it.
That’s why clients enjoy the process of developing a brand. It gives them a new perspective on themselves. One of my clients, Joe Smith (names have been changed to protect the innocent), made an interesting comment after reading the marketing copy written for his “About Me” page, based on his brand. He said:
“As I was reading this page, I found myself thinking: ’Joe Smith, meet Joe Smith!‘”
That may be the feeling you get when you read this report entitled, The Critical Role of the REALTOR® in the Real Estate Transaction. The report was published by the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association. It’s been around for a while, but if you’ve never seen it, or haven’t read it recently, I think you’ll find it pretty useful.
The report lists 180 things that a listing agent does to list, market and sell a home. Wow. Not just 20 things, 180. The report would be a great tool to use the next time you update your listing presentation.
Of course, you probably wouldn’t include a list of all 180 things in your presentation, but it will give you ideas on how to explain your role in the real estate transaction. You can use the entirety of that list to identify the benefits your clients will realize when they have a professional managing the transaction.
I found out early in my career that you can’t sell something unless you can explain it. That may sound ridiculously obvious. But, people who are struggling with a marketing message often need to go back to the basics and make sure they have a very clear definition of what it is they are selling.
This is especially true in the service industries because very often those things that are so familiar and automatic to you relate to issues your clients have never thought of.
So, don’t sell yourself short. After reading this list, you can start on writing one for the things you do as a buyer’s representative!
