A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about real estate websites containing too much information.

The examples in that post related to trying to hard to create an information rich site.  This time, we’ll talk about how the lack of a site map can lead to a real estate website having too much information.

What is a Site Map?

A site map is a written document that identifies the pages that will be on the website with a brief summary of the information that will be contained on each page.  A site map can take many forms such as a bubble chart.  I like to use an Excel spreadsheet.

How to Create a Site Map

Various types of planning can be done to end up with an effective site map.  The most effective process starts with creating a real estate brand, which will lead you to define your target market or marketing niche.  Using your brand’s market positioning statement and Unique Selling Proposition (USP), you can identify the unique services you offer to your prospects.

From that point, you can put yourself in your prospects’ shoes and identify the critical information that should be included on your website, and translate that into specific page content.

At a minimum, you really do need to create a site map, even if you haven’t followed all the steps above.

What Happens If You Don’t Have a Site Map?

If you don’t have a site map, the typical result is that you end up with a bunch of pages on your real estate website, but you’re not really sure why they’re there.  If you don’t know the message and information that you want to provide, you’ll usually end up adding a page here and a page there.

The overall information on the site may have a common theme and answer the key questions your prospects will have.  But, the likelihood is that you will end up with too much information, and it probably won’t be the right information.

Remember that the overall goal of a real estate website is to provide enough information to establish your expertise and to make your prospects stay on your site when they first visit, return often, and to encourage them to contact you.

• If your site contains so much relevant information that your prospects don’t need to contact you, your site isn’t going to work hard for you. 
• If your site contains information that doesn’t meet your prospects’ expectations or speak to their specific needs, your site isn’t going to work hard for you.

So, plan well - and structure your real estate website to be an effective lead-generation resource!