This is the last 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 five posts in this series covered issues related to how your website is set up, some related to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and some related to how your content is written and how your pages are laid out.

11.  Selling Your Visitors:  Too Much “Me”!

What’s Too Much “Me”?

Packing Your Home Page with Information About You  – Earlier in this series, the point was made that the most effective use of your home page is to sell visitors on your website. 

When an Internet buyer or seller hits your home page, their first question is whether or not your site provides them with the tools they need to research their next real estate transaction.

The goal for your home page is to make it easy for your visitors to find the information they need, and to let them know there is a place where they can learn more about you – when they’re ready.

It’s a good idea to include a “teaser” on the home page with a link to an “about” page.  It’s easy to write that teaser if you have a brand, but even if you don’t, pick one of the key benefits of your business that your target audience will relate to.

Making Your “About” Page All About You – You could be thinking, “But, wait a minute, isn’t the about page supposed to be about me?”  The answer is no!

When you’re a one-man show, like many agents are, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to sell yourself to prospects.  What you’re really selling is your business.  So, what business are you in?  I usually think of it as a real estate consulting practice.

Your prospects will choose to work with you when they believe that the benefits that they will receive when they work with you are better than the benefits they will receive from working with any other real estate advisor.

There’s a story about the head of Stanley Tool who made this point during an annual sales meeting:

“I want each of you to remember that you are not selling drills – - you’re selling holes!”

And, that philosophy works very well in the real estate industry, too.  You’re not selling yourself – - you’re selling a successful real estate transaction.

Concentrate your “about” page on the benefits your clients receive when they work with you.  Translate your market knowledge and experience into benefits that are meaningful for your target audience.

And, certainly it’s true that real estate is a personal business.  You and your clients work closely together, and you spend a great deal of time together in situations that can sometimes be very stressful.  So, don’t be afraid to share some of yourself with your visitors, but tie insight on who you are with what that means to your prospect.

Another thing to keep in mind is that prospects are rarely impressed by industry awards you’ve received, unless you can tie them into a benefit.  So, if you’re the #1 sales person in your office, don’t mention it unless you can use it as a proof source for selling homes quickly and at top value, for example.

*     *     *     *     *

Effective Internet marketing is a critical component of your marketing strategy.  As you’re probably aware, the trend for buyers and sellers using the Internet is increasing every year.  Real estate professionals who ignore the Internet do so at their own risk.

If you take the time to create a lead-generating website, it will pay for itself, and you’ll reap the benefits, many times over!

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 clickable

As 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!

This is the third 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 two posts in this series covered issues related to how your website is set up, and some issues related to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Now, we’re up to mistake #8.

8.  Not Optimizing Your Pages for Your Chosen Keyword Phrases

This is a mistake I see a lot.  I am always amazed at the capabilities search engines have.  They send their spiders to crawl all over the Internet reading individual websites.  The magnitude of that task is almost beyond my ability to grasp the concept.  The fact that they keep all that information straight is truly incredible.  However, search engines are just machines and haven’t gotten to the point of reading our minds.  Yet.

But, it often seems like we do expect the engines to read our minds.  A typical situation is when I’m talking to a prospective client about doing some customization for their site.  While we talk, I usually take a quick trip to their site to see what is already in place.  I might find a community page, let’s say it’s about the town of Smallville.  I look at the page title and meta tags, and they focus on Smallville real estate.  So far, so good.

Then, I do a quick scan of the page content and discover that the words Smallville real estate do not appear anywhere on the page.  It’s true that content for your website should be written for human beings, not search engines.  But, you shouldn’t ignore the engines altogether.  Just make sure to keep your keyword phrases in mind as you write. 

Here are some examples:

It’s a good idea to have your target phrase appear at least at the top of the page, and at the bottom.  If you can easily include it another time or two, that’s even better.  And, putting the phrase in bold type will help your visitors scan the page, and the search engines will notice that, too.

One easy way to make sure your target phrase appears at the bottom of the page is to add a summary paragraph.  It could be something as simple as “If you have any questions about Smallville real estate…”  or  “If I can help make relocating to Smallville a pleasant experience for you and your family….”  or  “If you have school age children, you’ll be pleased with the outstanding educational opportunities you’ll find in the Smallville schools.”

9.  Leaving Your Internet Visitors Out in the Cold

This is an easy one to miss.  You know that you need to tell your Internet visitors what you can do for them.  But, the “point of view” you use in the writing is important.  It’s the difference between drawing your visitors into your world, and keeping them as distant observers.

You undoubtedly learned this in school sometime, but here’s a brief review of Point of View in writing:

• First Person – From the point of view of the writer(s), using pronouns like I, my, us, we
• Second Person – From the point of view of the reader, using pronouns like you and your
• Third Person – From an outside point of view, using pronouns like they, theirs

Wherever possible, writing from the point of view of the reader draws them into what is being said and helps to establish a personal relationship between you and your Internet visitors.  It’s easy, though to fall into writing in first person. 

When you write for the web, you might want to write a first draft just to get the information down in a logical way.  Then, go back over the content to make sure that it’s written in second person.  Here’s an example of how that might go:

• First draft:  We provide all the tools that are required to research a home purchase in Smallville.  The mortage calculator can be used to determine the affordability of a home.  We make sure that all the necessary financial information is available to make an informed decision.
• Revision:  You’ll find all the tools you need to research your next home purchase in Smallville right on this website!  You can use the mortgage calculator to determine how much home you can afford.  We know how important it is for you to protect your financial future, so we make sure you have all the financial information you need to make an informed decision.

If you want to check your web pages, there’s a handy free online tool called the Customer Focus Calculator.  Test some of your pages with the calculator.  It will tell you exactly how customer-focused the content of the page is, and whether you need to go back and do some revising!