Can you hear that noise? It’s the sound of a website sucking away an agent’s time, energy, and money. It may even be the sound of your website. Let’s hope not. Just in case, though, here are 5 ways to keep your website from the SUCK.
As much as I love comic books I really can’t stand the TV show Smallville about the teenage Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. Sure, it has super-powered hijinks in it but the show is basically a Beverly Hills 90210 on steroids. Now, the show is a huge hit with fans but I don’t tune in. Not my thing. I’m not their audience and frankly it turns my stomach to see superheroes get the “teen drama” treatment. Smallville sucks.
Write for your audience
Take the lesson here: you may be covering real estate on your site but some audiences are gonna think your content just plain sucks. It’s not what they care about or looking for. Of course, this also means that a different audience is probably saying, “Hell, yeah!”
Granted, you may not be writing to build up regular readership. Like most Realtors, you’re probably writing to generate business which, of course, means that connecting with potential clients is even more critical.
If your ideal clients are affluent professionals looking to move up in home then first-time buyer loan programs aren’t of interest to them (suck!). But, information on how 1031 exchanges work just might be (hell, yeah!).
Now, if folks aren’t saying either “this sucks” or “hell, yeah” then you’re not appealing to any audience and are going to miss the business – you’re simply too boring or uninteresting and truly SUCK. You’ve gotta write to an audience.
Don’t SUCK… write for an audience and they’ll find you worth giving their loyalty to.
Make your site useful
If I’m coming to your website from a search engine then it’s because I want to be educated on something so your site had best be informative… or it SUCKS.
At least initially, a visitor doesn’t care about you, your credentials or your Glamour Shot. Give them what they’re looking for and help them move from an uncomfortable position to one of informed confidence.
This builds off of the previous tip of writing for an audience. What information does your audience need… that’s what you cover, duh.
How many times have you visited an agent’s site and it was either nothing but self-promotional or the only useful content it offered was a home search tool? Website SUCK.
You’re an expert. Do what experts do: inform.
Make the content unique
Those of you reading this on AgentGenius probably don’t commit this bit of SUCK on your website: trying to pass off canned and regurgitated content as “good” content.
Seriously, the free reports that are included with website template packages are pretty SUCK. Have you read one? Most are sterile and lifeless and violate the first rule of not sucking: appeal to your audience.
If that’s not bad enough, this is the same content that can be found on a bajillion (actual non-number) other Realtor websites.
“So, why are you special again? Oh, you’ve been a Realtor for a long time. Then surely, you have something to say that’s far more compelling than this canned drivel.”
Come on and stay out of the SUCK. Provide unique content and demonstrate your real value.
Make it interactive
Provided you’ve stayed out of the SUCK so far, you want to make sure your website promotes interaction with your visitors. Let’s face it, your website can only do so much to create qualified clients from passive visitors… ultimately, they have to interact with you.
If you blog then know your blog is more than just a place to store content, it’s also a conversation vehicle. Encourage comments by asking questions, offering polls and results, take surveys.
Most website visitors will not consciously decide to interact with you, especially if they have to jump through hoops to do so. Invite the feedback and make it easy.
You don’t want to get stuck with a website that’s basically just an echo chamber. That SUCKS.
Convert readers into subscribers
Your website is a business tool and should be creating potential clients for you. If it doesn’t then your visitors aren’t prospects, they’re squatters taking your content for a free ride. Big website SUCK.
The saying in sales is, “if you don’t ask for the sale, then they won’t give it to you.” So, ask for their email address, man! And don’t be afraid to use it.
Whether you convert eyeballs into emails through simple subscription forms or by capturing the details via registered search, you need to have some way of inviting folks into your sales funnel. Otherwise, well, what’s the point of your website other than SUCK?
Nobody wants a website all full of SUCK. What are some other ways to make sure websites actually serve your business rather than sucking away your time, energy, and dollars?
Vicki Moore
February 23, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I’d be interested in a Mark-E-valuation. I like my site but it sucks a ton of time without the results I want or think I should have. I have pretty good Google ranking but not the interaction and response I’d like. I’m going over to Guerrilla RE Marketing…
Carson
February 23, 2009 at 3:56 pm
This article did not suck.
Paula
February 23, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Mark – come on, tell us how you really feel – BTW – an hour with Mark is worth the time:)
Mark Eckenrode
February 23, 2009 at 7:43 pm
@vicki: a “mark-e-valuation”… i dig it ;-P feel free to give me a holler at https://www.homestomper.com/contact
@carson: comment win
@paula: no sense beating around the bush… geniuses deserve better. and thanks for the plug 🙂
Elaine Reese
February 23, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Lot’s of food for thought. I’ve obtained a good business from my blog, but naturally want more. I’ll see what modifications I can make to improve it more. Thanks for the advice.
valencio
February 24, 2009 at 8:54 am
Excellent Read.. ! This can be used for other industries as well.
Thanks
Valencio
Atlanta Real Estate
September 5, 2009 at 11:10 am
Mark:
Sorry about the late post, I’m new here and doing some catch up.
I’m glad I am because this post ROCKS (anti-suck) and gets to the heart of the whole agent web site reason for existance.
I’m sure there’s that 1% that will tell you their site is out there to inform and make the world a better place.
But the other 99% own sites to corral prospects and I am confident that 99% of these 99% are landing maybe a single lead per week, if that.
This is bad, especially given the time vampire they are, not to mention the expense for those that are not self-web developers and have to pay someone for every little tweak.
Agents shoudl START with your advice and design their sites.
Well done,
RM