Strange Looks
Many times when I use the word sticky when talking to people about websites I get a strange look? However, most web 2.0 people know what that means. In its simplest meaning, it means that a visitor to your web site or blog keeps coming back again. As Realtors, we must have our web-sites be sticky. We want those return visitors.
How do we get return visitors?
We provide them with the best information out there of all the sites they are looking at. I have four sites, one is “sticky”, and the others are not. The “sticky” site brings me leads and closings, the others do not or rarely do. If I had to depend on my non-sticky sites, I would be living in the poor house right now.
How do you find out if your site is sticky?
Easy, ask yourself, do you have the same folks returning again and again to look for houses? My sticky web-site is programmed to send out new listings to the buyers who register and save their search. Then when a new listing comes on the market that meets their criteria, they are automatically sent the new listing. I can tell who opens the new listing or not. When they return to the site I get an email notification that they have returned. I have found that those who are using the site the most often are the ones closer to buying a home, usually within 90 days. On my blogs I use sites such as sitemeter or getclicky.
The Net Savvy Consumer
In Real Estate the consumer is looking for information on homes for sale in your area. Consumers want to see multiple photos, virtual tours, maps and satellite images. Where does that house sit on that lot? Are there railroad tracks next door? Is it near a commercial development? Is it close to schools? Is the Realtors description accurate? The consumer of today is not looking for a Plain Jane boring search site, they want information and they want it quickly. They want fewer clicks to get to what they are searching. They don’t like to be taken from one site to another to see the listings.
Search your competition
How do you know how you are stacking up with the competition in your area? I suggest “putting on your buyer hat” and pretend you are looking to purchase a home in your area. Type in your search queries or the words you think a buyer would look for. Some of the things I try to target my site to come up for are: Ann Arbor Real Estate, Homes for sale in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MLS, Ann Arbor Realtor, and Search Ann Arbor houses for sale. Next go to the sites that come up under those search terms and check out your competition. Does your web-site match up? Would you hang out and look for homes on their site or yours? Stop thinking like a Realtor and think like a buyer, think like a seller.
I know of a Realtor in my area, that has fantastic positions for his web-site, his wife optimizes his site constantly. I also know the site is not “sticky” and he hasn’t closed a house from it all year. Good placement on Google, bad site? or not good follow up? Most of us, would love to have our sites come up on the positions he holds on Google, but if the site doesn’t give the consumer what they want they will find a site that does and they will return to that site again and again.
People visiting your web sites have higher expectations than they did a few years ago; the competition is tougher to get those returning visitors. A “sticky site” is a must. Keep is simple, easy to navigate, give them as much information on the house as you can with tons of photos, let your visitors feel 100% in charge of their experience while on your site. Remember it is all about them, their time, their needs. They don’t care about your face, your awards, the weather, or all the wonderful things you do.
They care about the information they are searching for, that’s it.
