How to Capture Leads with Your Real Estate Website

Many agents believe that simply having a real estate website is enough to capture a sizeable number of leads. But while that may have been true in the early days of the internet, relying on your average, run-of-the-mill site today is a surefire way to miss out on new business.

So, if you're finding your website is doing little more than taking up space online, you're probably guilty of a few of the below.

Why isn't my real estate website capturing leads?

Your website looks ancient

If your website looks like you haven't put any care into it since it was first launched in 1996, you're not going to generate any leads. It's that simple.

The majority of today's homebuyers and sellers, spurred on by the pandemic, are seeking out digitally adept agents. If they're a seller, they know that getting the best deal depends on effectively advertising their home via both traditional and digital (e.g., digital marketing, virtual tours and walkthroughs, etc.) channels. If they're a buyer, they're looking for assurance that an agent will be able to locate (and close) on the best home for them, however and wherever it's listed—especially in a sellers' market where a sizeable number of properties are for sale for less than a week.

An archaic website screams you're not with the times.

You've ignored the back end for too long

Maybe you built your website yourself and weren't altogether sure what you were doing. Maybe you hired your nephew to handle the design a few years back. Regardless, your site isn't functioning like it once was. Links are broken. CTAs don't work. Pages take forever to load—if they load at all. And your once-beautiful property photographs now fail to populate.

As much as we'd like to think that websites are static, set-it-and-forget-it solutions, they're not. Websites need maintenance. And one in disrepair will not only frustrate and deter prospective buyers and sellers, but Google will push it down search rankings, believing your business may now be defunct.

You don't offer property search

There's no shortage of sites consumers can use to conduct their property search. So without the ability to do so on your website, what are the chances you'll win more business?

What's more likely: They use another agent's website and then come back to your website, contact, and hire you? Or they work with the agent whose site they've already found helpful? Exactly.

You don't have any effective lead capture

Not all CTAs are created equally. Many agents mistakenly believe they can place a "Contact Me" button somewhere on their website and that alone will drive interested prospects. But it won't.

The most effective lead capture forms are those that offer value to the consumer. CTAs tied to an offer have been found to increase conversion rates by as much as 121%. Examples of these for real estate agents include newsletter signups, market reports, and free home valuations.

How to Capture Leads with Your Real Estate Website

Assuming you've corrected the aforementioned issues and added effective lead capture forms, your next step should be to include your website in any and all marketing materials.

If you're promoting your business via paid advertising—social and search—make sure you've included a link to your site. If you have a Google business profile, a necessary digital marketing tool for any real estate agent, make sure your profile links out to your website. Promote your website on all your social media platforms, and don't forget to include it on any offline print collateral you produce.

Beyond promotion, keep your site updated often with fresh, new content, such as photos and market insights. Showcase your recent successes, and if you've had any business that has been particularly noteworthy—such as a home selling fast or for far beyond its listing price—make sure to highlight that on some of your pages.

Don't be afraid to brag. It's your website, after all.

To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.