5 Must Haves in a Real Estate Website

Today's consumer is more educated than ever. With the anticipation of many purchases looming in their minds, they have time to hit the search engines and do some research. Here they can get product information, insight through reviews, and exposure to alternatives.

The companies that are succeeding are starting to put more time, effort, and resources into their digital landscape. They want to showcase their offerings in the best possible way. Real estate is the perfect example of an industry where an effective and well created website will add to your bottom line.

Here are five "Must Haves" in a real estate website:

1. Great Design: It is important that your website is well designed. Thought needs to be put into representing your brand, and the agent or broker that you are. The site should flow in a way that the important aspects are situated in the right areas. This will allow users to easily compare properties, see pictures, contact you, or schedule an appointment.

Your site should also work seamlessly across a number of different devices. People are searching from desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones. Your site needs to be compatible so you don't lose potential clients based on your site not working on their device.

2. Effective Content: This is the most important factor when creating a website that will be found in the search engines. Meta tags, keywords, home listings, pictures, and many other elements contribute to how well you rank with potential clients and search engines. Remember, the search engines are often where people start their search for a new property.

3. Social Media Integration: With billions of active social media users worldwide, you need to utilize social media as a means to connect with people. Integrating your Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest can provide you many opportunities to promote your properties and your website. Connecting with clients is also a good way to gain a better understanding of who they are and what kind of properties will best fit them.

4. Property Search: You need a site where visitors can search for what they want and not have to filter through the properties that do not interest them. The search needs to include fields like number of bedrooms, price range, and location.

5. Analytics: If someone comes to your site, it's important to know what led them there, how long they were there, and what they clicked. If you have a lead capture system, you can track your leads and manage them effectively.

To view the original article, visit the Lone Wolf blog.