To build a web based
Real Estate Business,
you only need two little things....

VISITORS, and LEADS

OK that was easy... 
Are you done yet? 

Most agents get fewer than
2% of visitors to register,
but you can do better if you offer
enough "REASONS" for them to
register.  Once people register,
then you can call them.  

It is very important to be low key about this first call.   I told people I was calling as a quality control measure, just to make sure the web site worked they way they want it to work...   This seemed to reduce "sales resistance" and kept them from armoring up to fight a salesman...  Imagine if your favorite restaurant, bank, or drycleaner called to make sure you were pleased with their service...  wouldn't you be receptive?

I call it taking their temperature.  YOU HAVE TO BE GENTLE.  If they are just looking, and you push, they will never come back to you.  So you just let them lead... 

If they are ready, you can offer more help.  They will understand that you started soft just to be helpful. 

If they are just looking, or not ready, then let them know that is OK, that you don't pressure anybody.  Thank them for visiting the web site, offer to mail them your business card in case they think of any questions, (GET THEIR ADDRESS and send a CMA LATER!!!)  End the call by repeating your name and web address and make sure they know you will be glad to help whenever they are ready.  

However, one out of 10 or 20 will be completely ready to see houses or list a house.  So you take their temperature, work with the hot ones, try to warm up the lukewarm ones, and let the cool ones incubate until they are ready (drip email helps maintain a personal connection until they are ready). 

The average web visitor will look at homes on the internet for 12-18 months before making a move.  You never know where they are in the process, when they visit your site, so treat them all like gold and some of them will payoff!  
 
As I look at many agent web sites, two things come to mind that would help: 
 
 - First, a little more personality and excitement on the main page would help.  I don't like to see ALL your listings on the home page.  Some coaches disagree.  That's ok.  But If a visitor sees a list of 12 or fewer homes, they may think that is all there is.  They never start clicking around the site.  Once you get them clicking around the site, that is the beginning of a relationship. Otherwise, they are just using you.  They hit your home page, see a few houses, and then move on. 
 
You could benefit from more graphics, or pictures in the home page to welcome the visitor with a design that is pleasing to the eye and connects to their emotions.  The goal is that as soon as they see the page they think, in their heart, "I WANT THAT" - even before they read the page. 

Some Agents work on SEO for the page, and do a good job, but never work on design.  Design is a very big part of impressing a site visitor that they have arrived at the site of an agent who stands out, stands above the others. Visitors want to know that they have found an agent who is sophisticted enough and qualified enough to help them with real estate.  If your page looks ok, but it could look better... then work it!!! 

Today's consumer can be very fickle.  They have a lot to choose from when it comes to real estate web sites and Realtors as well.  You can make progress on design on your own, maybe with the help of office mates or members of the P2 message board community... Or you can hire a designer or design coach to help.  The P2 Preferred Vendor Directory is a good place to look.     
 
 - Second, you can use a stong invitation with a payoff to get people to register on your web site (so they give you their email address)  One payoff can be to search the MLS. This invitation can link to your IDX Search page if you use one (best bait there is).  Another can be to receive the newest listings and latest price changes by email.  Maybe you can think of others that fit your personality and target market.  Some markets have local events that people want to know about.  You can even offer to sign visitors up for an email to find out when the (birds, fish, turtles, bunnies, sailboats, car shows, etc) do their annual or quarterly, or monthly (hatch, run, return, dance, show, regatta, run for the kids, etc).  These invitations are placed near the top of the page, AFTER your main SEO sentence or two.  To get these payoffs, the visitor has to register, and give you at least an email.  You can ask for a phone number, but best not to make it mandatory.  About half the people will give you a fake phone number, because they don't want to be called.  But the other half absolutely know they are giving a phone number to a realtor, and it's kind of a test to see if you want their business enough to call.  
 
Remember, web prospects are generally not as hot a prospect as a sign call.  But this does not mean they are worth-less.  It takes about 100 visitors to get 1 to 5 web leads.  It takes 10-20 web leads to get a good prospect/client.  It's a numbers game.  In most markets, the numbers are possible. 

Wishing and Wanting and Working are three different things.  Wishing and Wanting will get you Working if you BELIEVE.  But if you don't add the work, then it's just wishing and wanting. 

I have seen agent web sites go from 0 visitors per day to 70+ visitors per day if they do the work.    
 
Good SEO work, A pleasing design, some bait with a promise of a payoff, and you will start to see the numbers you want.

Coach L : )