Unlike before, everyone has turned to the online space in search of products and services. Recent stats show that over 90% of prospective home buyers searched for their next homes on the internet.
The preceding pandemic, low inventory, and other shifts in marketing dynamics have certainly increased this percentage, making it crucial for homeowners to master online and offline marketing skills. Adopting a good digital marketing strategy is crucial for generating leads and increasing sales. Below are a few tips that can make your real estate digital marketing plan effective:
Build a Responsive Website
All players in the real estate industry, especially cash home buyers, such as We Buy Houses For Cash, and realtors, have understood the importance of having a website. A good website is the key to building a database of solid leads and increased conversions. However, your real estate website should have specific features and be optimized to make it easy for clients to access using multiple devices.
Apart from website design, you should also focus on website content. The content of your website should understand customer needs and pain points. As such, you should focus on specific questions that potential customers search for, such as the types of homes in your inventory and how you can revolutionize their buying experience. Below are a few elements to focus on when creating a real estate website:
Integrate IDX Search Tools and Real-estate Platforms Like Zillow
Search tools are an important component of real estate websites as they make it easy for customers to quickly find what they are searching for. While there are multiple options, an IDX tool is an excellent way to make your site searchable. IDX or Internet Data Exchange tool integrates and displays gathered listings from MLS (Multiple Listings Service) on your site. You can also integrate other real estate platforms, such as Trulia or Zillow, which have IDX and other independent sellers.
Have a Featured Listings Section
While all viewers on your website are looking for properties and homes to purchase, you should shorten their search by highlighting unique listings on your platform. You should introduce a featured listing section to highlight hot and trending properties on the market. For instance, if the current real estate market is skewed towards single-family homes, have them at the top of your featured listings.
Improve Website Navigation and Responsiveness
Cluttered and unresponsive websites can increase bounce rates, which hurts your search engine rankings, leads, and sales. In the current era, where most online searches come from mobile devices, you should embrace a mobile-first approach. Besides, Google search engine algorithms prioritize responsive websites, which increases your search engine rankings. You should also improve user experience by improving load time, choosing a design that fits small screen sizes and tabs, and ensuring pop-ups don’t block important information.
Leverage Client Testimonials
Your site should also have a dedicated testimonials section that highlights feedback from your previous customers. Many people still rely on word-of-mouth recommendations, especially before making expensive purchases. Apart from building trust, testimonials also make you a leader or authority in the field. Additionally, if you want to include Google Reviews, you can use various WordPress plugins, such as Widgets for Google Reviews.
However, it is important to manage Google reviews before you display them on your website to address customer reviews in a timely manner and maintain a positive online reputation.
Implement a Solid Social Media Marketing Strategy
You are missing out on a lot if you haven’t established a social media presence yet. Unlike before, when people used social platforms to create social connections, users have embraced the business perspective of social media platforms. While social platforms help improve brand discoverability and reinforcement and build connections, customers won’t buy from a single post.
You should engage your followers during all stages of the marketing funnel and interact with them directly. For this, you can leverage top-tier social platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Upload high-quality photos of your listings, the neighborhood, and local events to increase engagement rate.
Invest in Search Engine Optimization
The importance of good site SEO cannot be underestimated. Using the right SEO strategies directly improves your website’s visibility and search engine rankings. This turns your platform into a credible website and increases inquiries and sales. Contrary to what most people believe, you shouldn’t limit your efforts to local SEO.
While local SEO can help increase leads in your neighborhood, you should include hyperlocal SEO strategies to optimize your site for a wider audience. Below are a few SEO strategies for real estate sites:
- Create website landing pages for different locations
- Optimize marketing content using location-based keywords, such as houses near me, condos in…
- Create a business listing on Google and list your site on other directories, such as Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor.com
- Optimize your marketing content for voice search to match the increasing use of Google Home and Alexa
Improve Your Video Marketing Efforts
Pictures and videos are of great importance in real estate marketing. More than 80% of buyers and sellers prefer working with realtors who use video marketing in their marketing efforts. Besides, properties with videos get more than four times more inquiries than those without videos.
Unfortunately, most digital marketers are not versed in video marketing strategies. Ideally, your marketing videos should not focus on selling the property. Instead, it should aim at creating a connection and building trust with potential customers. However, like other digital marketing campaigns, you should understand your target audience to create scripts that resonate with them.
Use Email Marketing Campaigns
You can provide value and nurture relationships with current and potential customers through email marketing campaigns. However, having an engaged email list is key to succeeding in email marketing. Your list should feature customers who have shown interest in making property purchases. You can maintain connection by sending relevant content and local real estate news and updating them on recent listings.
Endnote
You should develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan to succeed in marketing your real estate business digitally. Like offline marketing strategies, begin by identifying your target audience and suitable digital marketing platforms. You should also have unique selling points that differentiate your brand from others in the market. You should consider hiring digital marketing experts for assured success.
