How to spring clean your website to sell homes

When it comes to buying a residential property, 90% of house searches now begin online. As a result, websites and digital marketing is becoming more and more important for estate agents and property developers.

To boost your chances of winning the attention of homebuyers in the digital world you need a successful website… and a successful website begins with great design.

Your website needs to be a perfect balance of functionality and style which suits your needs and your audience. Think of your website as a sales person who is available 24/7 and the way your website is presented, like your marketing literature, is a direct representation of how your final product (your houses) will be presented.

First Impression

Many prospective buyers will usually land on your website via another link, so your site must make a good first impression visually and then engage the visitor with both the presentation and navigation of content. Make sure that your website doesn’t take too long to load (anything longer than 3 seconds and you risk losing your audience), that its branded correctly and that the visitor has clear paths to key information as well as contact details.

One design for all screens

Like many other potential clients, home buyers are increasingly searching and accessing information on homes for sale on the move with mobile and tablets. Number one rule in 2016 – make sure your website is responsive.

Responsive design is the process of making a website accessible across a range of device. A responsive website will detect the user’s screen size and orientation and then display the content accordingly. This means that your website can be viewed on any type of device, from mobile phones, to tablets, to large desktop displays and everything in-between.

Functionality

Your website’s purpose first and for most is to sell homes.  It needs to be attractive, easy to navigate as well as being easily updated by you. As well as the basics look at ways to boost your websites offering. Think interactive maps to display your developments for properties for sales, detailed search functions to help visitors narrow down their searches with criteria’s that matter to them, easy enquiry forms, mortgage calculators even editable featured properties or developments – it’s all about what you can do to help boost your visitors experience and promoting yourself as not only an attractive website but a useful one.

Content

In the fast moving and customer facing world of property it’s important to have the most up to date information and sales material available be that online or with physical marketing collateral. Keep your site regularly maintained with property information and updates, make sure content isn’t old or outdated and that your website contains the right amount of content. Provide enough to be of help, leaving out irrelevant ‘padding’ and encouraging a call to action to find out more without bombarding them or being too elusive.

CGI’s

Computer Generated Imagery, 3D realisations, virtual worlds and architectural visualisations are perfect for providing your clients with a dynamic way of exploring buildings, interiors and environments.

Any experienced agency would be able to create CGI’s from initial builders plans. CGI’s can be included on your website as an excellent way of enabling prospective buyers to visualize and realise their property dreams and helping you to sell plots before they’re actually built.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Letting Agency Owners: Are You the Bottleneck in Your Business?

As a letting agency owner, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wearing too many hats. But it’s not just exhaustion and burnout you need to worry about – it’s the impact it’s having on your bottom-line. Guest Blog By Sally Lawson – Agent Rainmaker “From managing client relationships and handling operations, to overseeing…
Read More
Breaking News

Latest developments in Renters’ Rights Bill: What landlords need to know

On the brink of becoming law, the Government last week rejected the majority of amendments put forward by the House of Lords, which would have mitigated the severity of some of the amendments. Property professionals, landlords and tenants are poised to navigate this once-in-a-generation overhaul of housing legislation.   Lucy Jones, Chief Operating Officer at…
Read More
Breaking News

What Will Commonhold Mean for Property Managers?

By Robert Poole, Director – Block Management, Glide Property Management, part of LRG The government’s ambition to end leasehold for most residential properties has put commonhold back into the spotlight. First introduced in 2002, commonhold offered a resident-led alternative to traditional leasehold ownership. However, legal and commercial complexity stalled adoption. Two decades later, policymakers are…
Read More
Breaking News

Think You Know Mortgages? These 5 Myths Could Be Costing You Money

When it comes to mortgages, most of us have had advice from family and friends. The trouble is, a lot of these so-called facts are myths, with many individuals missing out on better deals or opportunities, due to not doing their own due diligence. Emma Graham, Business Development Director at Hodge Bank, explained: “Mortgages are…
Read More
Breaking News

Just 17% of homes selling for more than £500k

The latest analysis by eXp UK has revealed that while just 17.4% of homes sold across England and Wales so far this year achieved a price of £500,000 or more, agents in London, the South East, and the East of England will face the greatest need to adapt should the Government press ahead with plans…
Read More
Breaking News

Estate agents back Rachel Reeves’ stamp duty shake-up but call for abolition without replacement tax

The latest research from GetAgent has revealed that the majority of estate agents in England are supportive of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to overhaul property taxation by scrapping Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). However, 44% argue that the new levy should be focused only on higher-value homes, while 79% favour abolishing SDLT outright without introducing…
Read More