23 May Converting real estate website leads
You’re doing everything right; driving consistent traffic to your website and tracking / analyzing it to convert your visitors into leads at the highest rates possible. One problem though, your real estate website leads are not turning into clients. What are you doing wrong? Or, what are you not doing at all?
Many real estate professionals, even the ones who have invested the time and money to market their websites properly, find themselves in this common scenario. More often than not, the reason for poor web lead to client conversion ratios is because the lead nurturing and conversion process is not handled appropriately or web leads are ignored past initial contact altogether. Stop burning leads, and your time and money, and start nurturing your web leads to actually turn them into clients.
What is a Real Estate Website Lead?
A common misconception is that a web lead is the same thing as a phone lead, walk-in lead or any other type of lead you may have received before. In rare cases they can be, but a majority of real estate web leads are different in nature and require special interaction and follow up.
To manage leads effectively you must understand how real estate web leads are attained. Here is the most common way a lead is acquired from a website:
STEP 1: Prospect does a search on the search engines, clicks on an advertisement for your website or types in your website directly into their browser after receiving a referral from someone who has been to your website previously.
STEP 2: Prospect gets to your website, spends some time looking at your featured properties, using your MLS search or reading about the useful information you have provided about the communities you specialize in.
STEP 3: Prospect likes what they have found and looks for a way to contact you for more information. Luckily you have placed prominent calls to action and lead generation forms on your website so your prospects can contact you easily.
STEP 4: Prospect completes a web lead form, usually just providing only their name and email, and then receives a “Thank You” from you (via web page or auto-responder email).
If this seems foreign to you, then your real estate website may not be generating enough web leads for you.
Facts About Real Estate Web Leads
Here are some common facts about real estate web leads that will help you to understand how to handle them more effectively:
1. People do not like to feel like they are being duped or tricked for their personal information. If you offer something for someone’s name, email, phone, etc. then make sure you follow through.
2. Yes, over 80% of all real estate transactions start online, but keep in mind that these people are “starting” their search in most cases. When someone provides their information to you this does NOT mean that they are ready to be your client right then and there.
3. People like to feel that their personal information is not going to be abused when they provide it to you so make them feel comfortable and, by no means, abuse this information with lazy, ineffective web follow up.
4. People searching for real estate information online are trying to get closer to one of the most important financial decisions of their life, they are not trying to buy a pair of shoes on impulse. The average sales cycle (from lead attainment to conversion) is usually about 6 months so expect to invest some time in to each lead.
How to Manage a Real Estate Website Lead
Want to know what the most sure fire way to burn a web lead is? Email or call them once and then never contact them again because you did not receive a response. Seems like common sense right? Well, you would be surprised at how many real estate professionals actually do this with their real estate web leads. One of the main reasons we hear from Estate Agents and brokers that do this is that since “they did not respond, they must not be a legitimate lead”.
Think about the last time you purchased something, like your website for example (if applicable). Now recall how many times the salesperson had to email and call you before you actually purchased your website. Starting to click yet? Once it does, multiply that many times over as the people you are trying to follow up with are searching for the most serious financial decision of their life.
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