When real estate agents start their blog or website I often see the anticipation of getting that first lead be so overwhelming that they just want to scream! Monitoring their web reports they know people are visiting, but for some reason no one is contacting them.  To get more contacts out of your website or blog you need to make it easier on your visitors!

Here are a few ideas to make it easier on your customers to contact you.

Phone Number

Now contrary to most people’s belief that displaying more phone numbers is helpful it actually leads to fewer phone calls because people can’t decide which phone to call.  Make it easy on them and don’t make them think which phone number is best by simply displaying one phone number.  I know, sounds crazy, but it really works. 

Here are some of the tips that have increased contact rate on our pages by as much as 30%

• One phone number displayed in the upper right
• Phone number is an increased font size
• Fax number is not displayed in top area (we put it in the footer)
• Make sure phone number is viewable on every page of your website

It doesn’t matter whether you have a local phone number or a 1-800 number as it doesn’t increase the volume of calls.  Follow the above recommendations and watch your calls increase!

Contact Form

Although we certainly want the opportunity for phone calls so that we can use our objection handling scripts, the reality is that many people feel more comfortable starting to get information by sending a simple e-mail. 

A contact form increases the number of contacts because the visitor to your website or blog doesn’t have to have an e-mail program set-up on their machine in order to e-mail you.  Also, they don’t have to copy your e-mail address down and then login to their web based e-mail program; they simply type you a simple note and their done!

Contact forms should be simple and quick so here is what you can have on your contact form to ensure visitors find it easy to fill it out.

• First Name and Last Name
• E-mail - make this required or you can’t get back to them
• Phone number - make it optional and you will see that the phone numbers that get entered are almost always valid
• Subject  - Leave it blank or provide a drop down of common inquiries
• CAPTCHA Code - This optional feature prevents spam attachs and can be helpful

Conversion Tools

Two major types of visitors are looking at your real estate websites and blogs.  Those would be buyers and sellers!  You need to provide tools for these visitors so they stay on your website and provide you with their information.  Providing a tool for visitors to search the MLS in your area is essential for buyers (we use MLSFinder which is created by WolfNet).

For sellers on your website provide them a tool to so they can see their home value.  There are free tools provided by Trulia and Zillow but you may want to invest in a product that allows you to brand yourself and your site like that of Market Snapshot (provided by TopProducer).  This tool makes it easy to get new prospective sellers from your blog or website.

Be Different

A tool that is usually in front of homes can often work online as well.  We have used the TextMyMLS product which allows people who pass by a home to get the information on their cell phone on our websites.  They can send a text message and get more information.   To use on your website display the text number on your featured listing page and watch people use their phone while surfing the web.

Get Started

So don’t wait in anticipation for those get started today by going through your website and blog to make sure you are doing the above items.  If you want more help to make sure your real estate website and blog are serious lead producing machines our Online Real Estate Success coaching program is for you.  You will get the tools you need to generate more leads and to convert those leads into commissions.

Related Posts:

Man joins gym, stares at gym, and loses 100 pounds in just 4 weeks

Making your real estate website a destination - part 1