As the old cliché says, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Research tells us that close to 85% of buyers and sellers in today’s market use the Internet to find both information and Realtors. If that’s the case, you should be treating it like an electronic business card. Here are five self-test questions that will help you decide if your web site is doing its job.
- Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Now
- Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Without
- Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Free
Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Now
Your logo should be a main part of your business card. Include 1-2 main colors from your logo in the rest of your card, maybe for the font color for your name or invention. Use a clean, easy to read font that fits in well with your logo. If you’ve made any other marketing materials, such as a website or letterhead, your business cards should. Make sure your business card mimics all the different brand triggers you've set up for your online space. Use both front and back. Consider your logo and brand promise on the front, and your contact information on the back. This will give you more room for branding and make the card-to-website transition more seamless for your guests. The Custom card can be printed with your own logo or design. After you place your order we will work with you to get the design right. Before we start production you will get a digital print proof for approval. Once everything is to your liking we will start production.
Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Without
Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Free
- Is the look consistent with your overall image?
- Is the content current?
- Is the content useful rather than self-serving?
- Is your writing professional?
- Is your contact information complete and accurate?
Is the look consistent with your overall image?
The format, color scheme, and overall design of your business card may be dictated by your company. If that’s the case, keep your web site similar in its look and feel. Repetition leads to recognition, and you want to be recognized. The web site doesn’t have to be identical, but if your company’s colors are blue and white, your web site should not be black and beige. You can express your own personality without sacrificing corporate identity.
Is the content current?
There’s nothing worse, from a client’s point of view, than reading through a page of information and then discovering that it was written in 2007. You can’t afford to look stagnant. If you’re talking about current mortgage interest rates, you should update them weekly (or provide a link to a site where that information is available and current). If you’re talking about recent sales in your particular market, use statistics from last month, not last year.
Many people I speak with want to know how to improve their SEO and get more traffic to their site rather than their website just being a digital business card. This brief overview highlights the essential elements of developing effective content to drive more traffic to your site. According to Google, a business card is nothing more than a piece of paper with contact information about a person or a business. So treating your we b site like a business card is just like saying“yourwebsite is nothing more than a page with contact informationabout a person or a business.” It makes sense, up until the point where it doesn.
Is the content useful rather than self-serving?
Sure, having an “About Me” page is fine. You want clients to get a feel for your personality. You want to publicize your specialties, your background and experience. However, the client (whether a buyer or a seller) wants information first. Give them useful market data and then invite them to get acquainted. It’s fine to have a featured listing on your home page, but don’t make listings and sales the focal point. Instead, provide interesting insights into your local environment, links to available resources, and fun facts.
Is your writing professional?
Perhaps grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation are not your strong suit. You are not alone. However, nothing will destroy your credibility faster than clumsy sentences, misspelled words, and long, rambling paragraphs. To keep your writing sharp, get coaching from an expert or use our library of professionally written blog posts designed especially for Realtors.
Is your contact information complete and accurate?
This looks easy, but a simple mistake here can cost you plenty. Your website should have a “Contact Me” link in the home page menu bar. On that page, you should have:
- Your name
- Applicable professional designations (ABR, CPS, CPM etc.)
- Street address (with link to map)
- Office telephone
- Office fax
- Cell phone
- Email address
- A professional (not snapshot) photograph
- Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other links if you use them
You don’t need to be a techno-geek to have a credible, attractive web site. Follow our simple suggestions and your electronic business card will put your best face forward. The good news is that a good web site, unlike a traditional business card, is working for you 24/7. Isn’t that worth a few minutes of your time to do it right?