- When it comes to design, go with something that is clear and easily readable for the visitor.
- Content is the key selling point of your website -- it's the true king of marketing. Make time to blog weekly.
- Make sure that you are present on social media networks -- Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
These days, people from different lines of work go online in hopes of finding an easy way of reaching out to more people and acquiring more customers.
Over the years, the online world has grown and evolved significantly, which makes it difficult to design and optimize a website that converts visitors into paying customers, as there are numerous things that you have to think about.
If you are a real estate agent looking to create your own website, here are five things to keep in mind.
Budget
This is the first thing that you should plan out. Starting a website nowadays is fairly cheap; however, investing in a high-quality WordPress theme is something that is going to pay off in the long run.
Determining the budget is also important when it comes to the promotion part. Plan it all out; you want to avoid any unnecessary expenses.
The usual expenses that you are going to face are the hosting price, which is anywhere between $20 and $100 depending on your hosting provider, and the amount of space that you want to get.
When it comes to WordPress themes, they stand between $30 and $200, but you are going to be able to find a good one for around $50. The rest of the expenses are going to be related to the promotion of your website.
Design
When it comes to design, there are two options. First, you can hire a professional to change the theme you have handpicked. This is going to cost a bit more, but it is a great option if you are looking for a way to customize your website.
The second option is investing in a more expensive WordPress theme.
This is a solution that comes straight from the box, and it’s going to cost you much less money in the long run. Go with a design that’s clear and readable for the visitor.
A good example to follow is Google’s Material Design, as a majority of people have already gotten used to it.
Content
This is the selling point of your website. Many people believe that the best way to attract customers is by investing in a huge PPC campaign; however, in reality, the true king of marketing is high-quality content.
Create a blog section on your website, and start writing on the topics related to your niche. Over time, the more content you create, the better. This is gradually going to attract people to your website.
Stay active and dedicate the time to write one or two blog posts every week. This will ensure a good continuity of content, which is something your audience is going to greatly appreciate.
Target audience
It is crucial to establish who your target audience is. This is going to guide you when you are creating content on your website.
Are you appealing to your customers? Or do you want to share your knowledge and experience with colleagues?
Think about the target audience you want to communicate with, and start generating valuable content that answers their questions.
Promotion
This is an important part of your website creation process. It is vital to allow people to find you from different sources.
Be present on a variety of social media networks, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. A stable presence on these social media platforms will allow you to reach out to more people.
There are billions of people on social media networks nowadays, so use that to your advantage; most importantly, it’s all free, at least to start.
If you have a decent marketing budget to work with, investing in a PPC campaign is going to bring a lot of new visitors to your website.
These are some of the most important things that you should keep in mind before creating a real estate website. Plan out the launch so you can start focusing on the content.
Anja Skrba is a content and community manager at First Site Guide, and she has been blogging for over five years. You can follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.