Though
my personal web site analysis and coaching (www.CyberStars.net)
and from my association with the Allen F. Hainge CyberStars™,
I have identified three important differences between sites that
make money and sites that do not.
Money-making
sites emphasize:
• Deep,
consumer-oriented content (not the agent and his or her achievements)
•
At least 8 "send me something" button links scattered
throughout the site
•
Good listing treatment.
Focusing on
listing treatment, a clear distinction can be found in the way the
money-making sites display their listings. Too many agent sites
feature only one exterior photo of the listing, for example. We
can take a tip from large corporate sites that show their product
in full detail. Car sites such as www.Toyota.com display their product
in detail: exterior and interior photos and, of course, virtual
tours that make you feel like you are sitting in the car.
Adopting the
same principle helps you sell and get more listings. Use multiple
photos and, of course, the leading virtual tour program, VisualTour.com,
to post a complete showing of the home. Using the stitching tool
that comes with the program allows you to include panoramic photos,
which show the entire room or an outside view of the cul-de-sac
or an appealing back yard.
One final suggestion.
Since the consumer is interested in the area as well as the home,
use VisualTour.com to provide them with area and neighborhood tours.
Many of my CyberStars™ do so. One good example is Dianne Dunn's
site, www.DDunn.com. Dianne, from New Bern, NC, includes a nice
area tour on her site, one that brings her a lot of viewers...and
commissions!
My CyberStars™
earned an average of $115,400 from their sites alone in 2004. One
of the main reasons they did so is that they display their listings
in a way that brings in inquires. The same approach will work for
you!
Allen F. Hainge,
CRS
Founder & President, The Allen F. Hainge CyberStars™
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