How To Spark A 200% Increase In Online Registrations.

February 15, 2010

Presenting a new update on, well, new updates. A recent study indicates that swapping out old pictures of residential offerings with newer ones can be an effective way to stimulate new interest. (Most real estate marketers know this in theory, but it’s not always put into practice.)

LakeBluffCondos.com had been featuring the same pictures – both interior and exterior – for two years. The site’s color scheme had been changed in an attempt to give the project a fresher feel, but it wasn’t enough to improve the low registration count.

Finally, action was taken, the website was given a complete overhaul with a new layout, and most importantly, new photos. Registrations soared.

Constant updates have constant upside. In real estate, the story is always changing. Prices and trends change. The weather changes, the atmosphere changes, the competition changes.

A living, breathing site reflects these changes and tells a more relevant story about a given product. At the very least, start with the product – package it as today’s product, not something from two years ago.

Start with seasonal updates. Don’t show snow on the ground in summer. Let viewers regard the project, and the team marketing it, as vibrant and current.

Exploit your updates by spreading the word via Twitter, email and your blog. Call it out loud and clear on your home page. Write a press release. Give everyone an exciting new reason to take another look.

Budget is no excuse. Take new pictures with your phone if you have to. Today, the importance of immediacy trumps the importance of gloss. It’s a Facebook world.

Give your website the facelift it needs. It’s one of the simplest ways to give your sales board the lift it needs.

– Garrison Insider