Seller Tip – Do You Have A Personalized Web Site To Boost Exposure and Maximize SEO?

Are you are a seller with a traditional sign up in your front yard with just the name of the brokerage firm, listing agent, their web site and the phone number to the office and the agent’s cell phone? What about the url/web address of your own personalized web site of your home?

With over 80% of buyers going online to get information on homes for sale, utilizing digital marketing, part of which is having your own personalized web site, is key to getting the most exposure for your listing. And it’s key to getting the most amount of information about your property and community to potential buyers.

For example, if you were to search "Birdsnest Place" (one of our listings) in Google, the first result you would find is the listing on Trulia (one of the 25+ sites our listings are marketed on). The second and third search results are the personalized web site we created for that seller/listing.

As you can see, having your own personalized web site is an integral part of getting on top of search engine results. This is due to its’ search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities. This will bring your property to the attention of potential buyers much more so than being buried on a page deep inside your agent’s web site.

As far as providing buyers with the information they need, a personalized web site is great for accomplishing that. Your site can provide features and information that is not always available elsewhere (the MLS, Realtor.com, other listing sites). These features and information include:

• High-resolution digital photos which are able to be enlarged for better viewing
• Neighborhood information/links
• Additional information (this could include a plat, list of renovations/improvements, schools, etc.)
• Map/Directions (aerial maps including satellite views along with directions)
• Contact information for your listing agent (not some random agent who paid the most amount of money to have their information advertised on the listing as is the case with many listing sites)

And many of today’s buyers are getting tired of being "sold" by the listing agent/broker when they call so they would rather get the information online on their own. Having your own personalized web site for your property will appeal greatly to those buyers because they get most of the information they need right there on the spot.

Another thing to consider is how quickly you can get the information about your property to a potential buyer who sees the sign up in your front yard while driving by.

Rather than having to to call the listing or search through the various listing sites to find the property listing, buyers driving by your property can quickly jot down the url and find your property immediately when they get back to their computer. In a perfect world, the buyer would be able to access the information immediately.

Well, if you have the url listed on your yard sign, the buyer can pull up your site on their phone’s browser right there on the spot while still in front of your home.

So sellers…don’t sell yourself short by not embracing digital marketing, a part of which is having a personalized web site for your property/listing. Maximum marketing exposure is more important in today’s real estate market than ever before.