CREATE A SEAMLESS CONVERSION PATH THAT WILL GET YOU MORE LISTINGS WITH HOME VALUATION LANDING PAGES BY INTERNET MARKETING ADVISOR CHRIS SPEICHER MAY 2014
WHY HOME VALUATION As an agent who is looking to expand online marketing, this is a key strategy. The success of many agents using this platform have been due, in part, to launching a campaign into an existing farm or market where the agent is already recognizable. While agents can certainly launch a campaign into a new market with this platform, we have found that existing markets, generally, have a quicker return on investment (ROI). Another key to success when using this strategy is intense follow-up. The landing page visitor is raising their hand and showing interest in the value of their home but may not be committed to selling. You must work with your coach on a follow-up action plan designed to create a sense of urgency for both you and the visitor. Our goal is to bring you the most important details of this strategy so we can assist you in having the highest conversion rate possible. PAGE ELEMENTS Form Header This is your one opportunity to describe the reason why you re asking for personal data. Say exactly what the visitor will receive in the header, and reinforce that in the Call To Action (CTA) button. For example, your header might read, What s your home s value in today s market? and the CTA, Get Your Valuation. LANDING PAGES Imagery (Video) Use imagery (or a video) that is gainful and relevant. For example, do you use an image of a house or a graph showing home price trends, or is it a quick market update video that talks about the local housing market? Story Get straight to the point. Visitors are there for a reason, so make sure you address that reason clearly and succinctly by highlighting the value of what you re offering and how it addresses their needs, interests, or problems. For example, the story could read, Many sellers are still hesitant about putting their house up for sale. Where are prices headed? Where are interest rates headed? Can buyers qualify for a mortgage? These are all valid questions. However, there are several reasons to sell your home sooner rather than later. Here are five of those reasons. Social Proof Think about pulling home seller reviews from other sites to showcase your skill at pricing, selling homes. Two-Step Form Submission Capture the address first and then ask for personal data. Worst-case scenario you capture an address but nothing else. You can still take action with just an address!
DESIGN ELEMENTS Simplicity of Layout Keep things simple, and make sure the images you use on your landing pages support not distract the pathway to conversion. Contrast Colors Clicks You always want your CTA to pop. You re encouraging visitors to fill out a form and click on that submit button, so make sure it s easy for visitors to see where they should complete that action. That s why using complementary and contrasting colors is a great way to call a visitor s attention to exactly where you want it. Brand Consistency Keep your brand top of mind. This is particularly critical for visitors who come to your landing pages from external sources, like social media (Facebook), search or direct mail / farming. If you have multiple landing pages, maintain that position on all your landing pages to maintain consistency. Recognizable Formatting Clearly laying out your headlines, images, copy, form, etc. can help you highlight the value of your offer by creating a visual-friendly user experience that guides visitors to complete the conversion.
MISTAKES Too Many Choices Your landing page has a single goal; more than one goal will confuse the visitor. Do not offer irrelevant information to the visitor. Doing so will steal the visitor s attention away from the single goal. Bad Ad-To-Page Connection: Content, Design and Momentum Your landing page headline must be a continuation of the conversation that you started with your external source. For example, if you re advertising states, What s your home s value in today s market?, your headline shouldn t read, Homes Are Selling For Top Dollar! It should read, Find out your home s value because homes are selling for top dollar. Not Designed For Conversion: Conversion Centered Design Every element on the landing page from content to imagery to design to color should serve a single purpose. Do not confuse or distract the visitor with ancillary information or offerings. DRIVING ELEMENTS Online From Facebook to Google Adwords, driving visitors to the landing page is, of course, critical. The concept of Ad-To-Page Connection or, as Tom talks about, taking the offline, on. Your ad s headline, imagery and CTA should set the visitor s expectation and then, using that momentum, the transition to the landing page should be smooth. Offline The use of farming, direct mail and more traditional advertising can be effective, too. The rules remain the same Ad-To-Page Connection is crucial.
FOLLOW UP Action Plan Follow-up is critical. The money is in the converting that visitor into a listing appointment. Without an appointment, why advertise? As always, immediate follow-up is the first key to success. If you can t make immediate contact, follow-up on a daily basis for the next 10 days use phone, email and text as methods to communicate. If the visitor is not interested in a listing appointment, provide a CMA and then put them on follow-up list and keep them there. Just have an address and no contact information? Either send a CMA (along with an introduction letter and proof piece) or door knock. Work with your coach, today, to create an ongoing lead follow-up program and sense of urgency - time is of the essence. Be sure you are ready when a landing page visitor becomes an interested seller - you need to be committed. As Tom says, All the money is in the conversion. ABOUT CHRIS SPEICHER Chris Speicher is Co-Founder & REALTOR of the Speicher Group, an award-winning real estate firm based in Montgomery County, Maryland. The Speicher Group is ranked in the Top 100 RE/ MAX teams in the United States, #6 in Maryland and #1 in Montgomery County (out of nearly 93,000 agents). In 2010, when Chris formed the Speicher Group with his wife, Peggy Lyn, they closed six deals that totaled less than $3M. In 2013, they closed more than 100 deals totaling more than $44M. Prior to forming the Speicher Group with his wife, Peggy Lyn, Chris was a sales and marketing professional working with some of the world s leading companies like Black & Decker, Comcast, Thomson Reuters and, most recently, Microsoft. Chris serves on the Agent Advisory Board of Zillow, a publiclytraded real estate technology company (NASDAQ: Z), is the Internet Marketing Advisor to Tom Ferry - Your Coach, named #1 Educator In Real Estate by Swanepoel Power 200, and Ambassador for RISMedia s Top 5 in Real Estate Network, a privately-held real estate information systems company. In 2013 THEY CLOSED MORE THAN 100 DEALS Thanks to the following sources for their best practices HubSpot, Unbounce, Copyblogger and Keeping Current Matters. TFYC does not endorse any of the sites mentioned in this report.