Many of the real estate agents who come to me for a website makeover complain that their existing site does not generate any leads. When I ask what they’re doing to attract visitors and to make their web site sticky they give me a blank look.

A website is said to be sticky when visitors return over and over again. This is the Nirvana of all webmasters. Return visitors are the ones that turn into leads, listings and sales.

Making Your Web Site Sticky

The trick to making a web site sticky is simple. Give away information. Visit any large site that is actively nurturing an online community and you will find newsletters, how-to columns and document archives.

A real estate site is no different. A successful real estate site must have relevant, timely information that is useful to buyers and sellers. Furthermore, new information must be added regularly to entice visitors to return -- a daunting task by any measure, especially if you’re already spread too thin with other revenue-producing activities. The perfect way to accomplish this with very little work is with a newsletter. A newsletter can convey news and information as well as provide lead capture and generation tools that will deliver your Web site visitors to you sooner or later. It's just a matter of when.

If you are a writer and can commit to producing a monthly electronic newsletter, my hat off to you. For everyone else, you can save time, money and effort and get the results you want with The Real Estate UpdateŽ.

What is The Real Estate UpdateŽ?

This monthly, personalized on-line newsletter is written by some of the best real estate writers in the country and is geared specifically towards buyers and sellers. All you have to do is e-mail it out complete with your logo, photo and brand. Each issue of The Real Estate UpdateŽ features eight to ten consumer-oriented articles about real estate including current market conditions, interest rates and general homeownership.

It can be customized to include your photo, logo, slogan, contact information and more. It even has room for you to write your own article each month. If you enjoy writing, this is the perfect place to include seasonal or community information that will truly personalize it. If you don't, then put in an MLS report with recent market activity so you become the sales expert.

Your Mailing List

But newsletter visitors don't grow on trees. You absolutely must have a mailing list and a subscribe function on your website. If your web host supports mailing lists, have one set up under your domain. If not, you can set one up free at ListBot.com.

Next, seed your list. If you do not have an e-mail contact list, start one. Call every number in your contact list and ask for their e-mail address. Then ask them for permission to include them in your mailing list. When you meet new people, tell them about your monthly newsletter and ask for their e-mail address. Tell them it is a great way to stay updated about the market.

Finally, set up a “subscribe” button in every single page of your website. Your visitors should have the opportunity to subscribe no matter what page they are browsing. Include a blurb on the usefulness of The Real Estate UpdateŽ with an invitation to join right now. Try something like: “Up to the minute advise on buying and selling your home. Join now!”

Setting Up The Real Estate UpdateŽ

Once you've signed up for The Real Estate Update here, have your webmaster set up The Real Estate UpdateŽ in a frame so that your menu bar is visible. This way your visitor can continue browsing your site after he has finished reading the newsletter. Have the pop-up window feature turned on to show off your latest listing, upcoming open houses, or any other information you want your visitors to read. See a sample realty site using The Real Estate UpdateŽ as part of its marketing strategy by visiting this page: http://www.topacio.com/platinum/

Each month write to the mailing list with the new issue’s headlines and a link back to your Real Estate UpdateŽ page. Track your traffic and you will notice a sharp rise in visitors for a week or so after you write to the list. Take advantage of this time to deliver your most compelling message. You will see results almost immediately.

There are countless ways to make your website work for you. Next time I will write about growing your mailing list and plucking listings and sales out of it.

Published: April 10, 2001

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