Your first point of connection for many of your clients will be your website. With any major purchase, including financing, a client will want to research and understand why they should consider working with you over your competitors. That is why your website will want to have a few key features that will not only inform potential clients but draw them to you.
A memorable domain name
The first identifier your clients will have with your website is your domain name, which is why your domain needs to be memorable. Potential clients who are hopping back to google to search for you every time they want to visit are less likely to follow through on signing a contract.
The best choice for a domain name is ideally the name of your firm. Unfortunately, that option isn’t always readily available. If that name is already claimed, or your company name is too long to be user-friendly, you can use abbreviations to create a domain name that is legible and coherent. Additionally, your domain name should be should be a private domain rather than a “free domain” that includes your host’s URL. This only costs a few extra dollars a month and gives a professional air to your website.
Make sure your skills and expertise are front and center
People do not like to read. On average they will look at a website for about a minute before moving on to the next site. Because of this, it is essential that the most important information is at the forefront of your website. What makes you unique or different from your competitors? Explain your unique selling points, such as your niche, unique products, length of experience in the industry, expertise, skills, or connections, that give you a leg up on the competition.
Additionally, search engines do not read logos or images, so make sure key terms are featured in the text of the site for SEO. This won’t guarantee your site reaches the first page of results on Google, but it will provide a nice stepping when you do begin to properly optimize your site.
Tells the visitors a bit about you
If the visitor has stuck around for longer than a minute they want to learn more about your firm. Make sure to share your expertise, background, and history. Make the website personal, but not overly so. This is a company profile, so while your history is important, the bulk of the information on the site should be about the company and its services.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to feature a blog and recent deals section or page. This allows you to feature your successes and knowledge in a way that is informative. It allows you to toot your own horn… without overtly appearing to do so. You prove your expertise and your successes, tangible illustrating how clients would benefit from working with you.
A call to action
The final necessary component is a Call to Action. This can be a form, a button, or a contact info section. The critical consideration is that it drives the visitor to take the important step of reaching out and starting a conversation. This not only encourages further connection between you and the client, but it also allows you to gather the information that you will use to engage in a more compelling initial sales conversation.
Websites should be unique. These items work universally to improve the appearance of the brokerage in the eyes of the viewer and can even help you improve your search engine results. If you would like to learn more about website design for brokerages or take advantage of our brokerage boot camp, feel free to contact us.