Homebuilders: Did You Know Homebuyers Are Looking To Eliminate You Based On Your Website?
That title isn’t meant to frighten homebuilders, but, unfortunately it is true. Please let me explain.
How many of you can recall the thrill of something so simple as buying candy as a child? I vividly remember anticipating the visit to the corner store, eager to hand over my hard-earned money—all 20 cents of it—to purchase penny candy. All the varieties of sweets, vying for the attention of a little boy like myself, calling out from their flashy wrappers held in check within glass containers colorfully presented on the counter.
I knew I was going to invest my chore allowance on candy. The hardest part was trying to decide what flavors and types were going to make it out the door in that little brown paper bag and which ones weren’t going to make the cut. Every week I stood there and weighed the pros and cons of Atomic Fire Balls, Mary Janes, Wax Soda Bottles and Smarties. Oh, the delight in choices!
“Hello, sir. Could I please have three Tootsie Rolls, five Jawbreakers, four Mary Janes and eight of those caramel squares?” Man, caramel squares were my favorite—come to think of it, they still are!
To the clerk it may have appeared that I was selecting the candy I wanted. Sure, my decision was made, but I got there by eliminating the Jolly Ranchers, candy cigarettes and bubble gum. Those flavors and brands were there, but they didn’t “pass muster”; no way was I going to part with those two dimes on just any old sugar loaded treat. Nope, I wanted the best choices my twenty cents could buy. My candy purchase was an adventure. Even to this day, everything I purchase brings back the same mode of thinking, resulting in all the good feelings that come from a well-made decision.
Your prospects are going through the same process everyday, whether you are aware of it or not. They are trying to eliminate you from their decision making process, either qualifying your business or discarding it outright. Just like I did when I was a little crumb snatcher, they’re basing their decision on all kind of criteria, but the first thing usually on the list is presentation. In today’s world, this means your website.
Most likely they found you via a search engine, but it takes more than being discovered to transform a prospect into a customer. In fact, being found is only half the battle.
Your business requires not only a drop-dead gorgeous website easily found, but an online destination crafted to ensure your leads find the information they want in as few clicks as possible. Professional marketers and designers know just how to create a website that flows, maximizing the “F” pattern most people use when scanning a website. Yes, there are techniques to make certain your audience intuitively knows right off the bat that your company, product and service is going to make the cut—but only when your website is designed by a team with the know how to make this happen.
Trust me, you don’t want to leave something as important as your business’ online home in the hands of your sister’s friend’s nephew from Schenectady who likes to tinker around with websites.