Some very close friends of mine have put up their house for sale a bit ago and there have been no bites so far (but Joe, this economy stinks!! I know I know. This house is worth MUCH more than what their asking for but they just want to sell)
I'm not the greatest at web design or development so this is what the end result is.
What keyword research have you done on this project? Determine what keyword phrases that people are entering into the search engines that would bring them to this listing: obviously location is one (city, state) but number of bedrooms, house style, etc.. may be another. Do research to see what people in your area are actually searching for - then use those keywords.
Can you get listed in a realtor listing directory (can't think of what they call it at the moment)... the database of available homes. Getting listed on realtor.com, someplace like that is what you need.
I've actually done some keyword research. There are terms on the site that I found on google's keyword tool. I've also created a sitemap on auditmypc.com and submitted this to the various engines.
They've actually had the house listed with several local Realtors in the past but nothing yet They realize the house is priced in the higher market and this is why it's tougher to sell.
Is this house listed for sale by owner? If so, I know there are directories/web sites to list those - try getting the site listed there.
You need to think like the home buying market: when I was house-hunting, I did not search Google to find a house, I went to realtor.com and did a search or perhaps a 'for sale by owner' directory. You need to go where the potential home buyers are looking.
The house is FSBO. Good point though. I guess I had the wrong hat on when initially tackling this
I did however list this on several Craigslist sites around the country. I'm also realizing this is such a tough and broad market that getting placement with only one house listing will be nearly impossible.
I'll look for some directories I can place this on and do whatever else I can. Well at least they'll have a site to refer people to when they receive inquiries!
Though you were not asking for site design, I have a couple of comments if you are interested. (STOP here, if not).
I think the site looks great, feels great and I had a challenging time reading the description on the "View our home" page. I find one or two sentence paragraphs and lots of space much easier to follow.
If you agree with me and are restricted to the main window height above the window, you could link to a second "more...." page and continue the story. Or, you could bullet it all.
Also, I think a slide show tour of the house is easier, and more enticing, to follow than the single photos.
This house is just up the road from me! It really is beautiful. The market in this area is totally glutted with houses for sale, plus the unemployment rate is hovering at 12%. Add that to the fact that it is near impossible to get homeowners insurance in this county and you have an annual threat of hurricanes (for 6 months every year!), it may take a while to sell. Many houses in their price range are taking 200 days or more to sell right now, so tell them to be patient. Keep doing what you are doing. Get them some incoming links so they can be found in the search engines.
The site is a bit clumsy to navigate through. You have to keep going back and forth and clicking on links to see one picture at a time. Maybe set up a Flickr slide show or something. I think it would also help to personalize the site. They have a page that says "about us" but it only has one sentence. How about some background? How about a picture? It was after all "their dream home" right? Why are they leaving it?
You might also want to connect a blog to it or place the site on a blog platform. They could create blog posts that talk about the house, their experience in it, the surrounding area, etc. Plus blogs are typically looked on favorably in the SERPs.
Got a little long winded on this ... Hope it helps!
Sheila - Thanks for the advice...any and all comments are appreciated! I changed the link of 'View Our Home' to the actual details with pictures. It was rather redundant. I've also created a slideshow on slide.com and will incorporate this soon.
Denise - what a small world!!! I was shocked when I read you live right there. Thanks for your advice as well. I didn't even think to put why they chose to sell the house. I'll definitely include some more info.
Which keyword phrase would you most like the main page to rank well for?
Some quick feedback: you need more photo usage. A home search is a visual process. There is only one small thumbnail on the main page. Use the photos to draw your visitors in.
Excessive use of explanation marks (!!!) is unprofessional. Instead use bold or colors to make points stand out on the page. Also, your links are the same color as your text, so most of the options go unnoticed as you scan down the page.
Your main page needs a specific call-to-action. What do you want your visitor to DO when they land on the home page of this site?
As for the SEO, you simply need to place specific keyword phrases in the appropriate places - and then get relevant inbound links.
Help w/ this SEO - Please!!
Reply With Quote
They realize the house is priced in the higher market and this is why it's tougher to sell.
Bookmarks