10 Things To Remember When Creating Content for Your Website

There are a million and one ways to get people to your website. Don’t believe me? Do a Google search for “how to get people to my website?”. I did it for you, and I apologize, there are a billion ways.

You can try to follow all the rules – and make yourself crazy or stressed – or you can remember that it’s not just about the design and the flow of your website, it’s about the content. Some of the ugliest websites have the most traffic because they provide what people want and need – Craigslist, I’m looking at you.

No system is foolproof, and people looking for information online are savvier these days. Not everyone who visits your website will subscribe. Not everyone wants another ebook or whitepaper. And not everyone will care about your landing page. But you don’t need everyone. You simply need the people who are truly interested in what you’re offering and willing to share their email address to get it.

If you remember that you need to give people what they want – content that’s valuable to them, you’ll be further ahead than many of your competitors.

1. Offer something more than the same old 10 Things Buyers Should Do. That makes one decent blog post but it’s forgettable.
2. Target your audience. Decide whether you want sellers or buyers, and what kind. Luxury? Investors? Second-home? First-time?
3. Make sure what you’re giving away offers real value. Do your research on this one. Don’t give your readers fluff.
4. Use their email address wisely. Respect their time, and only send information that they may find valuable, based on which offer they responded to. Weekly or monthly emails are good. Daily emails may be considered spam.
5. Overnight growth is unrealistic. Take this slow and steady.
6. Answer the common questions and the not-so-common questions in your blog posts.
7. Tell stories about things you’ve experienced either as the seller’s agent or buyer’s agent. Tip: Change names or don’t mention names at all. The crazier or wilder your story, the better.
8. Let your personality shine through. We’ve all got our quirks, as long as yours don’t get you sued or brought up on Code of Ethics violations, let yours loose. When I blog on my own website, I write “y’all” a lot. Because that’s how I speak – yes, even in professional environments. I have a Realtor friend who talks about rum…a lot. That works for him. What’s your thing?
9. Create content that’s about more than real estate. The first real estate marketing class I ever took was by a Realtor who blogged about shoes on her website. People found her blog because of their shared love of stilettos, and stuck around to let her be their real estate agent. What do you love? Incorporate that into your website and blog.
10. Be your authentic self. People can see through a schmarmy salesperson very quickly. Be who you are, not what you think other people want you to be. You won’t win over everyone, but you don’t need to. The people who want to work with you, and who you enjoy working with, will appreciate your sincere self – goofy, serious, or something in between. You’ll also build trust with your readers and receive more genuine leads in the process.

Creating content for your website feels like a big job. The rules are endless: do this, don’t do that. If you stay true to yourself and create something of value for visitors and readers, the rest will fall into place – more readers, more followers, more leads, and eventually more sales.