Apr
15
One of the keys to successfully marketing your estate agency online is, of course, to make your primary audience the main target of your website. And as an estate agent, you will know better than anyone else that the people who have most disposable income to invest in property tend to be seniors, who are more likely to have substantial savings or a considerable equity in their home that they can make use of. In other words, unless you are only selling property that is exclusively directed at young people and families, the baby boomers and up is one age group that you absolutely cannot afford to cast aside as you design your estate agency’s website.
In a blog post called How to sell to seniors online, Todd Follansbe says that, while today’s older generation are ever more likely to be using the Internet, there are several things to keep in mind for your website to be successful at winning their business.
Clear web design for old eyes
Many of the issues involved in appealing to older people are design-related. Take into account that seniors are more likely to be unfamiliar with newer technologies and also begin to suffer from diminishing physical capabilities with age, including vision and, in some cases, cognitive abilities. This means that your website should use well-sized and clear fonts, and also be simple to use. Instructions should be clearly explained, particularly when it comes to using property searches and contact forms, or downloading brochures and other files.
Of course, a lot of these are things that you should be doing anyway for all your audience, but unless you specifically test your real estate website on a group of seniors, you will never know if you are unwittingly excluding this vital demographic group because of inadequate web design.
Avoiding technical jargon is always a good idea (unless your website happens to be aimed specifically at technical people) but this applies so much more in the case where your typical visitor is someone older. At the same time, remember that old people are no fools either and there is no need to be condescending or to talk down to your audience.
Targetting a different mindset
A very interesting point Todd raises in his post is that most of the older generation will remember severe market recessions and possibly even outright market crashes. He also adds that they tend to be more sceptical and put off by flashy promises and hype. These issues apply particularly to the word of real estate, where the tendency is to place emphasis on the investment potential of the property for sale. What it all means, in a nutshell, is that an audience of seniors will take a great deal more of convincing, so be prepared to back up your claims with credible, solid facts.
As you plan your real estate website, you will also have to take into account other ways in which seniors think differently, including the fact that they tend to be more cautious, and hence less likely to take risks. Also, as you will surely know, older property investors will have a totally different set of reasons for buying property, be it as a retirement home or as a sound legacy to leave to their children. Your real estate website will have to be designed to appeal to this different frame of mind too if it is to be successful.
Of course, all these principles also apply to your real estate blog and you ought to keep them in mind as you write new posts. Also remember to test well and regularly to make sure that all the different aspects of your web presence will work together to win you the confidence and custom of this large and influential group of property buyers.
Online Marketing
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