The manner in which prospective property buyers approach the search for their dream home has changed radically over the past decade, largely spurred on by rapid advances in technology that have transformed a bulky desktop computer into something most people carry in their pockets.
“To survive going forward, companies are going to have to find ways to stand out from the brand clutter, and staying ahead of the technology curve is one of the best weapons in our arsenal,” says Geffen.This is according to Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty CEO, Jason Rohde, who says an examination of Google Analytics data shows that more than half of the company’s online property ‘leads’ nowadays comes from mobile devices.
Rohde says fifteen years ago, a real estate company could show good results by just placing ads in newspapers, and a decade ago it was okay to have a static website, but those days are long gone.
“Technology is changing at a pace that most people battle to get their heads around, but what they do know is that having a smart phone, tablet or phablet gives them an instant portal to the world, no matter where they are.”
He says people are used to receiving information instantaneously, and in a format that is quick and user-friendly. If most travellers around the world research their holidays that way, why should their expectation of researching real estate be any different?
Rohde says it’s this knowledge that has prompted Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty in South Africa to do a top-to-bottom audit of its own online real estate and radically overhaul the end-user experience.
Scott Allnatt, the founder of Prop Data, says with the proliferation of smart devices, businesses across all industries need to think about optimising their websites for mobile platforms.
“Google recently did an update of its mobile search ranking algorithms, and if your business site isn’t optimised for mobile, it will automatically drop in the rankings for anyone doing a Google search on a smart device,” says Allnatt.
“Considering how much online traffic now moves through phones and tablets, businesses need to consider capex spend on updating their websites for mobile. Not doing so could seriously hurt their bottom lines in the next couple of years.”
Lew Geffen, chairman of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, says investing in technology that will increase traffic to your front door is money well spent.
“You can’t forget about marketing for one second, it has to be integral to every aspect of your business thinking because there are so many brands out there just waiting to jump in and lure away your clients.”
He says a good marketing plan that incorporates a strong online component is essential if you want to future-proof your business, no matter how strong your brand may be today.
”The internet is a double-edged sword. It’s brought the world to our doorsteps, but it’s also made every brand accessible to everybody, says Geffen.
“To survive going forward, companies are going to have to find ways to stand out from the brand clutter, and staying ahead of the technology curve is one of the best weapons in our arsenal.”
Print
