Second in a series of posts featuring insights from the 2015 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.
While at the International Builders’ Show I attended a session which offered some interesting stats on home buying and your website:
* 92% hunt for their new home online
* 75% of prospective buyers start searching within a year of purchase – starting with Google
* 36% use their mobile phone as their shopping companion
Those stats, from the National Association of Realtors, are for buyers of all ages. Creating Results surveyed senior and baby boomer homebuyers, and found that 37% of “Social, Silver Surfers” have rejected a community solely based on their website.
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our website is rapidly becoming the most powerful part of the sales process. The reason is simple: baby boomer homebuyers form an opinion of you before they even step foot on your site entirely based on your website. The statistics speak for themselves. And while it may be a harsh reality, you’ll lose prospects if your website doesn’t meet their standards.
It’s time to invest in your website the way you would invest in a model home or printing collateral. Treating your website as the heart of an integrated marketing plan is your best bet.
A strong website is responsive with rich content. Responsive design is an increasingly popular (and recommended) approach that provides visitors with an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices (mobile, tablet and desktop). Going responsive should be your goal this year – not only to provide your users with a positive experience, but also to get on Google’s good side. Google rewards responsive/mobile-friendly sites with higher organic search rankings.
Believe it or not, Millennials are not the only ones on the go. Yes, my cell phone may be within arm’s reach of me at all times. But that’s true of baby boomers, too!
88% of baby boomers have a cell phone. At the same token, 37% of those aged 50-64 own a tablet – and that number is rising fast. Developing a mobile strategy through responsive design allows you to get ahead of your baby boomer audience, stay on the digital curve, and most importantly, be visible.
Website upgrades are a solid investment, one that will absolutely pay off. Being visible online to your prospects is increasingly becoming the only way to reach them.
But what’s the one thing your brand can give boomer homebuyers that they can’t search for on Google? We’ll explore that in our next post.
RELATED: Part 1, Playing the Best Hand to Reach Your Audience