Stick to Building Homes, Not Websites

We’ve become a DIY culture, where we’ve become empowered to undertake a wider variety of tasks than ever before.

Need to fix your faucet? You can find a video online and save the cost of a plumber.
Want to skip the accountant and do your own income taxes? Just point, click, and download the software that makes it easy.

I believe we should continue to learn and grow, particularly with so many resources to make it convenient. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

Your website, for example, isn’t something you should tackle on your own. A builder’s website is the most important marketing tool. Homebuyers are searching online before they ever call, email, or visit you. A misstep on your site could mean the difference between making the contact and being dismissed right from the start. Are you going to skimp on something so vital to lead generation?

A website that will attract the right traffic and promote the desired action—contact— must be written, designed, and scripted by a professional. Find someone who understands both design and scripting (the creative and the technology are two different skill sets so expect to hire a team), who has the latest knowledge of SEO techniques. Search engine algorithms change regularly, and keeping up with technology is a full-time job. So, don’t expect you can dabble in it and build your website with the same skills as a seasoned website development professional—any more than a website developer can step in and sell new homes as well as you can.

Think I’m wrong? That I’m underestimating your technical and creative prowess? Are you willing to bet a few months’ worth of leads? Because that’s how long it will take to fix your website if you’re wrong. If you skip right to hiring the website developer, you know that you’re buying knowledge that is based on experience and ongoing training. Along with it, you get the peace of mind that you haven’t overlooked important tasks that a professional will find. With the impact that a great website can have on your business, isn’t it worth the investment to get it right?

NOTE: In the coming weeks, I’ll be offering a series of articles on marketing in today’s tech-driven environment, based on my own experience and research, as well as interviews with industry leaders who have shared their insight. Stay tuned!

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