Friday 3 March 2017

Estate agents: it is so important to understand the consumer journey

A lot of the value we add comes first from you - our clients. When we first introduced HelpHound for estate agency we couldn't be entirely sure which parts of our service -  verified reviews on the agents' own sites or on Google - would drive business. 

Three years on the feedback we are getting has built up such a weight of anecdotal evidence as to be as near as possible scientifically accurate - certainly accurate enough to pass it on to everyone now.

The consumer journey

The more a business understands this, the more accurately effort and resources can be targeted. Here is the consumer journey through the world of reviews - as reported to us by you, our clients.

First: either a general Google search (the potential client has no preconceived ideas)

"estate agent [location]"




If they see agents with good scores there they will do one of two things:
  • mine down further (read their Google reviews), or
  • click straight through to the agent's website

...or a specific Google search (they are responding to an agent's marketing or a personal recommendation)




Again, the journey can branch - by clicking 'view all Google reviews' -



...or clicking straight through to the agent's website...


So what are we being told? Increasingly we're being told that you value the reviews on your own sites. Not that looking good on Google is not important - of course it is, it is reinforcing all your other marketing and absolutely everyone starts searching with Google, even if they're only looking for your phone number - but that the enquiries are being generated because people are visiting your websites, being impressed by your reviews there and then making contact.

So - action needed?



Make your reviews on your own site as accessible and as visible as possible. Don't hide your light - be proud of your clients' opinions.

And, if you would like to see what the management of one of the clients we have used to illustrate this article have to say, just click here.



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