IDX and Your Website IDX (Internet Data eXchange) is about providing online visitors the ability to browse through all of the listings in an MLS system from participating members. But more than that, though, it provides a means of reaching potential buyers and turning them into leads and, hopefully, customers. With over eighty percent of home buyers starting their real estate search online, getting in front of these buyers on the Internet is more important than ever. The number one thing that these buyers are looking for online? That’s right: listings. Show them listings and they are willing to stay on your website. Show them all the listings and they might never leave! IDX provides you with almost all of the listings for your particular MLS, which means not only can you showcase all of the listings in the area, but they are all branded with your contact details. This means not only giving those online visitors what they want, but also getting your name and phone number in front of hundreds to thousands of more people. Not only can those visitors see all of the listings with Point2 IDX, but they can also create a profile and save specific search results, houses that interest them, and be able to log into your IDX at any time to access this information. Their specific contact details are tracked within your Point2 Agent account and their searches are emailed to you, so that you have a better understanding of their interests before contacting them to do a further needs analysis. The ability to save searches gives those online visitors a great incentive to keep coming back to your site, which helps drive traffic to the website and helps with search engine standings. Beyond these search savers, you can also add additional content around your IDX solution relating to neighborhoods, your business, the area, your brokerage, almost any content that you wish to share! Not only does this content provide more information for those online buyers, but also again aids your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts, which in turn has those search engines find you more often, meaning that more potential prospects will find you. It’s almost cyclical in process. Research into learning processes shows that the majority of people are visual learners. Ever see a face that you’re sure you know, although the name of the individual eludes you? You’re a visual learner. You’ll remember things that you see over things that you hear. Taking that to another level, people who see and interact with what they are learning are even more likely to remember it. To take your IDX solution to another level, you can add the optional MapTracks feature, which provides an interactive map with the form-based search. Online visitors can zoom and pan on the map, hover over house icons to receive additional property information, and search for information on local amenities. Members who use MapTracks have enjoyed twenty-five percent more leads than members utilizing only the form-based search. IDX is all about getting information into the hands of the eighty percent of the market going online to find a home. With Point2 IDX, you are not only able to track those online visitors who enter their information, but also get a sense as to their interests. More importantly, you are providing specific and relevant information to those online prospects, giving them what they want, and incenting them to contact you directly. This means more traffic to your website, more inquiries for your listings, and more money in your pocket. ~ Tanya Spilchak, Education Coordinator |