The results are in for the 2020 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report. Compiled by Denim Marketing, Melinda Brody & Company and Blue Gypsy Inc., the survey compares the follow-up efforts of 50 home builders across the country for 30 days.

The builders were chosen randomly, with nearly 30 coming from the Builder Top 200 List. The survey reveals a variety of statistics and interesting findings regarding follow-up methods used during the homebuying process.

It is no surprise that follow up is important for lead conversions. Home builder marketing efforts drive traffic to builder websites, but if follow up falls flat when a lead comes in, those marketing dollars are wasted, and the sale is potentially lost. One huge factor that influences homebuyer’s customer experience is the builder’s effective use of an online sales counselor (OSCs).

Melinda Brody & Company, known for its effective video mystery shops, developed an online shopping protocol for this survey. Mystery shoppers visited individual builder websites during normal business hours. Shoppers filled out an online contact form with their information and asked a relevant question about the builder or community in the comments section of the form. Responses were tracked for 30 days and examined as a whole within two distinct groups – builders with OSCs (58%) and builders without OSCs (42%).

“Marketing dollars go further today than ever, but they are still precious,” Denim Marketing President Carol Morgan said. “It is important to follow up on each and every lead and build a customer journey that is unique and memorable.

“Of interest, this survey was conducted during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak when most of us were sheltering in place and sitting behind a computer screen.”

The 2020 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report aims to use this diverse sampling of builders to provide insight into how builders with and without dedicated OSCs can improve their customer journey. Using factors such as speed, personalization, variation of touchpoints and more, the report examines how builders with OSCs compare to those who don’t have OSCs. The report also provides recommended benchmarks and best practices builders should strive for when it comes to customer follow up.

The 2020 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report is available for download at  https://denimmarketing.com/onlinemysteryshop.

Call 770-383-3360 for information on packages and finding the perfect fit with Denim Marketing. Morgan encourages you to, “Try us on for size, you will find Denim to be comfortable, reliable and personal. Our agency isn’t one size fits all – neither are jeans!”