President of Blue Tangerine Greg Bray founded his company in 2006. Bray always dreamed of owning his own business and, when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at the chance. Known for emphasizing digital marketing to help grow home builders’ website traffic, Blue Tangerine focuses on building better websites for home builders that drive qualified traffic.

Bray holds an MBA from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Brigham Young University. His extensive background allows him to simplify complex topics to audiences. With 20 years of experience, Bray continues to use technology to help builders increase sales. And he continues to look for ways to make home builder websites cutting edge to keep up with buyer preferences.

Creating a Buy Now Experience

So, as technology continues to change, so do builders’ methods of reaching customers. Open houses are traditions of the past. Forget the fresh baked cookies and freshly fluffed pillows because more and more homebuyers book virtual house tours to view properties from the comfort of their own living room. Moving beyond traditional face-to-face interactions, websites and other related technologies create new levels of engagement since prospective homebuyers can look at a house with just a tap of their finger or click of a mouse.

This new wave of accessibility is pushing buyers toward the “buy online” process, especially as it relates to residential real estate. Through an interesting and reliable website, home builders can meet prospective buyers where they are at physically and mentally – home. Creating a “buy now” process is a great first step to enhancing customer experience and differentiating one’s business from competitors. Not every home sale takes place via the website, but more and more of the entire home sale process now takes place online aided by technology.

Moving from in-person home tours to virtual home tours can be difficult. It is a new process and with all new processes, there is some resistance. And, let’s face it, traditional open houses are great opportunities to create personal connections. However, providing virtual options especially for tech-savvy generations increases the customer base and overall profit.

Greg Bray shares the three key steps to guarantee virtual visitors when selling homes online:

Step One: A Modern Website

First and foremost, websites must engage the user. And they need to include essential information prospective home buyers need when considering a property – like the price, square footage and amenities. These key details are critical for homebuyers, so make sure these are viewable and easy to update.

Second, create interesting and interactive content that shows and not just tells the prospective homebuyer what’s on the market.

Examples of interactive content:

• Maps
• Videos
• Pictures
• Infographics
• Interactive floor plans

Step Two: Provide Real-time Support

Provide real-time support to website visitors by answering questions and concerns. This is a critical success factor since many homebuyers don’t want unexpected surprises. By offering reliable support through an online chat or email, it establishes the home builder’s commitment to providing quality customer service.

Remember that visitors expect fast responses when a website offers real-time support. Many home shoppers are looking for customer-oriented sellers who take the time to respond to simple emails. For busy business owners, this can seem tedious, but it demonstrates customer dedication and strengthens the buyer-to-seller relationship.

Step three: Integrate the Online and Offline Process

Integrate the online and offline process by slowly implementing the new into the old. Rather than just throwing a whole new system into the mix, gradually incorporate online processes into the home sale so existing employees and homebuyers do not get overwhelmed.

Creating an online presence is exciting, so keep in mind these quick tips:

• Brand Consistency

It is important to remain consistent in voice, visual content and messaging across all platforms. Consistent branding makes a company easy to recognize when searching on the web.

• Match Keywords

When describing homes for potential homebuyers, keep descriptions the same across all platforms. If a home is described as a “Two-story Georgia Colonial” on the website, then do not describe it differently elsewhere. Matching keywords is important for SEO, it will also keep search results consistent as buyers look for homes.

Updating business practices increases both the customer base and customer service rating. Many buyers are looking for home builders comfortable with tech, so now is the time to move in that direction. To learn more about utilizing technology in the home building industry, visit www.bluetangerine.com.