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A well-built property website helps your
business stand out and engage with prospective tenants or investors. At
Sharplaunch we recently analyzed a number of commercial real
estate websites to identify the critical elements needed to successfully
capture and retain visitor attention.
In our analysis, we saw that the majority of
users went directly to the photo gallery, building information, and floor plans
sections of these sites. These three components alone make up 75% of the total
engagement on those sites.
Let’s take a closer look at which website
elements matter most and how to leverage those elements effectively on your own
website to retain and engage visitors.
The Number of Photos on a Site
Photography is a key component of any
commercial real estate website. Prospects want to see as many parts of the
property as possible, especially if they are unable or unwilling to visit in
person due to current restrictions.
For that reason, the photo gallery is the top
engagement generator in our study. Additionally, the number of photos in a
gallery had a direct impact on engagement. Sites with 25 or more professional
photographs had 2.2x greater engagement. Photos should be prepared with mobile
devices in mind. A 4:3 aspect ratio ensures your photographs display nicely on
all sized devices, while we recommend image optimization to ensure fast loading
time in your photo gallery.
Floor Plans
The next element that visitors respond to is
floor plans. Websites with downloadable floor plans see a 55% higher engagement
rate than those without. Floor plans are an important component of any property
search, but it’s equally important that users can download them for future
reference and comparison as they review potential choices. Prospects need to
know that a space will match their specific needs, and photographs alone don’t
always provide that insight.
Hero Image Quality
The first thing anyone sees when they visit a
website is the hero image - the sweeping visual at the top of the page before
they scroll below for additional information. That image has a profound impact
on all websites, but especially on a commercial real estate website, where it
is often the first image of the property visitors see.
A high quality hero image, taken by a
professional photographer encourages a 20% higher scroll rate beyond the
initial fold. That means a significant number of people stop as soon as they
land on a site if they don’t like what they see.
Interactive Features
There are several features available to
enhance a commercial real estate website, providing an experience users can
directly engage with.
Interactive features can include:
- amenity maps that call out nearby retail
areas, dining and businesses
- professional quality video of the property
and the surrounding area
- 3D virtual tours that walk them through the
property.
This last piece, in particular, is an
important element for prospective tenants and investors who are unable or
unwilling to visit a property in person.
Building the Most Effective
Commercial Real Estate Website
A good website is the backbone of an effective commercial real estate marketing strategy. To make your listings truly stand out from the competition, you need the right combination of data, photographs, and resources to reference during the decision making process. If you prioritize the items above, your visitors will interact and engage more with your website and offering.
We did a study on our own pages about where
the most engagement comes from and I'm attaching the PDF with the results, so
we thought it would be interesting to expand on this and turn it into a post.
Here’s the infographic: https://www.sharplaunch.com/wp-content/uploads/Cheat-Sheet-5-Elements-of-Successful-Leasing-Websites.pdf
