The Problem

Each Keller Williams agent has access to a basic website provided by the KW team. However, these websites are clunky and have limited customization. Agents can do little to communicate their own personal brands.

Objectives

After speaking with Patrea Marolf, the agent I worked with, about the goals of her website, we set the following objectives:

• Create personalized responsive website

• Clearly define and communicate agent brand on website

• Increase number of leads from the website by 200%

Empathize

When we started the project, the agent and marketing director mentioned multiple times that they wanted the website to be a lead generating marketing tool. They wanted to have a search function where people could look at properties, and capture people’s data so that the leads could be put into the CRM database and sent weekly emails with updates of properties similar to what they searched on the website. As I talked with the target client group (luxury buyers) as well as other luxury agents, I made several realizations:

• The leads that come from that kind of marketing are often clients in a lower price bracket that didn’t fit with Patrea’s luxury brand.

• The majority of Patrea’s clients that convert come as referrals from family and friends.

With the new insight in mind, I spoke with customers about what questions they had in choosing a real estate agent and why they decided to move forward with Patrea. I also read forums about what people look for in a real estate agent.

In order to make sense of the interview data I collected, I cut up the transcriptions and organized the comments into “buckets.” The most mentioned themes were:

• Advice

• Negotiations

• Relationship

• Service

I also read forums about what people look for in a real estate agent. Between the research I did and the interviews I held, the most prevalent theme I found was trust. People want an agent who has their best interest at heart, who would advise them and help them successfully navigate the home buying process. I then did some research on the role websites can play in establishing consumer trust.

Define

 I believed these findings called for a dramatic change in the website. After speaking with my PM, the marketing manager, and the agent, we decided to change the website from a search and capture model to a focus on social proof. The purpose of the website was now to communicate trust, competence, and encourage visitors to reach out to Patrea.

Prototype

Based on the data I analyzed, I included testimonials and credentials on the front page, and moved the search feature further down on the home page. I also put a call to action button on nearly every page and in the header to encourage people to call Patrea.

Instead of pulling information from visitors, we wanted to change the focus to push them to contact the agent. We used the following cues to encourage that outcome:

• Put call to action contact button on nearly every page and in header

• Persuade with social proof on first page

  • Testimonials

  • Number of transactions handled

  • Years of experience

  • Awards

Wireframe

Brand Colors

Final Prototype

Results

• Create personalized responsive website

• Clearly define and communicate agent brand on website

• Increase number of leads from the website by 200%

Takeaways

• Have clear communication and expectations with your engineers! Key them in on timelines.

• Don’t be afraid to suggest change to original scopes and ideas—just have support for your ideas when presenting to key stakeholders.