With all the competition out there, you need an edge to convince sellers to list with you. If your seller is Internet savvy, they may do some online research before choosing a broker they feel will do the best job for them on the Internet. Here are some listing and website tips to impress your seller prospects.
1. Listings on YachtWorld.com. Compare your listings with those of other competitive brokers your seller might consider, and ask yourself “Would a seller be impressed with the way I present my listings?” Sellers look to your existing listings to consider how you might represent their boat; they are most impressed with robust, romantic and descriptive text designed to draw buyers in and provide rich fodder for search engines. They will compare the photos on your listings with those of your competitors like a couple selecting a wedding photographer. The savvy seller will want his brokers name and after-hours cell number posted on the listing. Add a final sentence on the display ad inviting the visitor to read the details on the Full Specs, and then provide sufficient full specs information that visitors will be impressed with your knowledge and representation. On the full specs, include a final statement that invites interested parties to call you for even more photos and information.
The e-broker will post boat show and open house information on all of their listings, with one easy entry, earning you another point from the seller prospect evaluating your Internet marketing talents. If you want to impress your owner/seller, do not add a link sending visitors off site to other multiple listings. Is your boat listing friendly to the international visitor? If you expect your listing may attract a visitor who speaks Spanish, Italian, French, German or Dutch, enter the full specs so that they are automatically translated into the language of the visitor.
2. Listings on other sites. YachtWorld.com exports your listings to other sites, so be sure to list all of the other sites where your listings are displayed … not on the boat listing … but on the front page of all of your websites. Sellers are more likely to contract for a central listing if they are convinced the broker will advertise their vessel in major sites around the world.
3. View your YachtWorld.com minisite from the standpoint of a seller, and then compare it to the websites of other brokers. To view 2500 broker websites by state, province or country, click on “Directory” from the YachtWorld.com homepage. Does your homepage tell the seller what you do for them? Some sellers have no clue what a broker does. Tell them to call you for a market valuation from soldboats.com, or to access MLS data in BoatWizard. Drop in key words that make it easier for boat sellers using search engines to find your website. Tell them you provide enhanced, sponsored and featured listings on the YachtWorld.com site for your central agency listings. Click every link on the page and make sure they work. Is the content on the home and additional pages the most important information to convey to your visitor? Buyers and sellers like to see a photo of your staff and office on the homepage. If your website layout is not fabulous, call your sales rep or customer service and ask for some help. Send yourself an email from the link on your site and make sure you receive it … or that someone else in your organization does … and see how long it takes them to respond. Make sure your email is not going to the email address of a former employee.
4. Go into Google and imagine that you are a buyer or seller who has never heard of either your brokerage or YachtWorld.com. Enter some key words to search for a boat or a broker. Does your boat listing or website come up on the first page? If it does not, review earlier blogs with tips on how to make your listings and websites get a higher ranking on Google. When you achieve an impressive ranking, don’t keep this impressive achievement to yourself.
Jessica Muffett
Publisher Emeritus
YachtWorld.com