Yes, I'll say it again....focus.  In marketing terms we call this “Niche Marketing” (you've probably also heard the term hyperlocal) and I have an entire class on this topic here. The gist of it, though, is that if you’re trying to hit too many targets at once then you’re going to be spreading yourself too thin to really gain much ground. You’re trying to compete in too many areas, and it’s a lot of work to go after everything (especially if you ever decide to do any paid marketing). You’re going to end up diluting your message by being a “jack of all trades” when most shoppers are really looking for an “ace” in their specific situation.

 

The best websites are simple, and should feel like “home” to the visitor. They should feel like they’re in exactly the right place for what they needed. If you have 80 buttons, lots of contents that have nothing to do with them, and work in several fields that don’t immediately appear to be closely related then you aren’t going to feel like the right choice. So just pick a few things to go after – what type of transactions do you want more of, what type of person, type of property, part of town, etc. Anything you can do to get more specific.

 

Specificity is the key there. The more specific  and simple your site is then the more “loud and clear” it will be to both visitors and the search engines that you’re not just “a choice”, you’re “the choice”. It’s not limiting yourself if it’s a way to get your foot in the door with some valuable leads while also not having to fight a war on several fronts to get to the top in your Google rank.  Next week we'll dive into even more details about the value behind having a unique site.