Forced registration improves conversion rate by 300%

Nobody likes to be forced into anything.

But as you know, on the Internet, the rules are different.

Web users are now becoming more accepting of “forced registration.”

It makes sense. Sites are better at providing useful information.

But if you want that information, you need to give a little too.

That request could be just an email address. Or a name. Something simple.

SpatialMatch, the IDX and Lifestyle search engine platform, provides a simple registration form that you can tweak to your preferences (see below).

Don’t be afraid to do this – once a consumer starts using this technology to find homes AND search lifestyle amenities located near those properties, they will be willing to give up some information to continue the search.

It basically boils down to, “I want to check out how far this property is from the nearest _____. I just love to ________ and it would be so cool to have a place like that nearby.”

One interesting little study conducted by Barker-Hedges Homes in Cincinnati, showed that the conversion rate for their site with about 1200 visitors was 5.6% for a forced registration. For an unforced registration (the consumer did not have to fill out a form to continue) the conversion rate was 1.43%

Nice.

I know we don’t need to mention this, but in case anybody forgot, these leads are the lifeblood of the real estate business. They are customers willing to let you contact them. They are money.

As you can see, consumers are willing to provide their contact info for the right information. Shouldn’t you have multiple touch points on your site where you provide them the opportunity to get great information.

SpatialMatch, with its enormous neighborhood database is certainly one of them – there are hundreds of thousands of schools listed, millions of businesses, tons of local amenities. (And they have different settings for when you want the visitor to register. For example, after they conduct their first search and want to continue).

Point the value of this neighborhood search tool to consumers – heck, use it to bring consumers to your site.

Mrs. Jones might want to live on the other side of town – but if the best yoga studio is on this side of town and she realizes she will be driving there 5 times a week, then maybe Mrs. Jones will reconsider the property you have listed.

Or Mr. Smith is not sure which broker he should use to list his house. But if you point out to Mr. Smith that you have a tool that is going to promote the heck out of the fact that he lives a half-mile from the Golden Golf Ball Country Club, and you have a way to capture the names of people who search for it, then you just might get that listing.

To  be honest, they shouldn’t call it “forced registration.” Seems a little harsh. Especially when consumers are becoming more willing to register.

Perhaps they should call it “mutual information exchange.”

I’ve got something great to show you (SpatialMatch IDX and Lifestyle search engine). You’ve got something great to give me (your name!).

There, we’re both happy.

To see the Barker-Hedges statistics they so  nicely provided on their blog, click here.

To see a demonstration on how SpatialMatch can help you capture more leads, click here.