Summary: Podcast Number 80 — August 2012 Glenn and Tom examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Website Homes.com. Here are a few observations on the site’s results: Can the listener determine the revenue model for Homes.com? A very competitive industry and their domain sets them apart. What do Homes.com advertisers really want? They are making money from ads and visits. What pulls the user into the site? Focus on a low bounce rate and high page views. Look at other revenue models if possible. A number one ranking in Google for the search term “homes” is huge. The term gets 45 million searches per month in Google. Search results are the biggest part of the user experience. Put the home address next to the price. Put the address of the home in the title tag. Home page search box disappears on interior pages. What are the benefits to joining and having a login? A great user experience will lead to people converting. Ads are for a variety of services, not just realtors. What are the key action items for the Web marketers at Homes.com How can the site move beyond the domain name? Conduct user research–take the time to get inside the head of your Website users. User testing sessions could be useful to develop new revenue models. Build loyalty to the site that will build quality traffic. Development of a very valuable email list. Local resources should be more prominent. Avoid multiple and changing navigation systems. A lot is happening on this site and most of the content is ignored. Overall a very impressive Website
