CX Insights for Home Builders

Web Design Secrets: Unlock Potential with an Audit

Written by Michelle Nguyen - UI/UX Designer | Oct 5, 2023 4:58:42 PM

Recently, a marketing VP came to us at Bokka requesting a proposal. She wanted to take her sales and marketing to the next level and thought a brand-new website would do the trick. But here's the thing - she didn't need a whole new site; she just needed some expert eyes on her current one. So, we did a deep-dive website audit and found key spots where a little love could go a long way. And guess what? Those tweaks ended up being game-changers for her brand, driving leads and sales like never before.

This goes to show, that sometimes it's not about building something new, but about making the most of what you've got. A website audit can be the missing puzzle piece in your homebuilding marketing strategy.

What is a Website Audit, and Why is it so Important?

A website audit is an in-depth evaluation of your website's performance, functionality, and overall effectiveness. It takes into account user feedback, website analytics, and industry best practices to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

The purpose: to create a remarkable online presence that captivates prospects and drives leads and sales.

Your website is your 24/7 model home.

Building it from scratch takes a lot of time and money. But over time it becomes dated and doesn't perform as well as when it was first built. Instead of tearing it down and building a new one, it might make more sense to do a remodel. So you need to take stock of what you have that's working, and what's not.

This is exactly where a website audit becomes invaluable.

By conducting a website audit, you gain valuable insights into:

  • Improving the user experience
  • Increasing lead-generation
  • Strengthening your brand's online reputation

With data-driven recommendations and industry best practices, a website audit is a home builder's essential tool for staying competitive in the market. It establishes your website as a powerful asset, attracting and engaging customers, and driving leads and appointments like never before.

Beyond Aesthetics – Why Your Website Demands More Than a Makeover

Many home builders jump straight to redesigning their website when things aren’t performing well. But without understanding the root causes, a makeover can be like painting over cracks—it hides problems without fixing them. This can lead to wasted budget, time, and effort—and ultimately fewer leads.

A strategic website audit allows you to diagnose your site’s issues thoroughly before making changes. It goes beyond just visual appeal and examines how visitors interact with your site, how fast it loads, how well it ranks, and much more. This initial step sets the foundation for success and avoids costly missteps.

At Bokka Group, we see audits as more than just technical checklists. They align closely with improving the overall homebuyer’s journey online, which is vital for those of you who want to stand out and convert more leads in a competitive market.

The High Cost of Guesswork: Why Audits Are Non-Negotiable for Builders

If you’ve ever felt like website decisions are based on hunches or gut feelings, you’re probably right. Just know that’s a common but costly mistake. Guesswork leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities because you’re not focused on where your site really needs improvement.

Our 2024 Home Buyer Conversion Report reveals the key factors that influence homebuyers’ decisions online. And most importantly, a customized website audit applies those broad insights specifically to your website—identifying exactly what hurts or helps your unique visitors convert.

With competition from large portals like Zillow and Redfin, plus national builders with seemingly endless budgets pouring marketing dollars online, your website must be optimized thoughtfully. An audit identifies where you lag and gives you a clear action plan to improve lead generation, appointment setting, and brand reputation.

The Three Essential Components of a Successful Audit

1. User Experience (UX)— The Visitor’s Journey

User experience is all about making your website work well for your customers. It's like being a good host when someone visits your home. You want to make sure they find everything easily, feel comfortable, and enjoy their visit. For builders, this is super important. In a crowded market, you need your website to stand out and make a positive impression.

When you focus on user experience, you help build trust with your audience. People are more likely to buy from you if they can navigate your site without issues and enjoy the experience. By taking care of your visitors, you'll build lasting relationships and drive more sales. There are several key things to look for during the audit.

HERE'S OUR Essential UX Checklist:

  1. Optimize website structure and navigation so users can easily find what they need.
  2. Design clear and intuitive calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide users toward desired actions.
  3. Ensure fast page loading times so users stay engaged and are less likely to leave the website.
  4. Provide relevant and valuable content that aligns with user expectations and interests.
  5. Prioritize mobile responsiveness — more buyers research on phones and tablets than ever before. We commonly see builders getting 70%+ of their traffic from mobile and tablet users.
  6. Include immersive features like virtual tours or interactive floor plans, which significantly boost engagement (as confirmed by insights from our Home Buyer Conversion Report).

Poor UX leads to high bounce rates and lost leads, which directly impacts sales. An audit identifies these friction points and shows you exactly how to fix them.

2. User Interface (UI)— The First Impression

First impressions are crucial, and that's where a good user interface comes in. Think of it as the decor and layout of your website - it needs to be welcoming and attractive.

For home builders, a well-designed UI shows you're professional and trustworthy. It's like having a tidy, well-decorated model home that people want to explore. When your website looks good and is easy to use, visitors feel confident and curious. They're more likely to check out what you have to offer, get in touch, and even buy from you. By creating a striking and user-friendly interface, you make a strong impression that leads to more inquiries and sales.

OUR Essential UI Checklist INCLUDES:

  1. Design compelling visuals that capture attention and leave a lasting impression on visitors.
  2. Create consistent branding elements across the website to reinforce brand identity and recognition.
  3. Incorporate a responsive design that adapts seamlessly to different devices and screen sizes.
  4. Use high-quality images and multimedia to enhance the visual appeal and storytelling on the website.
  5. Incorporate textual hierarchy by using descriptive headings, subheads, and bullets to make info easier to find.
  6. Employ whitespace effectively to improve readability and emphasize key elements.

We also emphasize how a consistent UI builds brand recognition and can set your company apart from competitors. A professional look signals trustworthiness to visitors, making them feel more comfortable engaging with your site.


 

3. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)— Turning Visitors Into Leads and Customers

Conversion rate optimization, or CRO for short, is like turning a welcome mat into a doorway. It's all about getting more website visitors to become customers. For home builders, this means changing a few things on your site to make it easier for people to take the next step.

This could be filling out a contact form, signing up for a newsletter, or even putting down a deposit. By tweaking things like your call-to-actions and landing pages, you can guide more visitors toward doing what you want them to do. The goal is to create a smooth and compelling path that leads visitors to become customers. Done right, CRO can help your homebuilding business grow and succeed.

OUR Essential CRO Checklist:

  1. Reduce obstacles: Identify and fix anything on your website that makes it harder for visitors to take desired actions.
  2. Vary conversion opportunities: Offer different reasons to convert instead of just one contact form. For example: download a brochure, request an appointment, or start a live chat.
  3. Highlight testimonials: Showcase reviews and testimonials to build trust and credibility.
  4. Enhance CTAs: Create clear and compelling call-to-actions that stand out.
  5. Optimize landing pages: Improve your landing pages to keep visitors engaged and encourage them to take action.
  6. Streamline forms: Simplify your forms, making them easy to fill out and submit. Try progressive forms.
  7. Analyze user behavior: Use tools like heat maps and session recordings to understand how visitors interact with your site and identify areas for improvement.

4. Technical Performance & SEO — The Foundation

While UX, UI, and CRO focus on the visitor’s experience and conversion, Technical Performance & SEO ensure that the site runs smoothly, loads fast, and ranks well on search engines.

Our audit covers:

  1. Site speed, including Core Web Vitals and image optimizations
  2. Mobile-friendliness from a technical perspective, beyond just responsiveness
  3. Ensuring search engines can crawl and index your site properly (robots.txt, sitemaps)
  4. Proper SEO tags including title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and image alt text
  5. Structured data (schema markup) for your communities and floor plans
  6. Website security and HTTPS
  7. Broken links, redirects, and error pages

Technical excellence is critical to user satisfaction and search visibility, and also directly impacts conversion rates. Many builders don’t realize how a slow or insecure website costs them leads daily.

The Bokka Group Audit Process: From Data to Actionable Insights

Our process focuses on delivering clear, prioritized insights tailored to your business:

  1. Goal Definition: Understanding your unique priorities like increasing leads or improving engagement.
  2. Data Gathering: Using trusted tools like Google Analytics, SEO crawlers, heatmapping software, and proprietary research.
  3. Analysis: Holistically reviewing UX, UI, CRO, and technical factors against industry standards and best practices.
  4. Prioritization: Identifying which fixes will give you the biggest ROI.
  5. Reporting & Strategy: Providing clear, jargon-free reports and actionable roadmaps.

Unlocking Potential: Real Results from Strategic Audits

Texas Builder:

Initially had only a 0.19% Visit-to-Lead conversion despite good traffic. Our audit revealed UX and CTA issues that were causing visitors to leave without converting. Post-implementation, they enjoyed:

  • 726% increase in Visit-to-Lead conversion (to 1.57%)
  • 103% increase in Lead-to-Appointment conversions
  • 221% more leads overall

Colorado Builder:

Focused on increasing qualified leads without merely driving more traffic. After implementing a Live Chat feature—an enhancement identified through the audit—their website conversions increased by 138%. This demonstrates how targeted optimizations discovered through a thorough audit can lead to real, measurable growth.

Leveraging Audit Insights: Connecting to the Bigger Picture

An audit doesn’t just help refine your website — it informs the broader strategies that drive your business forward.

  • Content Strategy: An audit can reveal content gaps or opportunities based on visitor interests and search behavior, helping you prioritize creation that resonates with buyers.
  • PPC & Media: Discover which pages and features convert best to refine your advertising targeting and create more effective landing pages.
  • Technology Integration: Audit findings can highlight the need for new tools like CRM optimization, marketing automation, or advanced website features such as interactive maps and floor plan viewers.

Our 2024 Home Buyer Conversion Report complements these strategies by providing data on what features and content resonate most with different buyer demographics, ensuring your investment in improvements is precise and impactful.

The Bokka Group: Your Trusted Guide for Website Audits

You've seen how a website audit can boost your business. The next step is to make it happen with the right partner. At Bokka, we're your go-to experts for digital success in the homebuilding industry. Our specialized team crafts tailored audit strategies, deep analysis, and practical recommendations to boost leads and sales. We're not just consultants – we'll work with you side by side to make your website the best it can be.

Remember, a brand-new website isn't always the solution. Often, a detailed website audit is the golden ticket to boosting your online presence and taking your homebuilding marketing to the next level. Just send us a message - we're ready to go there with you.