Today we are continuing our discussion on the Top 5 Takeaways from Inman Real Estate Connect SF 2010.  Kicking the series off, we’d like to go into more detail about what it means to be customer-focused as well as tips on building a customer-centric business.

At Real Estate Connect this year, speakers stressed the importance of meeting the demands of today’s consumer (which happened to be the theme of last year’s Enterprise Network Conference). Over the past few years, Active Website has encouraged Enterprise members to make the move to a customer-centric business model because in order to last in today’s competitive market, we need to keep in mind what the driving force behind our success is – our customers.

With a wealth of information available via the web, customers are now better informed – meaning we need to provide a higher level of service then we did in the past in order to win their business.  Our online users now expect instant results and if you don’t provide that, it is extremely easy for them to visit a competitor’s site instead that may have the information they’re looking for readily available.

So then, what does it take to be customer-centric?

Keep in mind the switch won’t happen overnight: It’s not just about changing your business rules; it’s about changing the culture of your company and requires a fundamental shift in attitude.  Customers are our surest and most reliable source of future revenue, so by taking the time to educate our agents and staff on the benefits of a customer-centric business model, we can ensure the growth of our company through the coming years.

Know who your customers are: If you don’t know who your customers are, you won’t be able to share your services with them or know how to reach them.  Think about who your target market is – are they first time home buyers, new to the area, or in the market to sell their existing home? Keeping the demographics and interests of your customers in mind will help you tailor your services to fit their exact needs – which bring us to our next point.

Know what your customers want: There is a huge dichotomy between what the broker wants and what customers want. Understanding your customer means understanding their reasons for needing your services, making you able to adapt to their demands. Meeting their needs and achieving a higher level of customer service ensure our customers leave satisfied – helping you build customer loyalty. In an age where customers are looking to their peers for trusted recommendations (like Yelp for example), this is another critical component in moving your business forward.

As a network moving towards a customer centric business strategy, we’ve seen growth even through difficult market conditions. All too often, companies are too focused on driving traffic to their sites. We’re not saying this is bad – in fact, it’s another crucial part of your business. However, driving customers to your site is only half the battle. You also need to focus your time and resources on developing a process for taking care of these customers once they’ve found you online.

In order to do this, Active Website has encouraged Network members to create customer-centric business rules through LifeCycle, our inquiry management system. By having proper response times (15 minutes or less is ideal) and knowing how a customer wants to be treated through the process of buying or selling a home, you’ll be able to increase lead conversions and leave your customers satisfied. And –through The Active Usability Lab, we can scientifically track how users are interacting with our sites. With this information, we can make educated decisions for how to position our brands online.

It’s our mission to continue providing The Network with the best technology available to better meet the demands of our customers. We truly believe that in today’s online world, if the end user is happy to use our sites, our brand will be associated with high quality and great customer service that will ultimately lead our companies forward.

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