Yet, the typical sales-oriented Real Estate Web site urges the visitor to jump to commitment right away. Pushing for them to "CALL NOW!" is not only premature, but a misapplication of the fact that visitors are in a hurry. Developing a relationship can't be rushed or skipped—not if you intend to lead them to the altar (sale). Buyers want and need to proceed at their own pace.

Each request you make of a visitor—call, read, subscribe or buy—requires a higher level of commitment. So back off the hard sell, and instead weave the steps into a sensuous dance that respects them and invites a lasting relationship. It's possible, if you follow these five points that buyers care about.

1. How well they're treated
The mood of a real estate agent web site should be welcoming, geared to assist the customer finding what they're looking for. Trust grows as you minimize their sense of risk. And make no mistake, the buyer's risks are greater online. Recognize them a nd reduce them as much as possible. They've been conned, burned, or faced non-delivery of purchases—not to mention abuse of their credit cards or privacy information.

The Internet works because people feel anonymous. People are understandably leery about revealing personal information. So every aspect of the site needs to say, "you're safe here"—along with, "look at all the interesting things we have to show you." One fast move and that skittish deer will bolt.

2. How efficiently the informative process went
Assuming your site sells a tangible product, the buyer has to be able to assess its looks, materials, uses, and value without being able to touch it. This can be accomplished much better with some products than others by use of photographs and descriptive copy. Real estate web sites need to know their customers' concerns so well that they anticipate what they need to know.

Design the site for ease of scanning and logical organization that presents information so it will guide and inform.

3. How much aggravation they had to endure
Here's where poor navigation or slow download times cost you qualified prospects. (Navigation problems are a main reason why site visitors leave.) They won't stay at a site where they can't easily find the answers they want. And if they have to wait too long for pages to load, forget it. Internet users are extremely time sensitive.

4. How many mind games were played on them
The primary products sold on most web sites are hype and high pressure. Unfortunately, that's not what buyers are looking to buy, and why visitor-prospect conversion rates online are so abysmally low. The quality of typical real estate sales copy is aggressive, designed more to trick than inform. It seems like the sales letters were drafted from the same manual.

Aggressive tactics are so widespread that effective, customer-friendly copy can actually stand out. So get rid of the "gotchas." Customers dread them, and then relax once they don't find them.

5. How well the business has its act together overall
Behind the computer screen are untold elements—efficient links, quick loading, the respect for the visitor's time, etc., that reveal the real estate agent's priorities. Unless all the parts work with a consistent goal and degree of care the buyer experiences whiplash. Sour notes (small potatoes signals) are trivial in themselves, but break the momentum toward the contact. They're easily eliminated֫once you know to look for them.

Give yourself extra points for post-sale follow up. Here's where Internet real estate agents can shine because of autoresponders and customer-oriented e-mail. Don't just use such tools for making the sale. Use them to build relationships and added value after you get their money.

Dance Your Way to Profits
Courtship is necessary to develop a lasting relationship. The pace of the dance should reflect the give-and-take necessary to build trust. Don't sell the buyer, court him with a well-paced dance.

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Dr. Lynella Grant is an expert in visual communication, how printed materials send signals that reinforce or negate the verbal message. Decode and repair your unintended impressions. Author, "The Business Card Book" and "Yellow Page Smarts." http://www.yellowpagesage.com (719) 395-9450
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