HOMEBUYING AND E-COMMERCE: MAKE HOMEBUYING EASIER

E-COMMERCE = EASY COMMERCE

No, e-commerce stands for electronic commercial transactions. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be easy. It’s apparent that buyers are looking for more virtual options (including virtual buying options) and builders are starting to provide them.

The key to putting the control in your homebuyers’ hands is exactly that; putting the control in their hands and letting them decide what they want and how they want it. Do they want to purchase a home sight unseen, or would they prefer to travel to a sales center?

While demand for homes is heavily outweighing supply, using e-commerce to sell homes speeds up the process for you and your buyers. It’s evident that with the market change, touring homes in person might be out of the question for some. With that said, using high-quality content to encourage buyers to click the “Buy Now” button creates a complete customer experience. From beginning to end, using a strategic e-commerce process meets your buyers where they are, no matter their position in the journey.

As homebuilders move towards e-commerce home selling, tools like the Interactive Sitemap offers the perfect bridge between buying a home sight unseen and customer trust. The digital homebuying experience starts the minute your homebuyers begin looking online for their future home and a lot of times, your buyers come to you educated about their potential purchase.

Moving to an e-commerce approach in the buying journey does not mean your salespeople aren’t necessary anymore. In fact, your people are a key part of the trust and retention with your buyers. During the sight-unseen buying process, your homebuyers require an extra set of eyes and ears to help them discover more about their dream home. Maybe they’ll have personal questions that require knowledgeable and timely responses that only your team can help them with. They may need assistance throughout the online buying process. They may even just need to chat through their decision to ensure they’re making the right one for them. The buyer’s journey isn’t altered with e-commerce, just simplified.