Data Post November 12, 2009 - Forced vs. Unforced Registration Test

Website Data for November 5 - November 11, 2009

Well, not much changed from last week.  The total visitors and total uniques are nearly identical and Saint-paul-real-estate.com (unforced site) had slightly better non-IDX lead totals while BarkerHedges.com (forced site) saw the same net total of non-IDX leads and an increase in IDX leads.  A few more weeks of testing and maybe we'll be able to make some sense out of these numbers!

Raw Data:

  Saint-Paul-Real-Estate.com (Unforced)
BarkerHedges.com (Forced)

 Total Visitors

1,220 1,415
 Unique Visitors
 1,048 1,214
 Avg Pages Viewed per Visitor
 15.1 11.7
 Avg Time on Site per Visitor
 9 minutes 58.3 seconds 7 minutes 30.1 seconds
 Bounce Rate
 32%37%
    
 IDX Registrations 660
 Showing Request Forms
 64
 Property Inquiry Forms
 32
 Other Misc Forms
 01
 Call In from Website
 00
 Bad Information Given
 0

1

Conversion Rate:

As usual, we start with a side by side analysis of the website conversion rates.  The conversion rate is the % of Unique Visitors who convert into a lead.  We calculate leads including all lead types, minus those that give bad contact information.  For Saint-Paul-Real-Estate.com (the Unforced Website), the conversion rate was 1.43% (15 net leads ÷ 1,048 unique visitors).  For BarkerHedges.com (the Forced Site), the conversion rate was 5.60% (68 net leads ÷ 1,214 unique visitors). This is a sizeable increase in conversion rate for both websites, but the percentage spread between the sites remained about the same as previous weeks.

Stay Tuned!

Discussion

#1 By Jeff at 12/23/2013 0:44 AM

The stats are essentially the same but in "IDX Registration" category of course. Doesn't this disprove what we (bloggers, SM experts, etc) hoped to believe as true for years? That if you "give the information away" they will come and register eventually and that if you required regstration customers would felee forever? Seems to indicate that they will come and registration is not an issue. At least under one scenario a relationship can be formed.

#2 By Brandon Hedges at 12/23/2013 0:44 AM

@ Jeff...



Thanks for your comments! I think you are correct. I have always been vehemently opposed to forced registration, but the numbers don't lie. If we are going to receive the same response either way, I would prefer to require registration and have the opportunity to cultivate a relationship with my on-line customers.

#3 By Gregg Camp at 12/23/2013 0:44 AM

Hi Matt, long time no talk. Nice looking site. Seems the debate has proof positive. You can't expect to cultivate a relationship with the anonymity of the internet without requiring registration. Some think so, but facts are facts. Like anything, then the art of sales begins as an opportunity to provide value is started. Good job, thanks Gregg

#4 By Jeff from Billings, mt at 12/23/2013 0:44 AM

We had a killer website that was climbing organically in our marketplace... the problem was that none but a few would raise their hands and want help... we became the great information website and nothing more! Like wikipedia... we need paying customers. I got on the bandwagon to get a lead capture module added to our website but instead we went with a lead provider that markets for us. It's generated so much more business for us and I wouldn't ever go back to a website that doesn't ask the prospect to signup

#5 By Jason at 12/23/2013 0:44 AM

It would be great to know how many of the converted leads on the forced site converted again into appointments. I think that will be the tall tell sign of which method is better.

#6 By Mitch Ribak at 12/23/2013 0:44 AM

Great program guys. I've been touting forced registration for years and have taken a lot of heat. I will always contend that my success in our little Melbourne Florida office is because we have forced registration since 2002. I tested non registration back in 2002 and found very similar numbers that you are finding, I wish I had kept the info but I didn't. Back then it just made sense to me that if I capture more leads I will get more sales.



Are you guys tracking sales from the leads. That would be the next level of testing. My belief is that the closing rate of each category will be similar. Just wondering if you guys have tracked that now that you are close to a year. Great job!

#7 By Gregg Camp at 12/23/2013 0:44 AM

Hi Matt_ maybe see you at the summit again. I have been doing that and have questions on the registration form as I did not really see much difference with bare bones versus half a dozen questions. We are finding things vary, but about 110-120 leads to sale seems to be somewhere in the range we are finding with some agents.

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