Websites are a strategic balance between the business and the customer needs. Businesses need to generate leads (grow their list) and revenue. Customers need to find information, services and products to solve problems. As someone who has worked with websites for a bit it’s always cool to see a website that looks like they put the time in to find that balance and make it really clear what they are about.
About the Business
Zillow.com is the leading real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration and knowledge around the place they call home, and connecting them with the best local professionals who can help.
Working the Website
Zillow is one of those great examples. The website has a very clear call to action, right up front, that lets the customer dive right in and do what they are there to do: find a home. The header is large but is *both* pleasing and functional – this does not always happen! The background images change and show different ideas of home but the main search bar is always right there.
Building the Brand
Zillow has a very clear brand. Their whole mission is to help you “Find your way home.” Having a focus, like the word ‘home’ in this case, creates a starting point for pretty much everything you offer. Their message carries over to their YouTube Channel as well where they feature videos that share stories from real people about what home means to them. I love how they summed it up so succinctly:
“A collection of real-life stories illustrating how “home†is uniquely individual to everyone, yet universally core to our lives. We each have a story of what Home means to us.”
On Facebook, they share everything home-related from tips on buying real estate, ways to organize or decorate your home and – a personal favorite – they shared a video of a house for ‘Throwback Thursday’ that hadn’t been remodeled since the 60’s! Even though the main goal of Zillow is buying and selling real estate, they incorporate fun and inspiration for customers without straying from their own home base.
Actionable Takeaway
Is there a word or feeling you can hone in on to create a thread through your content and visuals?