Will Real Estate Display Ads Really Work?

It's no secret that the internet has changed the face of advertising. Revenue heads and marketing teams have learned to adapt to ever-changing trends, algorithms, and user preferences. Despite the challenges, becoming well-versed in the web's mysterious ways certainly has its advantages.

Increasingly, display advertising is bringing home builders the conversion they need to grow their businesses. These promotions appear embedded in web pages — sites that you recognize as being frequented by your target market. Google display ads for the real estate business get an average click-through rate of 1.08%. This may seem small without context, but it's important to remember that Google's display network can expand to 2 million websites and 650,000 apps. 

In-person home tours and purchases begin with connections made through digital marketing. Milesbrand is here to ensure that your messages are memorable and don't get lost in the noise. 

What Are Real Estate Display Ads? 

Google advertising options have become so diverse that it's almost an industry of its own. Entire books could be written on the intricacies of organic digital marketing, which involves search engine optimization (SEO) and strategic uses of keywords. The alternative, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, can seem more straight-forward, but it comes with a plethora of options. Each choice has implications for your brand and return-on-investment. 

Display advertising falls under the umbrella of PPC. Typically, marketing and revenue specialists can partner with powerhouses like Facebook and Google to find placement for their messages. By utilizing the network of these larger organizations, your business can have advertisements displayed in the form of text, banners, or side-bar images on relevant websites. You can target third-party web locations that engage with a similar target market as yours. 

How Does Display Advertising Differ From Search Advertising?

In a perfect world, your team would be blessed with an unlimited advertising budget and the capacity to ensure that every user of the internet is exposed to your beautiful community. Unfortunately, most groups are instead forced to choose between many enticing placement options. 

Search advertising is many businesses' go-to. This pay-per-click method involves targeting certain search keywords and paying to have your website appear as one of the top query results. This can understandably seem like a worthy investment. It goes without saying that the higher your website appears in Google search results, the more likely it is that users will encounter your content. However, a few key differences can make display advertising a wiser choice for many home builders. 

Display advertising is very cost-effective

Search advertising is a great way to quickly gain visits to your website. But, as the name "pay-per-click" would suggest, each of these visits comes at a steep price. Google is perfectly aware of the value their search results can bring to companies, and will charge your brand accordingly. 

Display advertising, on the other hand, can be much more affordable. While search advertising forces you to compete for a few top results spots, there are seemingly endless websites ready to host brands' efforts through display advertising. Though your messaging might not be as immediately accessible as it would be at the very top of Google, it can make a stronger impact on the people it does reach. 

More creativity can be shown through display advertising

Search advertising forces your team to settle on very specific keywords and hope that your target happens to use them. Even if you do connect with members of your market, it's hard to make much of an impression through the limited space of a search result. 

Banner or side-bar imagery allows you to convey your message along with brand colors and fonts. Although this may seem like a small distinction, it can make a tremendous difference in terms of differentiating your homes from the competition. The opportunity to incorporate images into these advertisements is also crucial for attracting attention to your master-planned community. 

Looking for something even more tailored? Native display advertising embeds your ad within the text of a website's content. Those who visit the site to read a particular article or explore a certain topic will naturally encounter your message along with the rest of the information. When your content is displayed alongside the viewer's existing interest, they'll spend more time considering and engaging with your brand. 

Are Real Estate Display Ads Effective? 

All of this sounds great in theory, but one big question remains: do real estate display ads really work? Revenue heads are well aware that it's not just about getting views and clicks — you need conversions. And if display advertising is so readily available, affordable, and popular, how can you make sure that your advertisements aren't just white noise in the background of webpage content? 

It's true that you'll have competition in the digital marketing sphere. Some eyes will glide right over your placement and not every potential client will choose to engage. However, these small losses are balanced by lots of wins. Keep in mind: 

• Display advertising will give you a very wide scope. Even reaching a small percentage of your total audience will be useful. 
• The people you reach are your people. Because you're connecting on relevant third-party sites, the people who do see and engage with your advertising are the exact people you want to be meeting with. Chances of conversions increase, giving you more bang for your buck. 
• You'll show audiences more for less. For a significantly lower price than search advertising, you'll have the opportunity to include images and brand messaging that elaborates beyond just a few keywords. 

Milesbrand

The best thing about digital advertising? You don't have to navigate the marketing world alone. Milesbrand exists to make sure that your target audience knows about the great work that you're doing. Our award-winning services have helped real estate brands and home builders put their best foot forward.

We admire the work that you do — helping families find their dream homes. At the very least, we can help you find the perfect home for your brand messaging. Contact us today to begin a partnership.