Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Homepg?

[bear bryants hat]

I noticed a lot of agents like to put an image of a happy, smiling family on their home page. why? I understand that images grab their attention and makes the appearance more pleasing to the eyes. and of course, everyone is smiling and if there's a house or vehicle in the background, they're usually really nice.

but why always a happy, smiling family? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just one of those psychology nerds who wonders if there is any reasoning behind it. have there been any studies to see which website images are most effective?

For example, since we're talking about insurance sites, why not show a house torn apart by a tornado, or someone lying in the intensive care unit, or a car smashed all to pieces?

when I see images of random families on websites all smiling real big, my first thought is that it is a govt. assistance (welfare) type site. I'm attempting to build a website and wanted some feedback. You know what they say about first impressions. I want to put some thought into what images the visitor will like. thank you.

 

[proadvisors]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

lol...Well you could put a grave yard.

 

[bear bryants hat]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

not saying it has to be gory or bloody (or a scene of a graveyard).

What I was getting at is that as far as tv commercials are concerned a lot of big companies put tons of advertising dollars into showing castastrophies (allstate is putting millions into their Mayhem promotion, state farm has the guy with the car up the pole etc.)

these companies pay the big bucks for the sharpest marketers. if they think it's a good idea to use that kind of approach for a tv commercial, why would a website be any different?

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

not saying it has to be gory or bloody (or a scene of a graveyard).

What I was getting at is that as far as tv commercials are concerned a lot of big companies put tons of advertising dollars into showing castastrophies (allstate is putting millions into their Mayhem promotion, state farm has the guy with the car up the pole etc.)

these companies pay the big bucks for the sharpest marketers. if they think it's a good idea to use that kind of approach for a tv commercial, why would a website be any different?

thats to get them to their site or to call their 800 # but once u hit their site it's all sunshine daisies and corn pipes.

 

[shepnerd]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

Its basically like advertising. You can go either way, tornadoes and wreckage evoke strong emotions and fear, and would actually draw more attention in a marketing sense. However, from a psychological sense you want your potential clients to link positive feelings to you, not negative ones, so websites are generally positive.

I was listening to my old Tony Robbins CD's yesterday and he was talking about just that. His analogy was the old AT&T commercials where they got you feeling guilty by showing sad grandma that hadn't heard from her son in ages and sorrowful music and such. Then the mood turned it into joy from the son picking up the phone and calling to all smiles and joyous music. The analogy is a little dated, but you get the picture. They were linking negative emotions to not using their product and positive ones to using it. People are just wired to link up positive/negative feelings to things (Pavlov's dogs) and your image is yours to create.

Having the fam on there also demonstrates stability and responsibility and creates a personal touch. People buy from people they like and trust.

That's the psychology behind it, anyway. Saying that, I suspect many haven't given it that much thought.

 

[bear bryants hat]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

YGMM, I've never heard the expression "sunshine daisies and corn pipes". That's funny, but I see your point.

shepnerd, very good insight. and the "pavlov's dogs" reference, I take it you may be a fellow psych nerd like myself.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

I actually rotate different pictures and I don't think any are family pictures. Most are scenery pics etc...

For my Pa site, one of the pics was of Joe Paterno because he was (and still is) one of the most recognized persons in Pa. I thank Val for correctly pointing out that maybe that pic should be removed. And it was.

 

[GeminiGroup]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

Your right some marketing dept. somewhere SOLD the idea that this is the way it's done.
Once an idea is adapted by a market, it dies very slowly and other people "swear" by it, without much evidence other than everybody else does so it must work.

I always laugh when, I see all those R/E folks with their glamour shots and Sunday best on their business cards and bus benches as if I'd buy a house BECAUSE of their haircut or red power tie.

I think most people are like me, I could care less about how great or ugly the realtor, if love house, great.

A pretty face might get you to a pair of pants but a house?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

It's tough to get failed 1970's sales methods out our brains. I have seen very very few family photos on insurance or real estate sites that didn't look sad or awkward. At best most look unprofessional.

The concept is to show you're either a family man or "real person." The unintended consequence is you generally look like an ax murdered or child predator.

 

[JimmyUt]

Re: Why Do So Many Agents Put Pics of a Happy Family on Their Hom

Someone told them to do that or they saw that everyone else has done it, and they figured it must be the right thing to do.

If must work since just about every agent has the same genre of web site.

So maybe you should also do it? Put it this way, if you don't do it you are going to be considered a radical, a divergence from the "group think" protocol of this venue, and will probably be ostracized for advocating anything other than what is "commonly accepted" by the leaders in this group.

You-know-who(m) will be here soon to beat the crap out of me. Others will follow.

Ask me how I know? See my website. Does it work? It does for me and my marketing paradigm... I'm not a "happy family" guy... but then again I'm considered the village *** here... so it's probably best to ignore what I say and do what everyone else does.

Not doubt everyone is far more successful than I am in this biz. Everyone knows I only have three clients... and one of them is my mother, the other my wife. (And yeah, ya gotta feel sorry for the poor schmuck who is third!)

Al
You can find my site here.

I am for the most part a "happy family" guy, but the last thing I am going to do is put a cheesy picture of my beautiful kids and their fat old man up ( no wife attached) so I can be ridiculed by the mindless idiots (with less than a 10th grade education) that predominately inhabit this world. If I wanted to be a sheep, I would go to church every sunday like all my neighbors do.


Cheesy family pics are for facebook.