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The update that features in version 2.1.11 tracks leads through enquiries by storing the data relating to the original lead in a cookie and then passing that data into Property Hive when an enquiry is made.
Why is lead tracking important for estate agents?
Knowing where your leads come from can be just as valuable as the leads themselves. A potential buyer might find you through a Google Ad, a Facebook campaign, an organic property search or through a range of other channels. Without proper tracking it’s almost impossible to see which of these marketing channels are actually driving enquiries and therefore which ones are potentially wasting your budget.
That’s where lead tracking comes in and, it can be super useful. By following a potential buyer’s journey from the moment they land on your site to the point they submit a property enquiry, you gain a picture of what’s working and what isn’t. These insights then help you to:
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Identify your most effective marketing channels
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Understand buyer intent and behaviour
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Make smarter marketing decisions
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Measure ROI with confidence
What is lead tracking with UTM tags?
Before we get onto the new lead tracking functionality included in the latest version of Property Hive, let’s first understand what UTM tags are and how they relate to lead tracking.
A UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) is a small piece of text added to the end of a website link that helps you track where your visitors are coming from. These snippets of information might tell you that a visitor came from a Facebook ad, through paid search, or via your quarterly newsletter.
Here’s an example of UTM tags being used in a URL:
We won’t go into how to add UTM tags in this post, but it’s useful to know that they can be created for virtually any traffic source. If you have a marketing professional supporting you, this is exactly the kind of thing they can help with but if you feel confident, it’s something you can easily try yourself. Essentially any time you link to your website, by using UTM tags, you can track where your visitors are coming from.
How do I track leads in Property Hive?
With the latest version of the Property Hive core plugin installed, any page visits to your website that contain UTM tags will be captured and stored accordingly. If someone then ends up on a property details page and makes an enquiry, the UTM tags will be automatically assigned to the enquiry to give you visibility on where it originated from.
This information will be visible from the main enquiries list under Property Hive > Enquiries:
In addition, this information is also available to view on the enquiry itself in a new lead tracking meta box:
What about GDPR?
The information being stored does not include any personal data and is limited to marketing source information such as campaign and channel details. It’s also not being used to identify individuals or for any kind of retargeting.
Because of this, GDPR consent isn’t required specifically for this tracking. Saying that, as with any data collection on your website, it’s good practice to mention this in your privacy policy so visitors are aware that marketing data is being recorded.
How can I access this feature in Property Hive?
Everything mentioned in this post is included and free to use within the core plugin. If you’re interested in lead tracking for your estate agency you car start by downloading the free core Property Hive plugin today.
