Choosing
a Real Estate website or Web Designer
Finding
the right website or web designer can be the most
important decision you make in your web campaign.
This can be an extremely confusing and frustrating
process especially if you don't know what to look
for.
You have two main options in creating a website; a
custom designed site or template-based site. Which
you choose will be determined by your budget and level
of commitment to your online marketing campaign.
Template Sites
Template
sites cost considerably less than custom designed
sites, generally running from $300-$1200. You will
be able to choose from several different designs and
modify your varying amounts of your personal content.
This usually includes your photo, contact information,
and any listings you may add. Some template sites
also provide some useful tools and content along with
the basic site.
The advantages of using a template site include a
significantly lower price tag and the minimal effort
and time needed to get it up and running.
However, there are many template sites that don't
serve as much more than online brochures (and bad
ones at that) and are not worth investing in.
Custom Sites
Custom
websites designed specifically to your needs cost
significantly more than template sites. While some
designers may advertise low prices for a "Basic" site,
a custom site with all the features you want will
usually cost anywhere from $1000 to $2500. Having
a custom built site allows you free reign over the
features, design, and organization of your site. However,
running a custom site successfully usually requires
a much larger time commitment.
After experiencing the potential of a good online
marketing campaign, many agents invest in a custom
website to replace their template sites at their primary
web address.
Things To Look For:
Regardless
of which option you choose, there are some common
features that every good website should have.
Administrative Console or Control Panel
It
is essential that you be able to make changes to your
website through an easy web form. You do not want
to rely on a Webmaster to add and update the content
on your site.
Level of Customization and Scalability
Many
template sites include a standard set of links and
content built in, with little modification available.
How much of the content in your site will you be able
to control? Will you be able to add new pages and
features to your website affordably? The last thing
you want is to get stuck with a site that falls short
of your expectations and can't be modified.
Frameless pages
Many
companies offer template sites that use frames to
display content that is hosted on a central server.
Besides the poor aesthetic appeal of frames, this
creates a greater problem with search engines and
usability.
Aesthetics and Usability
Oftentimes
people will tell you that you do not need a pretty
site with fancy graphics. They will tell you that
visitors to your site are not concerned with its image
but rather it's content. While they are correct in
that visitors aren't primarily concerned with your
site's look and feel, the reality is that image and
usability do matter.
Even with the best content, a poorly designed site
can make it so frustrating and difficult for users
that it leaves a horrible impression. A professionally
designed and aesthetically pleasing site will make
it easy for visitors to navigate and accomplish their
tasks, and immediately promotes confidence with your
prospective clients.
Imagine you had just spoken with two different real
estate agents that both seemed equally knowledgeable
and experienced. One was dressed professionally and
presents you with a market report and a nice business
card. The other looked disheveled, smelled funny,
and hands you his phone number written on a napkin.
Which would you go with?
Support Staff with Online Marketing Expertise
It
is vital to remember that even the best website, alone,
will not generate any new leads for you. The majority
of real estate website designers are programmers or
graphic artists, not marketing experts. Make sure
your web designers are familiar with search engine
optimization and can provide consultation and guidance
in marketing your website. This is far more important
that most agents realize.
Designers Familiar with Real Estate Industry and
websites
Ideally,
you should purchase your website from a company that
specializes in real estate sites. They should be familiar
what prospective clients are looking for on your site
and how to best generate new leads for you. |
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