Property ManagementWhat"s Involved with Getting a Web Site?
You may already be an experienced real estate Internet marketer. Anyone with
an email account is already using the Internet to advantage. But what about
having your own Web site? Is this a form of marketing you really need? How much
should you spend and what should you get for your money? What kind of Web site
will be most effective for you?
The National Association of Realtors
reports that three out of four buyers are estimated to be using the Internet to
find a home. After looking at homes and playing with loan sites, consumers will
then search for real estate professionals. With the interactive nature of the
Internet, it is foolhardy not to make yourself and your services as readily
available as possible. With one click of the mouse, a prospect can visit your
Web page, learn about you, your community, and services, and contact you.
Outlining your services is infinitely easier on a Web site than any other form
of media. You can show it to people, direct prospects to it, update it, add to
it, and communicate through it.
You can"t even begin to accomplish all that with a brochure or a newspaper
ad. Your site isn"t a one-shot deal - it"s ongoing.
Developing a real estate Web site takes careful planning, but by
understanding the nature of Web site design and its costs, you will be better
able to develop a Web presence that will return your investment with solid
leads and prospects. Here are the steps to follow:
Decide how much effort you will devote to making your Web site
successful
A Web site doesn"t miraculously attract visitors or generate revenue - you
have to lead visitors to your site by a combination of your own footwork and by
researching and mastering search engine placement. The best way to look at the
Web is to think of it like another form of media. In its simplest terms, it is
like a gargantuan library of books, newspapers or magazines. The difference is
that your prospect can find you (your book) and choose to interact with you.
Unlike a book or a magazine, you can answer back. When your prospect emails you
to request more information or fills out the a visitor questionnaire, they have
taken the first step toward establishing a dialog - one you can pick up and
turn into a sale. That is the single greatest advantage of advertising your
services on the Web.
Imagine you are in the largest library in the universe. How would you find
the book you want? As libraries make it easy with the Dewey Decimal System,
which can pinpoint how a publication is catalogued to which shelf the book or
magazine is located, the Internet does exactly the same thing by organizing and
mapping the Web into URLs, or Web addresses.
The trick is getting people to visit your site. There are two ways to do
this that are within your control. You must develop your site either on your
own or with the help of a Web master to use "key" words which will be picked up
by search engines. Then you must notify the search engines of the existence of
your site. Each search engine site will have an Add URL feature.
Search engines use word search feelers called spiders to find and catalog
Web sites by common words. As a Realtor, you will want your Web pages to be
sprinkled liberally with words such as relocation, real estate, your city, your
neighborhood, homes, houses, homes for sale, buyer"s agent, realty, real estate
agents, and other words that will ensure that your site is chosen by the search
engine and put into a results database whenever a consumer keys in homes for
sale - your city. Your site will show up somewhere in the results.
You can"t rely on search engines alone to direct people to your site. You
will also have to rely on traditional means such as word of mouth to
advertising. Tell everyone you know that you have a Web site. Add your Web site
address to your business cards, flyers, classified ads, MLS listings, your
company profile, open house logs, sign riders, your license plate, and any
other media you can think of. Web sites are particularly effective in listing
or buyer"s presentations. You can take your laptop, and show your prospects
your Web site and how you use the site to showcase homes, ease communications,
demonstrate your alliances with Chambers, industry organizations and other
sites that will impress your consumer, and more.
You will have to develop the habit of directing people to your site instead
of providing them information by other means whenever possible. If someone
wants to see the latest listings, give them your URL. If they want to see your
resume, print it for them - from your Web site.
Decide how much you want to spend
The amount you want to spend will dictate whether you get a custom site or a
template-designed site. Both have their place. A custom site can begin at
hundreds of dollars and go into the thousands depending on what services you
want to negotiate with the Web designer. With a custom Web designer, you will
want to discuss Web design, types of pages, number of pages, add/subtract
features, daily updates, email features and Web hosting.
A template site is much less expensive, well under a thousand dollars for
the design and a year of Web hosting, as well as other services such as search
engine registration. You can choose from a few models, which will change only
with the addition of your photo, contact information and any editorial or
listings your contract allows you to add.
Although there are certainly more restrictions, there is a distinct
advantage to a template site. You can get your toes wet without a lot of
expense. As you find you really like this Web stuff, you can always add
another, more customized site. Many Realtors have multiple sites which they
leverage by focusing upon specialties. You may have a site that promotes you as
a buyer"s agent, and another that focuses on your listing expertise, for
example.
If you allow one of the large home search sites such as Realtor.com and
HomeSeekers to design a template for you and host your Web site, you will automatically have an advantage when it comes to marketing listings.
Realtor.com, for example, charges a fee to put an agent"s contact information with listings, with Web hosting, your contact information will automatically be added.
Prices for custom and template sites will depend on how many pages your site
is. A Web page is just like a page in a magazine or book. Each one adds to the
size and scope of your site.
To help you decide which way to go, you must know what kind of information
and services your site will provide. At the very least, you will want to
include a front page, an all-about-me page, an all-about-my-community page, a
listings page, school information, mapping features, a contact page, and if you
are a buyer"s agent - a buyer"s agency page. You"ll get bonus points for adding
news, crime information, and seasonal events. You may include links to
community centers, employers in the area, child care services and other sites
with useful information or services. Be prepared to write or at least edit much
of the material yourself.
Decide how much of the work you want to do
You must decide whether you want to have a hand in maintaining the site
yourself, or leave all changes to the Web master, so ask what options are
available to you. Can you add or subtract your own listings? What about links
to news, information or local events? The more you do, the lower the cost.
Whether you hire a custom designer or choose a template designer, you will
want to register your own domain name. Network Solutions is an Internet
domain name broker which handles the registration of most domain names. When
you visit their site, you can check to see if certain names are available.
Before using the word REALTOR in your domain name, be sure to check out NAR"s
guidelines for proper usage of their trademarks at nar.realtor.com. Other terms
you can use without concern are words such as agent, relocation, realtyexpert,
buyeragent or some other variation. Remember domain names that end in .com are
the most common, but they are the easiest for consumers to remember. Next in
popularity would be .net. When you choose a domain name, Network Solutions will
register it for you and send you a bill of about $70, Your domain name is like
a license to operate; it must be renewed every year.
Next you have to consider Web hosting. All the data that comes with
establishing a Web site, from graphics to photos to editorial text, to links,
to email functions, must reside on a piece of hardware called a server. This
server, which allows you to park your site, is called a host. A host can
either be your Web designer"s server, a home search site, or a web hosting
company. Hosting should allow you to take advantage of such services as email,
and you should be able to add, subtract, and alter listings, links, editorial
content, photos and graphics for the cost of your monthly hosting fee. The
going rate is about $50 per month.
Start your research
To find custom and template Web companies, check the banner ads on your
favorite real estate sites. Ask other agents whom they would recommend. Visit
as many agent sites on the Internet as possible. Make a note of the sites you
admire. Agent News has a feature called
Site of the Day which showcases outstanding agent Web sites from around the
world. Browse through the archives and see which sites catch your eye. Contact
the agents and ask them how they developed their sites.
Don"t worry about locating a Web designer near you. Just choose the one you
like the best. The work will speak for itself. Thanks to the Web, and the speed
of email communications, distance no longer matters.