Have any of you started neighborhood websites to try to generate leads? I have a few going but am not having much success from them. I've done mailings in the neighborhoods and advertised them in the local guides. I have this site listed in our Open House ad in the paper and plan to have a yard sign made, "More Info at www.WoodsAndIrons.net ". Any other ideas or suggestions for making the most of these sites?

I also have www.TeaysVillage.com and www.CandlewyckPlace.com. All are works in progress, suggestions welcome.

FYI - www.CandlewyckPlace.com won't open because you have an "trailing" dot - http://www.candlewyckplace.com./

You don't say how long you have had the sites; but, a problem may be that they don't look like neighborhood sites. They look like real estate sites.

In my mind, a neighborhood site should focus on the neighborhood; not on you, your company or real estate relate issues.

First, I would take the Inman News off the landing page and move any reference to your company to "below the fold". You can link to another site for all that real estate talk.

Here are a couple of examples - the 2nd one is REALTOR sponsored.
Carmel Valley Community Information
4S Ranch News

Good luck!
Betty

**Add more pictures about the community example if you have golf course, tennis court etc.
** Link to google earth or map where people like me who have no idea can locate where this place is.
** Local Events
** School Information
** When I go to any of the page I have to scroll half way down to get the information
** MLS information that will bring up just the listing in the neighborhood.
** Any interest fact or history about the neighborhood
** If any new construction information about the builders
** Any FSBO in the neighborhood, can you contact them and give them free spot on your website

I would change the color make more neutral or something different so the other pictures don't bend it.

Good Luck

Good Luck

The purpose of a realtor sponsoring a neighborhood website is to build relationships. It will only be successful in doing this if the site has value in it, and its only a 'soft' sell of your services!
In addition, you realy need a mechanism to capture email addresses so you can communicate with folks regularly.
The solutions from Non Stop Neighbors seem like they provide all this - high value add for residents, privacy (so residents have to register and you get email addresses), automated communications and so on to make life easy for the busy realtor - and designs that make it look like a neighborhood resource rather than a real estate resource. You should check them out.