#29140 - 02/09/07 01:14 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
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Junior Member
Registered: 02/09/07
Posts: 3
Loc: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
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Richard,
I completely agree. The internet plays an ever so important role in marketing these days! According to The National Association of Realtors statistics, 80% of consumers use the internet to search for homes. And, I think it stated about 40% choose a Realtor after researching online.
Continued success,
Lauren Martilli
MyHomeLink.com
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#29142 - 02/10/07 08:31 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
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Junior Member
Registered: 01/27/07
Posts: 9
Loc: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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There is no need to concern yourself with whether others are getting it or not. The Internet is the true equalizer and any website can be optimized to outplay the others by learning some good fundemental Internet marketing practices AND applying them With so many people researching their purchases online it amazes me that so many agents still are not maximizing the potential of their own websites. They spend hard earned cash on high profile real estate web applications i.e. lead generation systems (not all of them Lauren  ) that offer cold to luke warm leads. They could be saving their money and doing the same thing with their own sites generating them a continuous lead flow for a fraction of the cost. Anyway, don't worry about what the other guy knows, Its what you know that counts.
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#127034 - 03/07/07 12:16 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Fort-Worth-Realt]
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Member
Registered: 12/30/05
Posts: 82
Loc: USA
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I absolutely agree as well. I work in a small office (8 agents) and most of the others have tried purchasing leads etc. I just use yahoo paid listings and have a really good turn out. I also put my website info on all of my printed forms including house flyers (I like to have a few pictures and then refer them to my website for more pictures of the properties).
I am pretty glad most agents in my area do not understand good online marketing practices - I am no expert by any means, but I am learning more and getting much better at it every month.
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#128969 - 03/16/07 07:18 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Richard E.P.]
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Junior Member
Registered: 03/16/07
Posts: 1
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I have seen some really bad sites as well. Its funny when I was doing virtual tours that the most common thing I found with realtors was they had a bad relationship with their webmaster. So I designed my website to help them present their listings in a uniform format that is easy for them to update. I was just wondering if you critics could take a peek at my site and give some advice. I am almost complete with it. I am trying to find the best way to market it. http://www.viewablehouse.com If I could get some good feedback on it I would be greatly appreciative. thanks
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#130655 - 03/25/07 07:24 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Richard E.P.]
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Veteran Member
Registered: 06/24/06
Posts: 1074
Loc: Bucks County PA
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Why do so many agents have websites that offer little more than an online brochure about them and perhaps their listings? Unprofessional realtor websites seem to be the rule rather than the exception online today.
Do most realtors not recognize the full potential of having a technically advanced, easy to navigate website? How about one that isn't trying to overload visitors with blinding animation and so much homepage junk content that it is virtually unreadable.
Technical advances in online software applications specifically for the real estate industry have come a long way in the last 3 to 5 years. Why more realtors aren't taking advantage of some of this advanced, yet user friendly technology is beyond me.
Real estate agents will spend thousands of dollars on print advertising annually to attract prospects. Yet many will neglect the most effective ways of targeting and capturing prospect information where so many start their home search...the Internet!
How long will it take the realtors in this industry to realize the importance of investing in their professional online image and utilize the latest technology to make them more profitable.
An added bonus when using these fascinating technologies is that agents don't have to work as hard as they do now since the technologies automate the many tried and true offline real estate marketing methods!
We truly live in a remarkable time... Yeah. I agree. And when I clicked on the link in your signature, it took me to a webpage overloaded with crap. Just like the sites you were complaining about.
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#130697 - 03/25/07 10:14 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: JoeyBagadonuts]
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Member
Registered: 02/15/07
Posts: 263
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Richard, you got some kahoonas writing a book after looking at your site. That yellow adds a nice accent and partial blindness.
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#130770 - 03/26/07 09:09 AM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Kep]
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Major Contributor
Registered: 11/27/06
Posts: 4053
Loc: Northeast PA
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#136891 - 04/25/07 07:20 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: EricRichardson15]
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Veteran Member
Registered: 08/17/05
Posts: 677
Loc: Birmingham, Alabama
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Whew! I thought it was just me!
_________________________
George W. Jackson, IV
Associate Broker
Keller Williams Realty
Certified/Background Screened Notary Signing Agent
"Providing A Higher Level of Professional Service"
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#139713 - 05/09/07 12:59 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: jaycarter]
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Member
Registered: 05/09/07
Posts: 13
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In a web 2.0 world, your customers are looking for more than just the stale static content of the 1990's. In order to compete today, you need to have fresh content, with a good design, fast page load times and lots of reasons for users to keep coming back. I've seen some good sites but typically they're lackluster.
Each agent is in business for themselves. When I visit a bad website that doesn't paint too good of a picture of the agent or his/her professionalism.
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#141555 - 05/18/07 12:15 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Seemster]
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Member
Registered: 05/09/07
Posts: 13
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haha, i just visited the link and that site as absolutely as terrible as the ones Richard was complaining about. Was that built using frontpage LOL? It looks circa 1998 with those awful colors. Too too funny. Tony, http://agentfaces.com
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#142182 - 05/22/07 01:20 AM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Perky_REALTOR]
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Junior Member
Registered: 05/22/07
Posts: 5
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people build ugly sites without frontpage. FrontPage isn't the problem, the designer is.
I have created some really nice looking sites...with Frontpage. FP is fine as long as you don't use the WYSIWYG.
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#142607 - 05/23/07 07:37 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Perky_REALTOR]
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Member
Registered: 05/20/07
Posts: 10
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Hello All Yes, these WYSIWYG solutions are great only to a certain degree. If you do not know what you are doing, you can really make a mess Besides, design, layout, and coding should be left up to the professionals and editing can be left up to those who do not have a design, layout, and coding background. Stay focused everyone
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#143494 - 05/28/07 01:22 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Seemster]
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Junior Member
Registered: 05/27/07
Posts: 2
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I suppose, like everything else on the web, it's so difficult for many Realtors to stay up with the changes that regularly occur on the web. Besides, most Realtors are NOT webmasters and rely on others to provide their web presence. What's hot and what works on the web is changing all the time and for most, they simply cannot stay up with it. They might put up a website that works (based on today's standard) and before they can pay for their domain renewal, it's old hat. Consider, for example, how Web 2.0 is changing the landscape on the web.
The Internet IS where people go today to begin their home search and it's necessary for Realtors to have a current web site if they expect to remain competitive. If the Realtor is not web savvy, they should find a good web person who is savvy to take care of their web presence.
Somebody said earlier in this thread that the Internet is the great equalizer... and I believe that's true for those forward thinking individuals who take advantage of it.
_________________________
Vic Bilson, author of Virtual Open HouseThe NEW way to hold a open house in the 21st Century
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#143495 - 05/28/07 01:28 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: TopPropertyAgent]
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Major Contributor
Registered: 11/27/06
Posts: 4053
Loc: Northeast PA
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How so? His site is a 6. IBM is a 9. Aside from the fact saying it ranks better is like saying an apple tastes better than an orange...neither site has anything to do with the other!
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#143507 - 05/28/07 02:32 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Perky_REALTOR]
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Member
Registered: 03/23/05
Posts: 81
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I use the WYSIWYG option. I just go back in the HTML and clean up the junk that I don't like, and I use CSS for my text formatting. You should upgrade to the new Microsoft Expression Web Designer (or at least give the free trial version a try). This is not a FP Upgrade, but a new web design platform. Nice, clean code, great CSS tools, and more. IMHO, it's an advanced tool that is much better than Dreamweaver.
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#148047 - 06/14/07 05:16 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: HHI Golf Guy]
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Member
Registered: 02/06/06
Posts: 382
Loc: Albuquerque NM
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You should upgrade to the new Microsoft Expression Web Designer (or at least give the free trial version a try). This is not a FP Upgrade, but a new web design platform. Nice, clean code, great CSS tools, and more. IMHO, it's an advanced tool that is much better than Dreamweaver.
How is it better than DW? My husband uses DW and I hate it. Give me some ammunition so instead of upgrading I can talk him into something else.
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#151089 - 06/27/07 01:24 PM
Re: Useless Realtor Websites
[Re: Seemster]
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Member
Registered: 06/20/07
Posts: 294
Loc: New Jersey
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I also am glad that most don't get it. I am working to try and make my site good, but with no budget to hire a good developer I am doing it in house and it is not easy to do it well.
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Registered: 03/04/08
Posts: 10
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