Ok, I decided that I do not like the disadvantages that go along with the template site I have.... I want to build my own site or hire someone. I have never built a site, is this a hard process? Where do I start? Or would i be better hiring someone to do it for me? I do have a lot of computer knowledge, just not in building web pages.

Building sites isn't terribly difficult but it does require a few different skills that can take some time to acquire. Generally, if you just want one web site to support your business you're almost always better off having a skilled designer put it up for you.

If you see web design as being part of your overall business strategy than it may be worth your time to develop those skills.

The bottom line is... what's your time worth and how good do you need your project to be?

What exactly do you mean, my overall business strategy? that i'm expecting most of my business from it? As for my time, i'm a new agent but i'm not going any where and think the internet is key in the long run. Where do you start when starting your own site?

What template site are you not satisfied with?

WebAgentSolutions... Its not that i'm not happy with them, but I hear that I will not get a lot of traffic because it's a template site and it seems more expensive over long run.

The best custom site in the world won't "bring you traffic" ..... Creating a site and getting the right visitors to it are 2 completely different animals

I have two sites, one I built myself and have maintained for six years. The second is a template site with Point2Agent. Both generate leads-to-commissions.

Either will work, as well as other options compared here. Critical is contact info capture and long-term followup.

What I meant was that if adding web sites is part of your business strategy (either as a service, to generate advertising revenue or to support your main site) then you may want to take the time to do it yourself. If you just want one web site to support your business I think that your time would be better invested elsewhere and that you should hire a designer or work from an existing template.

Need a website to represent who your are and personalized site with acess to the GAMLS? I work with a company that has a client friendly website with your listings as well. Please contact me at the following: Coletta3000@yahoo.com

pricing: AAgent Website-Only $15/MO.

You can't just put a web site out there and hope to generate business from it. The generate business online you need three main things:

1. a good website designed to generate leads
2. a marketing campaign to get traffic to your web site
3. a contact management system to incubate the leads, stay in touch with them and turn them into clients.

There are cost effective ways of doing this, and very expensive ways. My suggestion is to start with a web site, take a look at ours for ideas. The site should offer the consumer information they want, not a bunch of stuff about how great you are.

I have been getting conflicting advice too and decided to have a free listing at http://www.rapidlistings.com

Some people use point2Agent.

Later I'm going to use http://www.successwebsite.com

But there are many options out there and while I know how to build websites... nothing can compare to the ease of use when it comes to other people building templates and you filling out info. The price is nominal though to some people it's an issue. I just don't have time to focus on the website. I prefer to focus on listings so that is why I pay for my website.

For my other business which I do... I built my own website since the profit is not as large as it is in real estate.

http://www.godaddy.com is a good source too. I use it for my other non-real estate related websites.

I am with a web design company that helps realtors get setup on the internet. You have a couple different options:

1) Completely custom site that will be unique. This of course will cost more because more time needs to be put into it.

2) Templated web site. Because its already mostly built, the final cost will be much lower.

Have a look at our solutions: http://www.twelveseas.com/realestate.html

Fraser Pogue
Twelve Seas Web Design
http://www.twelveseas.com

I am with a web design company that helps realtors get setup on the internet. You have a couple different options:

1) Completely custom site that will be unique. This of course will cost more because more time needs to be put into it.

2) Templated web site. Because its already mostly built, the final cost will be much lower.

Have a look at our solutions: http://www.twelveseas.com/realestate.html

Fraser Pogue
Twelve Seas Web Design
http://www.twelveseas.com

Just learn basic Css & xHtml, and do your own site. All you need is hosting, and notepad to build a website, after you have learned the two. (or you can use dreamweaver) There are so many forum/chat/forms etc. to add to your site for free. You can literally have a full blown working website for under $100 a year, if you learned to do it yourself. (minus the php for a shopping cart/credit card processing, if you intend to sell things from your site.) Most hosts such as ipowerweb include all these free forums etc. within thier hosting packages, so one click, and they are installed.

Being xhtml and css are web standards, you wouldn't have to worry about your site going south, and having to do (or pay for) everything over again.

Check out W3 Schools if you're interested. These are truly the guys who made the internet, and the languages that all web pages are based on. Its all free info too.

http://www.w3schools.com/

A few more good resources for html:
http://www.htmldog.com/guides/htmlbeginner/
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/primers/html/article.php/3478141
http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/ <---- Heres an html tutorial from dave raggett. One of the men who helped originate it.


A few Css tutorials:
http://www.westciv.com/style_master/academy/hands_on_tutorial/index.html
http://css.maxdesign.com.au/index.htm
http://www.richinstyle.com/guides/css2.html
http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/Style.html <---- Css from dave raggett also.

Cheers!

I got my website just a year ago. I guess it is one of those template sites that so many complain about, but I had specific reasons for choosing this one.

1) We don't have IDX here. When searching several keywords, my provider came up on page one and I could search for homes in the area. Homes from other local agents come up on the searches - next best thing to MLS search here.

2) I paid a little extra for some customization, SEO help and coaching.

Through the process, I learned some code and have created most of my own content - but it takes lots of time and patience! The most important part in developing my site (beyond the content) has been doing link exchanges and concentrating on keywords. I spent hours on this in the beginning!

It paid off within 2 months - I had a 3PR with Google and came up on the first page for many MNS searches. I continued requesting link exchanges for the next 2-3 months and watched as my site rose in Google searches.

As my business picked up and leads started coming in, I had less time to devote to my website. Now I don't actively seek partners, but I do get several requests for link exchanges and if they meet my criteria, I will exchange with them.

I am still at a 3PR, but I am on page one for many search terms on Google and the other search engines.

I would suggest that if you are not unhappy with your current provider, keep it and perhaps hire someone to tweak it a bit if you want a more customize site. And either hire someone to work on SEO and link exchanges or focus on that yourself. Like you, I am pretty computer literate, but coding for a website is learning a whole new language! For me, creating a website from scratch would be like being a babe in arms and working on a PhD in engineering!

There are some things that are great for DIYers - FSBO, websites, brain surgery... not for this kid!

Good Luck!

Betty

PS: www.w3schools.com is an excellent resource. They have a "TryIt Editor" you can use to test your code and see what it looks like and check whether links work.

Here's a little inspiration for you. Check out how this guy layered his Mozart website overtop of sheet music, and placed "windows" so that when you scroll down the page, the top layer moves over the static, underlying sheet music. Sweet! Its pretty much all pics and css, with some html.

http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/189/189.css&page=0

If you gave yourself 1-2 hours a day working with html and css, you could be producing sophisticated sites in a few months, and simple ones in no time. It will be different, and there will be trial and error, but learning new things is fun. That's how I look at it anyway. Besides, you know what they say about knowledge....

(Sir Francis Bacon, anyone? )

Agreed! But an hour or two a day over the course of a few months isn't going to get the web presence he wants or needs - now!

Maybe you can find a "student" to build a site and teach you the basics as they do it. That way you could have a site up and running and then you could modify it to your liking.

As Tony said, it is fun to learn and very satisfying to see your creation on the web.

As per me, making a website is not very complex..... If you have some knowledge of Frontpage or DW

In these days, the graphics can be taken from the internet and internet is the big source of the free stuff.....

You can also read http://www.w3schools.com/ for online learning...

My web sites and my web graphics are copyrighted. Don't just assume that, if it's on the web, you can use it.

Frontpage is table based though, and html for design (using tables) has been deprecated by the wc3. They want you to use xhtml for content, and css for design, so I would do that, so you are compliant in the years to come.

I'm the proud owner of one of this "template based" website for real estate agents ( Theagentweb.com ). I think that for as much as you may want to learn and "do it yourself" website design, system like ours provide you with all the tools that you need to do your business and not have to worry about CSS or HTML. But hey... If you can learn it and in time to produce a website that is useful and productive to you, then Kudos to you!!!

By saying this, I’m not overlooking the fact that a website must produce leads in order for that website to become useful. Also look at the fact that your current customers may want to view your inventory or even your behavior online, by this I mean if you are a tech savvy person or not. I hope this helped.

Building a website that will generate leads, be able to list your properties the way you would like, and look professional will be a lot of work. I look at it this way if I was going to sell my home I would hire a professional to do it for me. If I was going to build a website that was going to be my image online and the first thing most people will see about my business, I would hire a professional. Your image is everything and how professional you website looks is a direct reflection of your business.

If your looking for a wonderful non template site check us out. If you like what you see feel free to contact us.

Hello,

I would like to address your need for a website, and the design and functionality of one. First off I represent a company that can definitely help you and your business with online advertising and build a web presence for you. We have page designs that go from template to complete custom pages, scrolling property listings, local MLS integration, and unique page designs for your region and market niche. Please also consider SEO (search engine optimizers) which we also offer. Think of your page as a commercial, you want it to be informative, have a call to action, and be memorable to the customer. At Real Estate Create we can help you with all of these issues and many more! Feel free to view our page at www.realestatecreate.com and contact me for a free consultation. I would like to help you grow your business.

Whatever you do, you need to own the server lease, you need to own the website design and content, and you need to own the URL. Do not make your continued success dependent on the existence of a 'virtual' business, be it mine or anyone else's.

If you are interested in building your own real estate website, you have alot of work cut out for you. In fact, the time it takes to do a good job may be better spent selling houses instead of learning to design websites. Web design, real estate web design in particular--is a career unto itself. You may actually SAVE money by going to a professional, so long as you do your homework in advance.

And if you still decide to build your own site, get a copy of Dreamweaver and start experimenting. It wouldn't hurt to join a Google Group of like-minded newbie web designers where you can ask questions whenever you'd like. Also, when you get stuck, try Googling your question to get answers. It's a long hard road, but very rewarding in the end. Best of luck!

Your new site shoud address SEO issues.

Here's a multi-page document that was specifically written for real estate professionals, using real estate examples:


Search Engine Optimization Basics For Real Estate-Related Websites

I hope it helps.

If you use templatemonster they can customize for at a reasonable cost to you.
stonesledge
http://www.Klanco.com web page

There is a lot of conflicting information in this thread.
The first thing I would tell you or anyone who is venturing online for the first time is this:
*If you want to do it your self, then take the time to learn not just site design, but also SEO (Search Engine Optimization)The best designed site will still get no traffic without SEO.
*Template sites are fine if you have a ton of external marketing drawing ppeope to your web address, they are not good, if you don't have that budget and are looking for organic traffic...it just ain't going to happen. There are ways to combat the "template Problem" without tearing apart the site.

Lastly, getting a site is just the beginning. It is a continuous process to build and keep fresh content, and to get and keep your site generating traffic, and once you get some traffic do you also have the tools to make them take action,...in other words, call or email you.
The web and your web site, are not stand alone solutions, they are part of your overall marketing, and in a perfect world with the right service provider, it should all fit together nicely, and you should be successful.

Tony for some people this stuff may seem easy but for a lot of people it is complex and frustrating.

I attempted to do a table-less CSS design and actually succeeded - but only after hours of frustration and a lot of help from more savvy people. (I have since abandoned my web design business to become a realtor. LOL)

Currently, the office website that I designed and maintain is all tables, is not W3C compliant, and still brings in leads on a daily basis, ranks high in the search engines for our area search terms, and constantly gets rave reviews from visitors. Frequently agents from other offices call asking for info on a listing that THEIR client saw on OUR website because our website is so user friendly. (that burns my bacon a little; I figure, if you like our website so much why don't you come to OUR office? lol)

The bottom line is - how much time and skill do you have to put into it yourself, and what is your main goal - to create a work of art that is W3C compliant, or something that generates business for you? Sure you can do both but what if you can't?

Our website's success proves that it's not necessarily the beauty or novelty of the site that captures people (personally I don't like the design myself, but hey, it's not my decision) but rather, how relevant is it to what your consumers want? Does it give them the info they need? Does it rank in search engines? Does it have good, relevant content? Does it have lots of property pictures? Do you follow up on every lead in a timely fashion?

Customers don't care about W3C. They care about seeing what's for sale.

I do believe this is key.

If you dont' want complicated code for a mortgage calculator, I have a widget you can easily add at http://www.mortgagesum.com.

My recommendation is to start at the end and work backwards. What do you envision a site will provide for you/your prospects. Once you've determined that, you can search for the processes/tools that will perform those functions. Once those decisions are made, you can see if a templated site fulfills the need, or you need a custom site. It's way easier to get comparative quotes when you know what you want.

Hello RealtorForte and All

As a Real Estate Marketing Consultant, I would highly recommend you hiring someone to develop your site. Having allot of computer knowledge does not make you a website development expert. Sure you can get something up and going, but does it reflect you as a person/organization which is where your need professional advice. You don't want to be selling million dollar homes and the website looking like it was developed for free.

Developing a website is not all that difficult to do as you can see how many so called web designers are out there doing it, but it is the planning process to get there that is challenging and putting reasoning behind everything that is posted up to the site. There is also skill behind what the web developers do, but it is the plans and the content of the site that drives the deliverables of the web developers in the end. No matter what route you decide to take, get some professional advice in the process of doing it.

Feel free to contact me if you would like some free website development tips and tricks.

I do agree with the need to get someone who knows what he is doing. You need to put your best foot forward at all times. If you have a bad looking site and pass the url on to people, many will assume you're not doing that well and the level of trust towards you is going to decrease.

Unfortunately, the statement "If you build it, they will come" never was meant to be used by internet marketerers... it's a lot of work to generate traffic-- and you need to be able to change your site and get it to function the way you want.

I'd say it's better to have an ugly-but-updatable template site than a site that you can't easily make changes to (due to a hard-to-reach consultant)