Real Estate Websites: Your Goals And Budget

Real Estate Websites: Your Goals And Budget

Author: Sharon Hassler

The 1990s saw a frenzy over websites; every agent had to have one. Costs were excessive and results were mixed. Eventually the urgency passed, and websites became part of, not the focus of, an overall marketing strategy. With more options and better pricing today, now is the ideal time to incorporate the Internet into your business plan.

If you’re not a web expert, the sheer scope of Internet products can be overwhelming. Where do you begin? Start by answering these two questions:

1. What benefits are important to you?
2. What can you comfortably afford?

If your primary goal is to ensure your repeat and referral customers can always find you, a permanent web address is the answer, and that can be accomplished with a simple web page or a basic website. If you also want to increase productivity, a template website with good tools will serve your needs very well without the expense of a custom site.

On the other hand, if you expect to generate new business, prepare to open your wallet. With the exception of sponsored listings along the top and side of search results pages, such as Google Adwords, you can’t simply buy your way onto page one. Attaining the highly desired top placement on Google is complicated and takes constant behind-the-scenes work which is why it’s so costly. There may be only a handful of search-engine-optimization (SEO) experts who can boost their clients to page one and do it legitimately so they aren’t in danger of the dreaded Google banishment. Needless to say, these talented SEO engineers are expensive.

The results you achieve from your web presence will depend on your commitment of time and money and your dedication to incorporating this remarkable technology into your overall marketing strategy. It’s better to start gradually than be disappointed like many agents who spent thousands on websites only to abandon them a few years later when their expectations weren’t met or maintenance was too much work.

There are three ways to have a presence on the web: (1) a web directory listing, (2) a web page and (3) a website. The confusion and potential rip-off occur when Internet companies attempt to sell a listing as a web page, or, worse, sell a single page as a website. What’s the difference? Think of it like this:

1. A directory listing is like a business card,
2. A web page is like a personal flyer or resume, and
3. A website is like a tabbed presentation notebook.

The more you understand about the Internet, the better prepared you are to make good decisions about purchasing web products.

About the Author:
Sharon Hassler is author of the downloadable ebook, "So You Think You Want A Website: Internet Marketing 101 for Real Estate Agents." She is owner/manager of 4 web page and directory sites for professionals in the real estate industry. A former loan officer and real estate agent in Southern California, Sharon served as Communications Manager for First American Title-Arizona for 11 years. For more about the author, real estate agent directory, and the ebook, please visit www.GoGetRealEstate.com.