Make your own website

[Snooter]

My wife just started Real Estate and I have purchased a Domain name and now want to make a website for her. Can anyone recommend a good online service that is inexpensive. I've been looking at Godaddy and Yahoo services, are there others out there anyone can recommend. Also, since this is my first website, I need a progam that is easy and user friendly.

[Thesa]

Snoot... I used Yahoo Site Builder for my current site... it was easy hosting was affordable and I was in complete control.... I have now outgrown my current web and am having Site Tutor build me a grown up one. You might be surprised at the cost -

[JohnHoward]

I started out with a template web site. Fairly inexpensive, but the problem is they are somewhat coded the same. I moved up to a custom web site with SiteTuter also. I am happy that I did.

[Cedar City Utah Realtor]

Funny how everyone progresses through those same steps

[mavahntooth]

i guess yahoo is great. $10 a month if im not mistaken. :)

[sac23]

Hey Snooter, I have been wrestling with different websites for about a year now. I have done them myself with godaddy and yahoo and I have also tried trial sites from several different companies. I have finally found one I like and compared to the others the price is fairly reasonable with very low startup cost. Check out my site at http://www.stevecampbellproperties.com and see what you think. I changed very little on the site, they have many templates to choose from and support is good to work with. Their website is www.imageprowebsite.com Email me and let me know what you think. Also if you sign up give them my address.

[Thesa]

If you are wanting to avoid the extra steps that you see some of (most) us have been through.... just contact site tutor...

[Cedar City Utah Realtor]

I know this is a hard concept but you get what you pay for. It really is that simple. If you want a FREE website. point2agent.com is great but don't expect results. If you want a professional website. Sitetutor is where you want to be and Im not just saying that cause im a client I really believe it.

[frobn]

My wife just started Real Estate and I have purchased a Domain name and now want to make a website for her. Can anyone recommend a good online service that is inexpensive. I've been looking at Godaddy and Yahoo services, are there others out there anyone can recommend. Also, since this is my first website, I need a progam that is easy and user friendly.Whatever your needs in a website are today you can be assured they will grow along with your growth as a Realtor.

Here are a few suggestions for someone starting out as your wife is.

Start with a solid foundation that lets you build for the future. If you plan to build the site yourself, don't waste a lot of time on flash and eye candy. Learn css/xhtml, anything less is pre 2000 and in the technology age it is pre-historic.

If you plan to hire someone validate their site for html/xhtml
at: http://validator.w3.org/

and for css at: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/

It's acceptable to have a few errors.

Content is extremely important and you need a framework that allows you to add pages easily. Add at least a page a week about your community, local schools, neighborhoods and real estate related topics.

Add a framed IDX (its usually free from your local MLS)

Display your contact information prominently and have easy to use forms for visitors to ask questions, make appointments, get a CMA, etc.

When you are ready add an integrated IDX.

This should keep you busy for awhile.

Here is information that describes templates and their proper use. http://cssdesignmagic.com/template-modules.htm

Good Luck

[JohnHoward]

From my experience, web sites work best when the consumer can find your web site through the search engines. If it can't be found on the net, it’s hard to make a case for a Seller to list with you during a listing prentation, if your strongest pitch is for internet marketing. What do you say to the Seller when the Seller performs search for properties with the search engines and they can't find your site, but finds your competitors web site? My advice as a professional Realtor would be to work with the professional’s like SiteTutor for web site development rather than a do-it your self approach.

[frobn]

From my experience, web sites work best when the consumer can find your web site through the search engines.No question about it, but it takes time to rank, in a competitive market it can take two, three or more years. This does NOT mean that new Realtors should give up. It DOES mean they need to prepare for a marathon, not a sprint. Building your own website and making mistakes is not always a negative.

[jay19n64]

I went thru 100's of templates and found one that fit perfect. I have spent at least 100+ hours making it custom, I think that is the trick to using a template. I changed all the text and photos.

[tina]

I completely agree with you

[AlexandraRE]

I have posted this in like 4 discussions already - use elance.com. it's inexpensive, high quality and completely custom. you set out your terms and your price and freelancer developers and designers bid on your stuff. its gold.

[RealEstatePromos]

You really need to determine what you want out of the website first. Are you going to send people to your site for information, or do you want them to find it on their own? The first one is cheap and easy($500 to $3,000 depending on how fancy you want to get), the second one is hard and expensive. If you truely want to do the second one, you will need to get yourself set up with a SEO (Search Engine Optiomization) company from the start and plan to spend in excess of $5,000. You will need to design your site first and formost to appeal to the search engines so your pages will get highly ranked.