Marketing Real Estate Websites. Got Ideas?

[Jay6]

Good afternoon everyone. I've been in the web design business a long time but new to the Real Estate Marketing side of things. We don't actually buy or sell real estate but create software and textbooks to help Agents, Brokers, Inspectors, Appraisers, etc. pass their required exams. Would love to hear any suggestions.

[RyanCoffey]

I'm curious to see what kind of ideas have worked for you regarding web design. For example, is a flashy website really worth the cash it costs to build and maintain? What are some of the features that clients find most useful on a website?

I try to make my site a one stop shop. You can find everything you need short of the help of a live person there. At least, that's how I want it to be when it's done.

Ryan Coffey

[frobn]

I'm curious to see what kind of ideas have worked for you regarding web design. For example, is a flashy website really worth the cash it costs to build and maintain? What are some of the features that clients find most useful on a website?

I try to make my site a one stop shop. You can find everything you need short of the help of a live person there. At least, that's how I want it to be when it's done.

Ryan CoffeyCurious. Would you really want a web site to be "a one- stop-shop?" I have often been told that the main reason a potential home buyer visits a web site is for listings. If this is true my main concern, as an agent, would be to make it easy for visitors to find the listings they are looking for along with sufficient relevant information about neighborhoods, schools, access, etc to encourage them to call for more information and appointments. My worry with too much information is that the visitor will become hopelessly confused and lose site of the aim of your web site.

Re: flash sites, some are attractive but personally I find most of them a nuisance especially when the darned flash re-runs on every reload. FF has a plugin that disables flash and I imagine that IE will probably copy it.