Thread: need website...overwhelmed with choices

Can anyone recommend a good company that offers websites for real estate agents. There are so many choices that it is a bit overwhelming. One company that is a division of homes.com charges 699.00 for the site, 898.00 to optimize for three areas and 99.00 per month. I don't want to make a wrong choice here and get locked into a company that cannot offer all features that make a good site.

thanks,

Lola

Originally Posted by lola traylor

Can anyone recommend a good company that offers websites for real estate agents. There are so many choices that it is a bit overwhelming. One company that is a division of homes.com charges 699.00 for the site, 898.00 to optimize for three areas and 99.00 per month. I don't want to make a wrong choice here and get locked into a company that cannot offer all features that make a good site.

thanks,

Lola

You should go with a ubetor.com site or go find a company that builds custom websites from scratch. Ubetor allows for control of code and so will give you customizability with out paying a web develpor for every little change so it is a good option for someone on a budget. However, if you have the 5000 or so to have a good custom site built for you then go for it. A custom site will give much better rankings in SERPs. Don't bother paying a SEO company to do your SEO search out information on this site and do google searches to find blogs on SEO techniques. Most of what a SEO company can do for you will in the near future end up causing you penalties. Good luck feel free to ask any questions that you have.

I completely agree with Jamesww, actually you need a direct response real estate website. My question to you is what do you consider to be a good website?


Trd

you may noticed if the site is good if it appears on Search Engines, plus if those kws are in SERP.

Originally Posted by lola traylor

Can anyone recommend a good company that offers websites for real estate agents. There are so many choices that it is a bit overwhelming. One company that is a division of homes.com charges 699.00 for the site, 898.00 to optimize for three areas and 99.00 per month. I don't want to make a wrong choice here and get locked into a company that cannot offer all features that make a good site.

thanks,

Lola

Lola, find a real estate site or sites that you like that have the "features" that you want (i don't know how much you know about what a site needs to do...) They usually have a built by link down the bottom of the home page, contact them.

Does your broker or company offer you a free website? I would use one of those as a template to get your content ready and presented in a professional format. It will need to tie in to your local IDX system for visitors to search properties form your wesbite. Many times there are sites build for attracting visitors and other sites built for functionality. Consider multiple websites another possible way to go as well.

There is some good advice above, but before you get started you must determine the purpose of your website. What do you want it to include?

Do you want to post your listings on there? Do you want to have virtual tours? Do you want a contact management system? Newsletter? Or do you simply want a presence on the web -- in other words a static website?

The price that you pay for a website will depend on those things. Shop around for a good developer - they are not as expensive as they used to be, and their price doesn't always reflect the quality of their work. Don't pay over $2,000 for a basic website, such as one that displays info about you, your listings and your contact information.

To find a good developer you can check out Elance.com - I suggest searching for developers near you so you can have a face to face meeting. Also you can try agentimage.com if you want a semi-customizable website.

I disagree with one of the comments above about doing your own SEO. There are over 650,000 agent website in the US alone, and 71% of searchers don't make it past the second page. You'll be competing with companies, associations and big budget competitors for those rankings to be seen by potential clients. Plus, SEO isn't a quick fix... it takes time to build up traffic to your site and your ranking.

You must determine your needs and budget. Alot of people opt to do a free website, or "build-it-yourself" solutions. This "may" get you by, but if you are trying to project professionalism and get a site that will get your visitors coming back, you will want to hire a web developer, such as myself. I have provided turn-key solutions to many real estate agents and with my service and knowledge, you have someone to ask when you need help... someone to call when needed. The other consideration is time spent building your own site. Is your time more valuable dealing with your business, or learning to do your own site, building the site, tweaking the site, then bringing in traffic?

Save time and use a professional, after all, isn't that what you would tell someone trying to sell their own home?

I agree with Matt and GoGlobe.

After you determine what you want in a site, your budget, and what kind of time and experience you have to devote to the project, you'll be better able to move forward. If you don't have experience building sites, the best option is usually hiring someone who does.

My site, and another Pennsylvania site were built for about $375 each...a steal.

The guy is in Kosovo and I have known him for a few years. I was skeptical at first, but now I count on him for a lot...and he delivers.