Customers will be able to scan a QR code or enter the property’s URL on their mobile device to be directed to the mobile version. Once a customer lands on the IPW, they are given the option to request additional information about the property or click-through to the photo gallery, property details, map view, agent information and more.

Feature highlights include:

Photo Gallery
Because one of the biggest factors in determining your next home is the aesthetics of the property, providing customers with quicker access to property photos was an important factor in the development of this product. As a result, mobile IPWs give users the ability to view the full set of property images in an easy-to-view format.

Property Details
In order to provide customers the same detailed property information available online, mobile-enabled IPWs give customers access to a wealth of information including the number of beds and baths, price and square footage, as well as the unique interior and exterior characteristics of a particular home.

Location
When searching for your next home, it’s all about location, location, location – which is why our mobile-enabled IPW displays the property’s address along with a map or satellite view of the location (including street view where available).

Docs & Links
Through this feature, customers can easily download any document or view links relevant to that specific property including floorplans, neighborhood information and more.

Call-to-Action
With several call-to-action items accessible on mobile IPWs, customers can easily request additional information about the property or contact the listing agent to schedule a showing directly from their mobile device.

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By Amanda Stephan

So, here’s the problem; often times, syndication sites like Trulia and Zillow are beating you on Google search results for your long tail terms (long tail terms typically refer to specific property addresses and on average account for 65% of traffic to your site). In addition, these Black Hat syndication sites are redirecting Google to their site instead of yours through no follow links. The result? These sites are telling Google they are the original source for your content and establishing themselves as the authority on that listing.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying all syndication outlets are this way. In fact, there are several White Hat syndication outlets that help boost your SEO rankings, but we wanted to bring this issue to your attention in order to resolve the problem at hand.

Fixing the Black Hat syndication problem may not be as simple as just stopping syndication to these sites altogether. We’re caught in a catch 22 because our sellers and agents like the extra exposure they gain through these outlets. It will be difficult to explain to a seller why it’s better to not syndicate to these sites when your competition is listing to these sites and generating additional exposure.

Today, users begin their search for a property on search engines and social networking sites. After entering a specific address into their search field, syndication sites are appearing at the top of page one. It’s only a matter of time until buyers skip this step and go straight to Trulia or Zillow to find their next home. At this point, it will not just be sellers and agents demanding more exposure on these sites – it will become necessary to syndicate to these sites because that is where buyers are going to view your listings.

The solution really lies in education. Through educating our brokerages and agents, we can eliminate the unnecessary middle step of syndication outlets. After all, brokers and agents are the ones with the data and information – without us, syndication sites wouldn’t exist. By redistributing our budget to Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Facebook Ads and by focusing on writing unique content on our blogs, Individual Property Websites (IPWs) and property details pages, we can eliminate the need for syndication outlets.

For example, Enterprise Network member, Turpin Real Estate, has implemented a content strategy for their listings and has seen impressive results. By writing unique content for each listing on their blog, property details page and IPW, they are taking over the top positions on Google for long tail searches. Below is an example of a Google search results page for a Turpin listing in Far Hills, NJ at the time of our conference. As you can see, the IPW, property details page and blog post for this property were dominating page one.

Writing unique content is a great way to get higher short term rankings because the content is new and fresh to Google. However, we need to remember that our efforts to gain top page rankings on Google doesn’t stop once the blog has been posted. To keep your position long term for that property, you need to continue writing content with links back to that listing in order to keep the content fresh. Comment marketing is another important key in maintaining your position. An increase in comment marketing helps increase your site’s relevancy to Google. (Check back with us next week as we discuss this in more detail.)

While the best scenario would be to stop syndicating to these sites altogether, we know it may not be a reality for all of you. So, in an effort to decrease the negative effects of syndication, Active Website has created guidelines and best practices for your listings if you choose to continue syndicating to these sites. First and foremost, we need to limit the amount of content we give the syndication outlets. By giving them a small teaser of the property, you’ll drive customers back to your site and increase the likeliness that Google will still recognize you as the authoritative source. In addition, Active will provide consulting, web class training and on-site training to Enterprise Network members if desired.

Black Hat syndication sites are slowly amassing loyal visitors, so it’s up to you to ensure you remain the real estate authority. By bringing awareness to this issue, we plan to work with all members in the future to make sure your brand is the default destination for real estate in your region.

Related Posts:

Active Website Hosts Active Enterprise Network Annual Conference

By Amanda Stephan

Question: What do buyers particularly value when visiting a real estate website?

Answer: Photos – “Buyers love photos – 86 percent said photos were ‘very useful’ on a Web site, which was the highest ranked…”

Active Website offers Individual Property Websites as part of our Enterprise Platform. IPWs allow for an unlimited number of photos, just what the buyers want. While providing each property with a unique webpage to boast its features, these websites will engage buyers and impress your sellers.

Other Benefits of Individual Property Websites:

• Every Individual Property Website is linked to IDX – pulling the information from the MLS listing onto the IPW to avoid repeating the data entry
• Multiple templates are available
• Different template designs appeal to lower, mid-range, and higher-end property themes
• Unique domain names available, e.g. www.123mainstreet.com

IPWs are also a great ROI tool for brokerages who can sell this service back to their agents. IPWs allow for an agent photo and contact information and these websites with unique domain names can be used to track sign-rider or print ad traffic, as well as general traffic. To find out more about individual property websites contact us now.

If buyers want photos, you should give them what they want. How are you approaching this important feature?

Take the quiz for yourself: Realtor Magazine Quiz

view one of our client sites for a review of this technology Denver Real Estate

According to the National Real Estate Agents Study by The Real Estate Book:

“Over the next six months, the channels respondents expect to spend the most money on are: Internet marketing (40%) and the respondents’ own personal websites (32%).”

So think about this. As a brokerage, if 40% of your agents plan to spend money on Internet marketing, wouldn’t you like to benefit as well? Having a solution in which your agents have multiple ways of marketing online, branded and linked to your company website, not only makes your branding consistent but will improve your search engine rankings. If agents want to spend money on Internet marketing, why not have them spend it through you in a way that benefits not only them and their clients, but also the brokerage? 

There are several Internet marketing tools that brokerages should be offering their agents, one of them being Individual Property Websites. Individual Property Websites (IPW) give a property the chance to stand out with its own page, featuring more photos and more personalized information. As part of the Enterprise Platform we offer, your company has access to many templates for Individual Property Websites, which many of our brokerages choose to provide to their agents at a specified cost. Not only does this improve the overall consistency of your website but agents are more likely to take advantage of this marketing tool when they can do it directly through their brokerage; convenience is key. As a brokerage, providing these for a fee helps you offset the money you are spending on technology, a great ROI feature.

These company and Realtor branded IPW’s are not only an effective Internet selling tool for your seller, but also a great SEO tool, driving more traffic back to your brokerage site. One of our Enterprise Network Members are requiring IPW’s for all of their properties; check out Helen Adams Realty online.

What about the 32% of agents who plan to spend money on their own website? Another ROI tool offered by Active Website speaks directly to these agents; Agent Individual Websites. If an agent is going to spend money on their own personal promotion, don’t you want that to benefit your brokerage as well? Giving your agents the ability to set up individual website through you give you more control on how your brokerage is being represented. Your company branding will remain consistent and with each of these pages being set up as an extension to your main website, they can really help boost search engine rankings. Other features Active Website provides are Realtor Team Individual Websites and Individual Office Websites, providing effortless solutions for everyone in your brokerage. These sites are branded to your brokerage but can be customized by the agents, teams or offices with all of their contact information, pictures and properties, as well as links to their social networks and much more.

Lets do some hypothetical math:

Your brokerage consists of 100 agents and 32 of them want to create or maintain an Individual Website. If you charge $50/month for this feature, your ROI for 1 month of is $1,600.

The same brokerage of 100 agents has 40 of them that want IPW’s. If you charge $25 for the life of the listing, your ROI for 1 month of IPW’s is $1,000. That’s assuming each agent only wants one IPW each month – for any brokerage there are likely to be much more.

These are very safe assumptions and still, in just one month, your brokerage has made back $2,600 worth of your technology investment costs.

Regardless of whether your agents use these features through you or through a second party, it’s obvious that Realtors and agents want these features and are willing to pay for them. As a brokerage, it only makes sense to take control over the consistency and benefits of these features by using a technology partner that helps you provide these features to your agents in-house. 

I could go on all day about the many great features our Enterprise Platform has to offer but these are two great features to consider: take control and do it without breaking the bank. 

The original article was posted by MSNBC and you can read it here.

The 4 Essentials

1. Phones- REALTOR® Magazine highly recommends smart-phones for Realtors on the go. The popularity of this phone reaches far beyond the real estate realm. Your customers too are using these devices. Did you know that Active Website offers Mobile Interface Technology for all of our Enterprise Network Members? This technology allows your customers to easily browse your website and your listings anytime , anywhere on their personal media devices.

2. Computers-  Not only are smart-phones being carried around but so are ultra-portable computers. Most real estate agents as well as customers are bringing their computers with them. Rapid expansion of wireless networks, compact sizing of laptops and dependability are spreading the use of laptop computers outside of the home and office. Make sure your website is readily available to these mobile customers with outstanding SEO Rankings. Did you know that Active Website guarantees first page search placement for all of our Enterprise Network Members? If you’re not popping up on the first page of Google or Yahoo, you’re not going to be viewed.

3. Cameras- We all know the difference a good camera makes in quality photos. Yet just as important as quality is quantity. Home buyers surfing the web for potential real estate want to see the house before they set up a viewing or attend an open house. Did you know with Active Website’s Individual Property Websites you can upload an unlimited number of property photos? Not only are you better serving the potential buyers on the web but you are also helping the SEO of the brokerage site, directing more leads to look at your listings.

4. Navigation- Whether built in the car or directed by phone, more Realtors and consumers alike are relying on navigation systems to get them around. With Active Website’s Mobile Interface Technology potential buyers can search your listings on the go. Our home search tool uses Google Maps, allowing buyers to get directions directly to your listed properties.

Tech Trends for 2009

1. Mapping- Just about every brokerage now incorporates mapping in their home searches. Many even have map based searches. REALTOR® Magazine projects that interactive displays of home and neighborhood information is the next step. Did you know that Active Website offers interactive map searching using Google Maps? Potential buyers can now search with a multi-polygon tool, choosing the areas they prefer; search by point of interests (perhaps schools or coffee shops) and when the property is pinpointed an information bubble appears with calls to action including contact the agent, set up a tour and print a properties detail page.
2. Virtual Tours- Sometimes consisting of still photos streamed together in a movie-like format and other times an actual video tour of a home, virtual tours are expected to expand into a more interactive media. Did you know Active Website offers Video Solutions with realtor branding and calls to action? Realtors can add their own captions, brand it to themselves or the brokerage and add calls to action including contacting them, setting up a tour, and emailing to a friend.
3. Social Networking- According to REALTOR® Magazine the online facet that Realtors struggle the most with is “connecting with consumers.” I agree that social networking is a great way to connect but with so many social media options out there it can be daunting to choose which ones and how to get involved. Did you know Active Website posted a 4 part series of blogs on creating a Social Network? Not only will Active Website provide you with technology tools but we will also take the time to teach you how to use tools on the web that can be beneficial for your professional development. Our annual Enterprise Conference is dedicated to giving you the steps to implementing the trendy tools of the year.
4. Text Messaging- It’s a popular trend among the “younger set” and is increasingly becoming the “preferred mode of correspondence.” While there isn’t a product for Texting, you will have to get that feature through your cell service provider, I can give you some advice. Don’t be afraid to text with a client you feel comfortable with. Texting is a much more informal mode of communication meant to speed up the conversation. Use this technology but use it wisely. Don’t text important and otherwise lengthy conversations. Instead save it for reminders about meeting times, locations, or changes to times and locations. Use it as a friend tool, a way of getting to know the customer, and not for the professional stuff like pricing, paperwork concerns or final words on anything. 

What I hope you realize by going through this list is that Active Website has all of your answers for moving into 2009 using all of the tech trends. We would love to chat about our product and services offered so feel free to drop us a note below.

If you want to read the REALTOR® Magazine article click here.

Your website’s search engine rankings are greatly affecting your number of visitors. In a report by Jupiter Research earlier this year, researchers found that “65% less people view second, third and fourth page results than view and use first page results.” That’s probably not surprising to most of us. How often do you click through to even page two when searching? Most likely, not often which means all those people out there searching for real estate in your area probably aren’t either. Being on the first page of results for any search engine should be the ultimate goal for your brokerage website.

Here are three easy solutions Active Website offers to increase your SEO standings:

• Realtor, Team & Office Individual Websites
• Individual Property Websites
• New Home Development Websites

All three of these features live on the brokerage site while featuring a unique URL. An Agent Individual Website is no longer its own entity from a third party website company - it is connected to the brokerage site without being just another link! This means a constant flow of visitors between the unique site and the brokerage site. Successful SEO in this system is two-fold.

Good SEO = More Visitors = More Leads

So for 2009 why not treat your website to an SEO Boost? You’ll increase your website’s transparency and increase your eBusiness.

Besides being a powerful lead conversion tool, IPW’s offer a brilliant cost-effective marketing solution. As a sign rider, potential buyers can view a listing from their cell phone or laptop without having to even make a call. Getting more people to your website not only means more exposure for the property, it also enables you to easily track your marketing efforts by viewing the site statistics.  

The Individual Property Website are easy to create because they are linked to IDX – pulling the information from the MLS listing. There are multiple templates available which can appeal to lower, mid-range, and higher-end property themes. The IPW can also have it’s own completely unique domain name (e.g. www.123mainstreet.com) that will still incorporate all the branding details and technology from the main website.