WEBSITES
Building Sites
Building the latest in web technology into your site should be a priority, says Andrea Kirkby.
T
he internet is constantly evolving. New technologies and new devices appear, fashions change, and even the way people use the
web changes over time. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell a temporary fad from a lasting trend, and increasingly, it’s also difficult to say exactly where the website stops and other online activity begins. What does a good web page look like?
Foxtons’ web site has been winning awards since 2002, when the British Interactive Media Association praised it for its “clear understanding of the needs of the user and ease of use”, all the way to last year when it collected a Horizon Interactive Gold
Award, so it’s a good example to take. Foxtons gets the basics right, the site is
updated throughout the day, so applicants can see the latest properties on the site, and it loads rapidly, not making viewers wait for images to display. But it also has a huge number of different features delivering impressive functionality, printable colour brochures, online magazines, RSS feeds, maps, photos, local information, interactive floorplans, 360 degree tours, aerial views, Google Streetview, and a host of email and SMS alerts, as well as a ‘Draw a Search’ function that allows applicants to define a given street or area rather than having to search on postcode.
It even has a ‘My Foxtons’ function
that lets users save property searches and the firm recently introduced online accounts for landlords and tenants that allow them to handle basic functions such as payments online. Yet some agents still have very basic
websites which show dull property details for what’s on offer, with a single small photograph, no floorplans, a limited search function, and no local information, advice or news to attract users to the site and keep them there. Agents need to sharpen up. Property portals are offering features such as Google Streetview and integrated maps, and if portals can do it, why can’t agents?
24 JULY 2012 PROPERTYdrum
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