WEBSITES
maintaining the site, and monitoring its performance, which is vital in order to make sure the site continues to attract the right traffic, and enough of it. Estate agents now have a huge choice
of web developers many of whom specialise in property generally, or in agency specifically. There are a number of major firms, such as Technicweb, which now employs more than 30 staff, as well as Evolvin and Resource Techniques, while smaller firms such as Midlands-based Kaweb also specialise in developing websites for the property sector. They are fully up to date with such issues as integrating property software and working with portal feed formats, which more generalist web designers would not be.
Getting a website right isn’t a one- off job; it’s a continuous long haul.’
Andrew Clack at Technicweb says, “One
effective technology used by the portals is email alerts; automatically notifying applicants of new listings the moment they come on. This means applicants only need one visit to the portal, they register details and the properties they are interested in are sent to them automatically. “We have developed a sophisticated email alerts system that we now ‘wire in’ to every website we develop as standard. Interestingly this not only creates many viewings but also increases applicant registrations dramatically (average 600 per cent) because it is easy to register and happens as they perform a search.” Then there are firms which specialise in
certain aspects like mobile, such as Pocket Size Media, Dave Bartlett, MD, says agents need to give their customers the best possible experience of their brand on any device; “Mobile is fast becoming a credible alternative when engaging with a brand. Not that we are all abandoning the traditional means of going online, of course not, we still go online from our work PC or at home but we are all becoming used to being able to access information when we want and when it is convenient for us. “Through the work we are doing with
Foxton’s award winning site. 32 JULY 2012 PROPERTYdrum
some of the leading estate agents we are seeing this, and with the right user experience mobile traffic is growing rapidly. Not to the detriment of other online usage, but as a way of offering people another way to engage with you at the point of interest.
“Interestingly we see peaks in mobile
traffic at commuter times, and also late at night when people feel it is an easier alternative to a desktop PC. Intelligent Mobile also (obviously) covers mobile functionality; it recently rolled out a tablet-friendly website for Spicerhaart, and is now working on location based search to deliver a ‘text Spicer’ service which will show a customer up to ten links closest to the board they are looking at. Ten years ago, you bought a website, and
it was a big one-off investment. Now, it’s a work in progress, with functionality and content being added all the time, and links to social media needing to be updated. That makes a continuing relationship between web designer and estate agency increasingly important. Kaweb, for instance, now works on a monthly basis with its clients to monitor sites and update them, while Evolvin has started a social media and content business to accompany its website design side. As Foxtons’ experience shows, getting
the website right is not a one-off job; it’s a continuous long haul. Winning an award in 2006 won’t stand you in good stead in 2012, unless you’ve been developing and improving your website over the years. But for those agents who do get it right, it’s not just a question of getting awards for the website from design groupies and techies; it’s the future of their business.
Do you have any views to share?
www.propertydrum.com/articles/newwebsites
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