Home > Blogs > Lexa R. Montierth > Celebrating Southern Arizona

Website Woes

By Lexa R. Montierth

Real Estate Agent with NextHome Complete Realty AZDRE #SA581604000

June 17, 2007 03:15 PM

Well, I knew it was going to happen. As soon as I have a website, I'm going to have worries about it. I am not even able to get the links right here on ActiveRain, how the heck am I going to keep up on a website? It's going so far so good, I had planned on doing a semi-template website until I could afford a custom one. I have a lot of big plans, but it all takes time and knowledge.

Where do you all go for information on help here? I have seen a few blogs on here about website help, but a lot of them have had to do with advertising their services.

And where do I figure out how to do this silly HTML on Active Rain :) I know you are all holding out your tricks.

Lexa Montierth

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Eric Bouler

Gardner Realtors, Licensed in La. - New Orleans, LA

Listening to your Needs

i just blogged about a newsletter that I get from step forth each week. Its very informative, if that does not work you can call me at the office.

Jun 17, 2007 03:40 PM

Kimberly Grant

Exit Leon Crawford Realty - Huntsville, AL

Real Estate Agent - Huntsville Alabama

This post helped me when I first started. Hopefully it will help you with some of your questions.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/65489/ActiveRain-Community-Resources-Updated

Jun 17, 2007 03:56 PM

Cheryl Johnson

Highland Park, CA

I learned basic HTML stuff and a little CSS back in the mid 1990s. If you have some basic questions, I can probably answer them. Just let me know. If you're going to dive into flash and php and other new fangled stuff, I'll be out of my league. :-)

Jun 17, 2007 11:02 PM

Steven Shewell

Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc. - Ephrata, PA

The Mortgage Maverick

I'll have to postmark your blog and check back to see what everyone says. I need so much help with my website that it's pathetic. I'm definitely a little technologically challenged when it comes to the internet.

Jun 18, 2007 01:00 AM

Scott Lockhart

Showcase IDX - Atlanta, GA

CEO, Showcase IDX

I just posted this to AR last night... http://activerain.com/blogsview/125920/Top-1-things-NOT
It might not be able to help you with actually coding your site, but at least with some things to avoid doing if this is your first one. Cheers!

Jun 18, 2007 01:05 AM

Win Singleton

Summit Web Design and Long & Foster Realtors - Falls Church, VA

Web Designer & Associate Broker

Hi Lexa! You wrote in part - "I am not even able to get the links right here on ActiveRain, how the heck am I going to keep up on a website?"

Understandably, this is not your forte. And it isn't for many, many agents. You may be very good at real estate sales, but you shouldn't also have to learn how to be a web designer or webmaster. Completely different set of skills and knowledge. That is why many template real estate web sites fail and never bring in any results for their owners.

So several suggestions -

1. Join Groups here at Active Rain like Real Estate Web Design Tips and Internet Markeing Strategies, just to name two. There you can read posts that will help your understanding of HTML and search engine optimization techniques to increase your knowledge base. And read about how to do HTML on numerous web sites that will actually teach you this subject. That is how I learned years ago.

2. "I had planned on doing a semi-template website until I could afford a custom one". Hate to say this, but maybe you would be far better off making the commitment to go custom now... and leave the "driving" to someone else. For example, my web clients don't know HTML and don't have to. That's my job - to make them look good and get their web sites found, not theirs.

You can usually have a custom web site designed for less than the brokerage fee from either the listing or selling side of one $100,000 condo sale! But while you are playing at getting your template site tweaked and spending your time trying to grasp the finer points of HTML and SEO, you could actually be missing that 1st condo sale or better from your site instead! You will spend the money one way or the other - either having a custom web site designed by a professional or spending your time (time IS money) educating yourself in HTML and missing prospects during your "training".

Do you also handle your buyers' loans, act as a home inspector, and handle the closing of your transactions? Hardly! You have other professionals to do that in conjunction with you. And if they do their jobs well, they make you look great in your clients' eyes! The same is true in web marketing... by surrounding yourself with other professionals to make you successful.

We tell the FSBO that they really shouldn't try to sell their house themselves... that they really need a real estate professional. Well, the same is true on the Web... and maybe you just need a professional too! HTML and search engine optimization is simple - but it is not easy. Take it from someone who has been doing it full time for 11 years. ;-)

Just some thoughts...

Jun 18, 2007 04:53 AM

Lexa R. Montierth

NextHome Complete Realty - Tucson, AZ

Real Estate Sales Agent and Marketer

I appreciate all your guys help!

Believe it or not, I am pretty computer literate, and was pretty good at writing some HTML back in 1996. But it's amazing what you forget in 10 years when you don't touch the stuff. And talk about the differences! Flash, Java, CSS XML RSS, How many acronyms are out there?

I firmly believe in using a professional for a website to get professional results. But the old adage is true: It takes money to make money. So at this point I believed that a template website, with a little more tweaking could be a place to store information about the homes I have listed, and get a little more exposure. Trust me, I do not want to become a web designer, I just really don't have ANY money to spare for a website right now. In the six months since I started thinking about my website, 12 different GOOD website names that I thought of were available at the time are now gone. Will they be a success? I don't know, and perhaps in a year the names will be up again. But with cyber squatters and everyone trying their hand at the internet, it was better to grab a few names now, and put up a template website (I hate being directed to those Money making pages) then to wait 6 more months (In my mind).

And part of the reason I wanted to try my hand at it again is to relearn what is out there. It IS fun to do and a great sense of accomplishment to me, like some people feel with scrapbooking or quilting. It's not going to win website of the year, but it doesn't look like the 200,000 other template websites out there.

I appreciate your thoughts and please keep them coming. Constructive Criticism is always helpful.

Lexa Montierth

Jun 18, 2007 06:17 AM