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Making Money With Template Web Sites

Unfortunately, many agents still do not have money making, consumer-oriented Web sites. I have written extensively on how this can be achieved in my four part series, “What Makes A Site A Money Maker” (see Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV). In those articles, I make the point that a template site is often the best place to start for an agent who does not yet have a Web site…or whose site is not making him or her much, if any money. Companies such as Advanced Access, Homes.com and #1 Expert are good examples of such template sites.

I also make the point that if you want a template site to make you money you have to do two things: promote it and customize it.

AdvancedAccess has just announced the results of their Most Impressive Web Sites of 2006. I urge you to take a look at these sites, several by my CyberStars(r), to see what you can do with a “bare bones” template site in order to make it more effective.

Visit http://www.advancedaccess.com/clientspotlight/impressive for the complete listing of winners in the categories of:

Best Homepage
Best Lead Generator
Best Use of a Template
Best Use of a Theme
Best Use of an AdvancedAccess Feature
Most Original Content
Most User Friendly
Overall Winner, Most Impressive AdvancedAccess Web Site

There are great ideas here for your site. Most importantly, it might lead you to consider getting an inexpensive template site, customizing it…..and start earning a lot of money from real estate’s #1 marketing tool!

BTW: Be sure to check out the sites of my CyberStars at www.afhseminars.com/cyber.htm. You will see the CyberStars(r) listed by state and country, and you can feel confident that their sites work: in my last survey of my CyberStars(r), they averaged $115,412 in closed gross commissions from their sites alone!

BTW #2: Remember: you can get ideas from another agent’s site…you are in volation of copyright laws if you copy their layout, text, graphics, etc.

BTW #3: AdvancedAcces is an excellent place to get a template site. I have heard wonderful things about their content, service, site positioning, marketing ideas, etc. Tell them I sent you, and you will probably get a discount from them.

It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!

Posted by Allen F. Hainge, CRS on 02/19/2007 12:02 PM

Comments (5)

allen f hainge, cyberstars, web sites, best web sites, template sites, making money, marketing, technology

5 Comments on Making Money With Template Web Sites

Allen, this post is great! I use Advance Access and have been very happy with the site and their customer service.

http://www.NewHomesTucson.com

Michael

02/19/2007 01:31 PM

by Michael J. Nelson CRS,GRI,CNHS Associate Broker (Freedom Realty)

Allen,

Thanks for sharing your ideas. We have both basic template and customized and find the important thing is content and links and driving traffic to them. Novice that we are, we continue to learn and can see results. Appreciate you sharing all your ideas and have visited your site for more info.

Thanks

Ruth Jacobs

02/19/2007 04:49 PM

by Ruth Jacobs - North Palm Beach Real Estate Specialist (Quantum One Realty)

Templates are a complete waste of money, complete waste. They do not help and your site looks like crap, not to mention the poor rankings on search engines.

I would recommend hiring someone like Agent Image or Real Estate Designers for real estate web design.

Courtney

03/31/2007 11:09 PM

by Courtney

Thanks Alan for your insights. Great posts! They have some great looking examples!

Looks and functionality are separate items. A good looker may not be a money maker. I reviewed many template sites before I purchase to make sure it has all the right features. I recently reviewed a lot of these template sites for a project I am developing. Success is not so much in a purchase, but there has to be a plan and a pre-conceived strategy when buying a web. I choose products based upon their effectiveness.

There are many templates that are ineffective and still look great! Many fall into the middle of the road category. They are ineffective. There are some cheap templates sites that are consistent money makers on steroids. I prefer a product that is totally integrated to those that have a big a sizzle factor in looks but fizzle in closed sales. IDX data bases need to load searches quickly, predictably, and effectively. The results of an IDX search needs to be consistent. I personally run the same search over and to see if the same results to show up, and not have run back to back searches and the second time find no listings were found. Maps and graphics need to load in a timely fashion. Nothing will turn off a viewer more than a slow loading page or feature. A great template site in my opinion should also be able to have a seamless drip response system that is on auto pilot. I should not have to buy a plug in, and them manually enter letters and leads. I reviewed this product and several others for my own needs but passed on it. Courtney brought up some good alternatives.

03/31/2007 11:50 PM

by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)

Hey KW agents! You don't have to spend alot of money to get results. Our KW templates work if you work them. I've posted a couple of tips here tonight and previously on Active Rain. Driving Traffic to Your Web Site. I am showing up as of tonight in a sponsor box, and I don't pay for it! Work it!

04/02/2007 08:33 PM

by Victoria Lorusso (Keller Williams Prestige Properties)

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