Realtor Web Design 101 - Tips for a site that works

This is short and simple.I live in Las Vegas. If I am moving to New York I will be searching out information about it. Most buyers want to know about weather and climate. Create a weather page intended on keeping people on your site. While they are looking for real estate they are usually interes...

When used correctly web site frames can add some cool functionality to your site. Frames have been around for along time. They are easy to use and they are probably one of the most misused web technology out there. A frame divides the screen into separate content containers. One frame can link to...

Introduction to Writing Good Content You will convert leads better and draw more search engine traffic if your content is good. Check out this excerpt from a recent article I read in a weekly newsletter I subscribe to:"There's an "old" saying in the SEO industry that "content is king." This is no...

I'll keep this one very brief. I see some agent web sites with stock tickers. I understand what agents are doing with them but I think the work of adding one and the affect it may have on the site may work against the agent. My opinion is to leave the tickers off, especially if the ticker serves ...

Most agents know how to use MapQuest and Google Maps. Linking to these services out of your web site can help users a great deal. Simply navigate to the map you like in these services and copy and paste the URL as a link. Some services don't allow you to save the zoom level but users can zoom in ...

A lot of fancy menu systems are out there. Adobe Flash, java script, images, flat menus are some of the menu tools that aid in navigation. Navigation systems should be spiderable and well organized.Spider-able Menu Systems Search engines use programs called spiders to move around on the internet ...

An agent suggested I post a discussion regarding template based web sites versus custom web sites. There are pros and cons to both solutions. I would suggest real estate agents lean toward template based sites as they consider their design, and I don't mean template based including the content. R...

Databases are used to store data. They can help a great deal when web sites hold a medium to large amount of information. Many web design companies use them to hold individual page information for their clients. They then design a template or skin or wrapper that calls the information as needed. ...

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. It is a web technology that has been around for a long time and only recently is becoming a popular tool for design. CSS web pages are faster to download, more uniform, and much much easier to change around down the road. Most web sites have a "skin" or the ...

There are many web services out there that cator to real estate agents. Some of these attract users. Some distract users. Here are some of the tools I have seen agents use:MLS SearchIDX Home postsMap Services: Google, MapquestWeather Services: Weather ChannelStock TickersGasoline Price TrackersMo...