Has anyone read Marc Davidson's article 100 Web sites, one unfulfilling experience online at Inman News Opinions? He put into words some of the same thoughts I've had about real estate websites in general, http://www.inman.com/opinion/guest-perspective/2008/03/3/100-web-sites-one-unfulfilling-experience my comments follows:
"Just read your article. I've been struggling with websites without presence or content, or anything valued added for the consumer including my own. And I am guilty as charged with attempting to attract business from the web though I can count on one hand the contacts received that have translated into closed transactions. My thoughts are the same as yours the real estate sites/ agent sites are clogged with "hire me, let me help you, I am the best, the first, the top producer" and no content.
A few years ago my partner and I hired a "marketing" person who "branded" us, ouch! We were satisfied with the results (it looked pretty) and after numerous meetings we finally said we could no longer labour over/keep tweeking it because we just got to get out there with our campaign. Financially and emotionally we felt we would be able to connect with the real estate buying and selling public, we added content, spoke about the market, linked to important sites and felt we had put plenty of information out there - and maybe just maybe it would translate into a web presence and more business. I think our failure (and it is) with our web presence is our inability to communicate to the marketing person that the customer was "it". Where she felt we were "it". And so we are lost in the pages online and our online experience, which we feel we should be having with people looking for homes, is just not happening. And, if its not happening to us, is it happening for others, to anyone?
I have a blog site on ActiveRain that has brought more interaction with not only real estate professionals but the buying and selling public who are seeking real estate advice as well. It is less costly, more timely, and user friendly and sometimes I even make it to page 1 on Google with a well written blog.
I wish I had the magic formula real estate agents are seeking, including me, but I don't. I do think if we continue to overlook the needs of the buying and selling public whereby we promise to get them the listings they want "first" because we sell the most, or that our "marketing" system beats all other systems and seeming to welcome inquiries with open arms yet keeping them at arms length is not a way to built relationships web based or otherwise."
I have trusted all the marketing guru's who say 'brand yourself" with a "USP", or buy a system or use a trainer so that all your marketing materials are consistent, such as sending postcards with recipes, or using this program or that program, and last but not least have a web presence. Judging by Marc Davidson's article there's alot of fluff but no stuff online, no content even with calls to action we are failing our clients and only confusing them with promises not kept.
So what is the next best thing? Blogging may add value to the search experience for prospects, and if it adds value and supports our brand it may change the way we do business.
I'd love to hear what the housebuying and selling public think our professional online personna. My guess is they would think it pretty boring, lots of fluff and no stuff, or maybe they'd say its a waste of time and money - that would hurt but maybe I should be back to Marketing 101.
Pat, I'd like to buy an "I". 
Denise Brophy, ABR, ePro, CERC Relocation Specialist
www.MyNewfoundlandHome.com
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