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Asking too much of one website

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with John L. Scott Real Estate

Over two years ago I developed a website www.FranklyRealEstate.com which led to a blog www.FranklyRealEstate.Blogspot.com. Even then Ozzie, the guy at Graphical Data who helps me with all things web, cautioned me that the site was too broad.

I was trying to make it be all things to all people. Last week I met with Ozzie and we developed a new plan. Essentially I'm breaking down my one website into two, which in turn will roll out a second blog as well. The goal is to focus the information and tools to a smaller group.

www.FranklyRealEstate.com will focus on home buyers and sellers. It will address questions and concerns a typical home buyer or seller might have in today's real estate market. Search for homes, learn about neighborhoods and schools and pick up a little education about the process along the way. FranklyRealEstate.Blogspot.com will be restructured to pick up the day to day conversations that goes on and refer readers to the website just as you would refer to a reference book.

The new website will be www.MyRealEstateCareerBuilder.com and the new blog will be www.MyRealEstateCareerBlog.com. These will address concerns that real estate practitioners might have. Getting started in real estate, classes to take, technology to use, interesting changes in the market and the like.

Needless to say there is a lot of work ahead to string up my new portion of the net. Fortunately I'm passionate about the topic and eager to share what is happening in our neck of the woods.

Feel free to check out these new sites and learn along with me. I'm setting up the blog first. This gave me a chance to try out a new platform....wordpress. Because I've settled on a specific template I had to have my blog hosted for me, not hosted within wordpress, Active Rain or Blogger. As I go I'll try to share all of the things I learn....Let me bump my shins as I work through this unfamiliar room called wordpress and hosting. I'll give links as well so you can check out the choices I've made.

Wordpress

Dreamhost (Put the word "Frankly" in the coupon code for a free domain and save $10)

Thesis (template for blog)

GraphicalData (designs real estate websites for agents and companies)

It is a good idea to at least annually review your web marketing plan and make the approprate changes to keep you on track to success. It is all about the basics...who are you talking to? What do they want to know about? What is the best way to communictate?

Stay tuned and please feel free to give input. The new sites are rolling out slowly as they get built and I learn the tools.

Show All Comments Sort:
Shane OnullGorman
Eau Claire Realty, Inc. - Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire Wisconsin, Real Estate Agent & Realtor- Buy or Sell

Thats a very impressive site. I like how the first thing is right to the searching. Thats very smart. In fact I dont think ive seen a real estate site that got right to the chase like that! WOW. Gave me a lot of ideas for my own. How did they code the part with the map search like that? I am interested in seeing how that works or the code itself if you or they dont mind? I dont think it would work for me I just want to see the structure.

I just posted a blog this morning about trying to integrate my blog with my website. Let me know how you get it working and how effective it is. I am basically trying to do the same thing with mine!

Thanks!

Aug 29, 2008 10:00 AM
Frank Wilson
John L. Scott Real Estate - Poulsbo, WA

Shane,

Thanks for the heads up about the link....fixed now.

I usually look at a website as a referance manual and a blog like a magazine. I have to admit I'm not as disaplined about blogging as I could be but like most work hard to strike a balance within all of lifes demands.

I did not do the coding. Graphical Data did it for me. It really is a great tool and easy to use. I'm always chasing my agents away from building websites on their own. Deligate.....They are $100 an hour people that should deligate these kind of jobs to $50 an hour people. I think they only charge $200 or so to set up and $60 a month???

Best of Luck,

Frank

Aug 29, 2008 11:08 AM
Erik Hitzelberger
RE/MAX Alliance - Louisville REALTOR-Luxury Homes - Louisville, KY
Louisville - Middletown Real Estate

Frank - As Shane mentioned, you have a very nice -looking website.  I too found some points that I really liked.  Good Luck on your endeavor to develop the the new site and get it running. 

Aug 29, 2008 11:21 PM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

 Sounds ambitious....and focused....and that's a good thing...good luck..it gives the rest of us pause to reanalyze our own sites and how focused they may or may not be...

Aug 30, 2008 12:32 AM
Shani Dwan
Shani Dwan - Laupahoehoe, HI

Hi Frank,

Here is a small help for your website.To bring the free traffic you need to do Article Marketing which works the best. This is the fastest & best way to boost your traffic. All successful Online Marketer are using this method to get the tons of Free Traffic & to increase their Sale. If you don't know how to do it then you must visit immediately to the new launched article marketing site http://www.affsphere.com The best news is that it will not only show to HOW TO DO IT but also provide you an platform to earn an additional revenue in 8 new ways just by submitting the article. They are also providing a article marketing report which will revels you everything about article marketing so don't miss it. Just checkout http://www.affsphere.com.

Bye

All the Best.

Aug 30, 2008 01:22 AM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

WordPress is incredibly cool... and self hosting is THE way to go.  You ought to move the Blogspot blog to a self hosted platform too.. After you install WordPress, you can do that with one click.

Aug 30, 2008 01:42 AM
Terrie Leighton
Ferrari-Lund Real Estate - Reno, NV
Reno Real Estate Agent ~ Selling Homes in Reno

Really like the website and your blog. Both are very clean looking. Great info to keep in mind about keeping it simple and geared toward the consumer and not making it about ourselves.

Aug 30, 2008 02:02 AM
Roland Woodworth
Blue Cord Realty - Clarksville, TN
Benchmark Realty

Frank.. Lots of great information. Sounds like you have alot of work ahead of you

Aug 30, 2008 03:00 AM
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes

Sounds like an ambitious task. Hope you can make the hours needed to do all that you want to do -- time is always what gets in the way of some of the things we would "like" to do.

Aug 30, 2008 04:22 AM
Greg Adelman
Midwest Home Center - Saint Croix Falls, WI

Frank, I really appreciate these comments because I to have built my own site.  If you have a free minute can you look at my site and give me your comment?

Thanks,

www.midwesthomecenter.com

Aug 30, 2008 04:22 AM
Lanre-"THE REAL ESTATE FARMER" Folayan
ERNAL REAL ESTATE GROUP with Samson Properties - Bowie, MD
I don't make promises.I deliver results.SOLD HOMES

Wow! Those are a lot of websites. I have two websites and two blogs. But one of websites and blogs needs some work to them since I am not generating no leads from any one of them. Much luck to you. Have a great weekend.

Aug 30, 2008 06:36 AM
Russell Lewis
Realty Austin, Austin Texas Real Estate - Austin, TX
Broker,CLHMS,GRI

Frank, Thanks for posting this. I have struggled with what to do in the same situation and these are helpful suggestions! I will probably use the same ideas for splitting a website and a blog site!

Aug 30, 2008 08:29 AM
Diane Aurit
LKN Realty, LLC - Mooresville, NC
Lake Norman Real Estate

This is great information, thanks so much for sharing!  I have been thinking about creating a second site myself so will watch and learn from you!

Aug 30, 2008 08:55 AM
Diane Bell, Hilton Head Real Estate, Bluffton
Charter 1 Real Estate, Hilton Head, Bluffton, SC - Hilton Head Island, SC

Great website---very pleasing in the visual sense. 

Aug 30, 2008 09:02 AM
John Powers
NAI Black Commercial Real Estate Services, Worldwide. - Spokane, WA

Frank,

 

Nice Websites! Good call creating multiple websites so that each one can best serve its specialization.

 

John Powers

Restaurants4saleOnline.com LLC

Aug 30, 2008 09:39 AM
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Coldwell Banker Realty

Oh my!  I've been wrestling around getting our new sites ready for launch and it's no walk in the park.  I admire your diligence!

Aug 30, 2008 11:19 AM
. .
San Diego, CA

Thesis is a pretty slick theme if you you like to mess the css. Chris made it pretty easy to make changes.

Aug 30, 2008 04:23 PM
Michael Sahlman
www.HomesForVIPs.com - Keller Williams Realty - Miami Beach, FL
e-PRO - Miami Beach Florida Luxury Homes

I am learning that tryng to cover too many areas and not focus on a niche hurts us as agents. Better to keep it simple and focus on a few things. Keeps it simple for our clients too.

Aug 30, 2008 06:08 PM
Travis Newton
Salem and Bend Oregon FHA, VA & USDA 503.931.4490 - Salem, OR
FHA, USDA, VA, LOAN EXPERT - Salem OR Homes For Heroes SALEM OREGON

Websites are fantastic...mine is working like a charm lately

Aug 31, 2008 01:37 PM