To require registration or Not require registration... Not

Lane...I just took part one of a 2 day webinar about internet marketing. And NO, you don't want to make people register. I use to have that feature, and disabled it. If you give them content, and answer their questions, they will come.

Sharp looking wingman you got there in the photo!

Great new photos - especially that up-top. Very cool. 

I agree that you should let them search without getting their info. It does drive them away. If they are interested they will contact you.

Lane, I guess this will continue to be an arguement.  Thanks for posting, I'm reworking my website and this is one of the items I was considering.  Currently to search on my site now, so sign up is required.  Again thanks!

I don't require registration and I get at least a couple of inquires per week from my IDX.  Not all of them respond when I email them back but at least I know that they are finding my site and looking for information.

I don't require registration.  I would rather have 100% use my site to search for homes, than alienate the theoretical 90% who would leave and go elsewhere.  There's no guarantee the 10% who stay will end in a sale, so I think my odds are better letting everyone search, learn about me through my website and blog.  I'm generating goodwill to boot by giving them access.

I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to allow people to search without registering but if they want to see additional photos, they have to register?

Lane I agree that you dont at first want to scare away buyers but you do want them to view your listings on your website of course. You want their business and you want to convert them to clients. I have what my IDX third party provider calls is "Progressive Registration" upon my IDX on my website. My surfers dont initially have to register. You are correct that initally making them register without letting them see listings that they might want to persue will scare off your customers. Progressive registration gives them options when to register and doesnt scare them away! Check out my posting here on AR about my third party IDX Listingware at http://activerain.com/blogsview/768798/My-Listing-Router-IDX-Provider-LISTINGWARE who is your IDX provider by the way?

To me, this is one of the biggest debates in websites.  The way we have ours set up is a little quirky...but I have no control over WolfNet who powers the search. You can do as many searches as you want. But...if you search a particular criteria and let's say there are 15 homes, you can view the details on three homes before being asked to register. You can change that number to anything from 1-10 or something like that.

So we're trying the 3 free property views for a while to see what happens. If someone wants to beat the system, all they have to do is put in a bunch of phoney information....and we get a fair number of those. To me, those people aren't serious so the heck with them. We have a beautiful website so if they are serious about wanting my help, they will leave their contact info. If they aren't serious....NEXT!

Lane - I've been experimenting with this to see what happens. As a Keller WIlliams agent, we are able to use Wolfnet for a very small fee, so I have a lot of options on how I want to handle this. Right now pople can search and look at 6 properties before requiring any information except for address. TO get the address, they have to sign in. I average one or 2 new ones a day for the last couple of weeks, some have bogus number and e-mail, but some do not. I try to call just to let them know that I'm here to help. It's always a surprise.

Lane,

Consumers are the highest life form on the planet - they want informatin and they want it now.

Bad registrations should be a big ring on the clue phone to those who think registration is the way to gain clients.

bl0g 0n!

Steve

Obeoman

I'm in this camp - no registration needed to cruise the IDX.  But when they request more info on a listing, they will have to answer a few questions, such as name, address, are you prequalified, how soon are you buying, etc.  It's their choice to answer or not, and I find the serious ones will answer all questions.

Lane - I think you are right on many levels.  Allowing unidentified searches seems to me to be a way to keep the "lookers on your site" -- If they stay around and even come back, eventually you may get a phone call or email -- sort of a loyality kind of thing.  The key has to be content though, searches alone are very easy to find.

On the other hand I can see "follow up" type agents that want some contact info so that they can pursue the client, soft or hard sell.

So I guess it comes down to our personal style, We all have to choose.

So if you don't register, how do you get the client information.  I would go for the registration one time thing.

When they request more info on a property, you will get their email address to reply to.  They might also fill in a form at that time.