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Do I need to register my business
with the state just to have a website? |
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Depending on the uses of
your website you may need to register with the state for tax purposes
and to protect yourself from liabilities it is always a good idea.
For more info: Small
Business Administration |
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Do I need a logo? money is
tight so I'm thinking about doing that later... |
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One of the most important
things you'll want to provide with your new business is consistency.
From the look & feel, to the products & services you provide
and the type of customer service you follow it up with, the consistency
of a company image is important if the intention is to have a business
long term. |
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I'm just planning on selling this one product
on the internet - do I really need a business plan? |
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Selling a product via the
internet requires an e-commerce site. There are some tools that
may make the process a little easier putting the site up but there
is still quite an investment in time and money to sell a product
on the internet. If for no other reason, a business plan is good
because it forces you to think about your intention & commitment
to this business. Is it really a hands-off, easy way to have another
income? A business plan will make you think it through. |
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What things can I do to make my site
work for me? |
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Providing info about your specialties as a Realtor®
is important but offering benefits to your visitors is what will
gain you the qualified leads for your future business. Hillside
Software does a particularly good job of providing extensive tools
to the consumer that will encourage them to signup in your website,
allowing you to view their activity, get an email or text alert
when they log in and be well informed for follow-up communication
with the potential client. |
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How can I set myself apart from other real estate
agents? |
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The more specific you are about the type of service
you provide, the easier it will be for the web customer to find
you. Every Front Range Realtor® is 'selling Denver Real Estate'
but if you've had experience selling a spec lot in Larkspur, negotiated
a new loft buildout in downtown Denver, accessed county records
for zoning laws to put up a pre-fab warehouse in Brighton or assisted
with a scrape off in Wash Park... there's a good chance someone
else needs that same service. |
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If I choose a specific type of real estate to
advertise won't I be missing out on a lot of other business? |
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There are many ways to diversify your business
without being 'the agent who sells anything & everything in
metro Denver and the surrounding areas.' Your website should be
1 medium of advertising so if you're currently doing mail-outs to
your sphere or to a specific neighborhood, keep doing that and add
a page or 2 of interest to them within your site but stay with a
niche or 2 for the overall theme of your site. |
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Real
Estate - Hillside Customers |
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What things can I do to make my site
more useable - attract more leads & potential customers? |
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Make sure your users understand the helpful tools
you're providing when using your HomeCards site. Once they sign
up in your site they can save their searches, certain properties,
email alerts for themselves. They can forward their favorite properties
to an out of state spouse for viewing and consideration. Sellers
& Buyers reports are available and next to each listing they
view they have access to a mortgage calculator, virtual tours, school
info and more. |
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What is a canned search? |
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Hillside offers the ability to do a keyword search
to grab properties listed by any Realtor® for a specific type
of property (horse, golf, foreclosed, certain areas or neighborhoods,
etc.) You then, grab the source code, attach it to a link and dynamically
the data is updated regularly. CMC can assist you with this task
if needed.EX. MyHomeTicket
shows fix 'n flips, foreclosures, lease to own, etc. |
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What kind of a computer should I
buy? |
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Look at the software specifications,
usually found on the side of the box or CD/DVD cover. Check Hard
Drive, RAM, and Operating System requirements (Windows XP, Vista,
MAC OSX) Most new computers have above adequate components to handle
business functions (Office, Quckbooks, industry specific software)
If you're considering Apple vs. Windows there are softwares available
for both, that allow most programs to be used on both a MAC &
PC. For more info contact: Dr.WinMac@gmail.com |
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Now that my site is up will I see
it on Google? |
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No, your site must be submitted to Google and other
search engines (Yahoo, MSN) to be evaluated and then approved, to
be added to that search engine's database. |
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My site has been submitted to several search
engines... why don't I see it when I type in my website address? |
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Your site may not be approved the 1st time it's
submitted. It's important to have good keywords in the content,
page names and meta tags (the little balloon text items that
appear when you roll your mouse over a link) BEFORE you submit
your site to any search engine. |
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All I need are 2-3 pages for my website; can I do this myself? |
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There are many products & companies on the web that assist you in creating a website. From content managers that turn your regular text into xhtml/css code, to fancy Flash based templates you can purchase to lay in your own text and images. In most cases, it's not the time it takes you to learn & do it as much as it is not understanding what the search engines require and are looking for in order to get your site picked up by them so consumers can actually find you. |
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How do I choose a website designer/developer? |
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Looking at their past and most recent work is a good way to start. Ask questions about site maintenance, future updates, adding more pages later, how much (SEO) search engine optmization is included in their pricing. Many website creators use products that allow them to add your page elements to a template, making the job seem quick, easy and inexpensive. If the price seems too good to be true it probably is. |
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