Shopping around for a new website? Consider this before you do...

Let's be honest here, websites aren't the cheapest investment
for your business but it is an important one. Resource Techniques
has compiled a quick guide on what to consider, look out for and
avoid when choosing a website designer.

Firstly define your Website's needs:

"He who fails to plan, plans to fail."

• Think about what your website needs and why you want a website.
  Estate agents will want users to firstly look at properties then be
  captivated enough by a property to contact them.


• Consider your company background. What is the company's
  underpinning values, beliefs and commitment?


• What is the overall aim of your estate agency? How do you
  differ from your competition?



• Who are you selling for? This is important to remember because
  websites should be for your customers and not just for you.


• What is your overall marketing strategy?

Ask the website designer if they can:

• Work with languages such as CSS.


• Produce a portfolio


• Create meta-tags and perform SEO.


• Perform White Hat SEO


• Create interactive content.



• Manually write HTML.


• Work with websites in a secure server environment.

Research Market Costs

Have a look around. Do NOT go for the first company you come
across. Website designers tend to charge large amounts, so shop
around. You would shop around for any other large purchases, so why
make websites any different?

Create a Short List

Do the website designers suit your estate agency? Creating a
short list enables you to think about the pros and cons of every
web design company and lets you overview all the possibilities
before you.

"72% of customers see you on the internet first"
(Rightmove.co.uk)

Take the plunge! An estate agent with a good online presence
will be able to see the benefits of embracing new technologies
rather than sticking their head in the sand.

You cannot leave it there though. A good website designer won't
take the money and leave; they should encourage relevant current
content so that the long term needs of the SEO are met. Beware of
designers that will charge you a one-off fee. Also they should keep
track of the website's performance through the latest methods such
as Google Analytics.

Resource Techniques are not only able to tick all of these boxes
but also provide a much larger service to estate agents. Give us a
call on 0208 457 4777 to see what you can provide
your customers.