Estate agents, your keyboard is disgusting.

Take a few moments to have a look at your keyboard.

The best case scenario (unless you have a brand new keyboard!) you’ll find bits of dust or skin. Not very nice and that’s the best case scenario. The worst case scenario you will have bits of food and skin that have been sitting there, months if not years. Not what you want on your fingers.

Great news for estate agents! Now there is a washable keyboard you can fully submerse into water! The washable keyboard uses Seal Shield™ technology to guarantee that your keyboard can even be put in the dishwasher! You can even use the keyboard while wet, but your fingers may get cold...

The cost of the washable keyboard is £40.00, a small amount to pay for the price of hygiene!

Some may consider £40 to be slightly high for keyboards, if this is true for your budget, estate agents can also buy compressed air cleaners. These are cans of compressed air that removes dirt and debris from hard to reach areas, such as keyboards. What is the price of the compressed air cleaner? Around £4 online!

Resource Techniques is a web design company providing I.T. services for estate agents. Our services include websites for estate agents, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), software for estate agents and web design for estate agents. Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques is considering buying one of these keyboards.

Troy Stanley comments, ‘The keyboard is a great design! Estate agents should check the website and seriously consider investing in a washable keyboard.’

Google social search now live!

Google's latest experiment has been released today. Google Social Search allows users to search via Twitter, FriendFeed, Gmail contacts and Gmail chat list for public content from your friends. The list of results includes:

* Websites
* Blogs
* public profiles
* web content
* status updates
* Tweets
* Reviews
* Articles

Although the Social Search is still in an experimental stage, the search feature produces some very good results. For example, a member of Resource Techniques signed into their Google account and search for the term 'estate agent' knowing that they have quite a few estate agent contacts. The results are as follows:



As you can see, there are a range of results, mostly from Twitter as they do not use FriendFeed. The great thing about social search is that it is bespoke to the user that has signed in. An important note here is that estate agents wanting to use Social Search must have a Google account. That Google account must either have contacts and/or linked to social networks otherwise the search feature will not work.



As you can see above, the same search term was placed into Google Social Search but it did not reveal any results.

Another important note is that this feature does not search in real time. That means that a friend or contact's Tweets on Twitter will not instantly be searchable through Social Search. There is a big chance that will be in the works, watch this space.

Have you tried out Google Social Search? What search terms have you put in? Give us feedback on our Facebook Fan pageTwitter profile!

Did you like this article? Why not try reading, 'Improved Google Maps has been passed onto our customers' and 'Enhanced Google Maps listings - estate agents, get yourself on there!

The more people you have accessing your website, the more enquiries you will have.

There are two ways to get people onto your website and searching for your properties:a

* 1. Pay-Per-Click - An expensive advertisement that is on the first page of Google. Each individual click onto your website can cost you a couple of pounds (which will add up!) Also, users are more likely naturally look at the organic search results without looking at the PPC advertisements.
* 2. Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation or SEO doesn't have to be complicated. It is the process of improving the website so that it appears higher in Google's organic results, which are located on the left hand side. The general public are most likely to choose the 'organic' area without even checking the PPC area. Resource Techniques does all it can to move estate agents as far up Google as possible, but many estate agents have not signed up to social networking.

The image above shows that our customer, Bonett's Estate agents, is page one position one when searching for 'Estate agents in Brighton'. Search Engine positioning such at this will create a large amount of targeted traffic for your website with potential customers looking for property in the Brighton area.

Estate agents must do a self check to see where they rank in Google. Pretending you are someone looking for property in your area, you will search for 'estate agent in...' or 'flat to rent in...' and your local area. There is no point in searching for your company name because these customers are already brand loyal. Estate agents need to capture property searchers that do not have a particular estate agent in mind.

Once on your website, online property searchers will then notice your website design. Estate agents must be vigilant when employing a specialist web designer so that they create a visually impressive website. Our latest campaign, 3 seconds to impress, had spread the message that on average, web design has 3 seconds to impress.

From there users will be looking towards the functionality of the website. Features such as large resolution photos, Google Street view, Enhanced Google mapping, detailed property descriptions, email alerts, email a friend and embedded EPC and floorplans impress the user to repeatedly return to the website to look for further properties. The website is then defined as being 'sticky' as users and online property searchers will stick to that website.

Did this article inspire you to think about your estate agent web design and SEO performance? You can read; 'Complete twitter guide for estate agents', and 'The four basic elements of web design' or you can contact Resource Techniques directly on 0208 457 4777 to see how we can benefit you.

Resource Techniques announce release of new website for Trenchard Arlidge!

Resource Techniques are delighted to announce the unveiling of a new website: http://www.trenchardarlidge.co.uk

Trenchard Arlidge is the longest established Estate Agent in Cobham and Oxshott. We are a family business and we have been serving the local community for about 75 years. Whether you are buying or selling, letting or renting your home, we pride ourselves on knowing our neighbourhood, knowing our clients and meeting their needs. We offer a service that is both personal and professional to sellers and buyers, landlords and tenants alike.

Technology, legislation, market trends and strategies change, but one thing remains the same - people have individual requirements and this is something we always acknowledge.

Kevin Arlidge (Director) "Many thanks to all of you for getting us this far and whilst I expect a few things will need to be ironed out, I think we are all confident that from the browsers point of view their first impression will be "like, WOW". The new site should give us an edge and I look forward also to saving many man-hours, sorry, person-hours in not having to do direct feeds to half a dozen portals."

This fantastic new website has a whole host of new properties that are available to buy, rent or let, in and around the Cobham and Oxshott area. Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques, personally loves the website and thinks that the development team continually outdo themselves with each new estate agent website.

A short limerick for estate agents who eat at their computer...

There once was an estate agent called Dean, Who never went to the canteen,
Worked like a machine and ate in between, And now he can never be seen!

We've all done it at least once, some have repeatedly offended, and some do it every day! Office workers around the country have been too busy to eat lunch - or eaten their lunch at their desk whilst juggling the phone, the diary and a sandwich.

Luckily the kind people at Heinz Beanz have conducted their own research and found that 1/5th of the population are too stressed to have lunch away from their desk. Following that, they have come up with their own half baked way to keep you from feeling stressed and drained. ..



Say hello to the BEANZAWAVE! This portable microwave plugs straight into your USB port in the computer so estate agents never ever have to miss a lunch. Just connect to the computer, pop the Heinz snap pot into the microwave and agents have instant hot beans while they upload properties!

The Beanzawave can also be powered by battery so agents can take it away from the computer. Agents can also consider using the Beanzawave as part of their viewing service... maybe not...

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'This is an interesting invention, but I would advise that estate agents design their work timetable so that they can take a lunch break away from the computer.'

Do you love gadgets? Read 'Best wide angle cameras around', 'the lightest laptop ever made' and 'Top 5 sat navs for estate agents'

Complete guide to creating an estate agent Facebook Fan page

This is a message to all estate agents that have not yet put their businesses on Facebook: Your Time Is Up! Stop giving excuses, now is the time to put your business on Facebook! Make contacts, share interests and then direct them to your fantastic website where they can view all your high resolution pictures, play with enhanced Google mapping and receive email alerts of new properties coming on the market. Yay!

The phrase 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink' comes to mind. Luckily this article is not designed to convince agents that social networking is free advertising with personal interaction between customers, but to instruct agents on how to create their own Facebook business page. Here goes...

Firstly go to create a new Facebook page. Click on the drop down box under 'Area' and chose the option 'Property'.



Next type in your estate agency name under the heading 'Name of Property'. Ideally you want to put something along the lines of '[Company name] - Estate Agent in [Local area]).



Next type in the words stated in the box. This is for security check purposes to check that you are human. If you have trouble reading the letters, click on 'try different words' to bring up two different words for you to type in or 'an audio CAPTCHA' to hear the words being said aloud.



Next tick the box next to 'I am authorised to create this Page' and then type in your name in the electronic signature and click 'Create Page:



If you are not logged in, you will see this screen. From here you can either pick 'I already have a Facebook account' or 'I do not have a Facebook account'. From here, please sign in or follow the steps to create a new account.

or



Once signed in, agents will see this screen:



It is the shell of your Business page or fan page. From here agents will need to fill in their company details so that it is accessible from your fans. Firstly click on the 'edit information' link on the right hand side. This will allow agents to add in information about their agency such as address, phone number, opening hours, website, parking and description of public transport.



Once this section has been completed, move your mouse over the big grey question mark in the top left. A small link should appear with the text 'change picture'. Once this link has been clicked, a small drop down box will appear with 5 different options. Choose the option 'Upload a picture'.





From here, a window will appear for you to upload a picture. Ideally you will want to choose your company logo. Once uploaded, the picture will appear instead of the grey question mark in the top left hand corner. Next click on the box on the left which says 'write something about...' Here you need to need include certain key words such as 'residential/letting' 'estate agent in' and the areas that you cover, plus a short description of the company.



To complete the fan page, upload photos and discussions. Discussions can include news articles and the latest property developments in your area. Once this has been filled in, click on 'publish this Page' and your estate agent Fan page will be accessible by everyone on Facebook.



From here, it is up to you to keep the page updated. See the screenshot below gauge the variety of postings and articles that fans love to read.



If you have any questions regarding setting up a Facebook page, please contact us via our Facebook Fan Page or call us on 0208 457 4777.

DIY for estate agents: the search engine test

Estate agents, did you know that you could test how your website performs in Google? Remembering that Google has 91-92% of the search engine market in the UK, this test could radically change the amount of leads that come through your estate agency website.

The trick to this test is to put yourself in the mind of a property searcher. They will sit down at a computer and start with their preferred search engine. From there, they will type in the most logical phrase that they think will provide them with the best results.

In other words, the property searcher won't type in 'web design for estate agents', so that they can visit their local estate agent's website, instead they will try localised search with particular keywords. This will include a range of terms such as:

* 'Estate agent in...'
* 'Letting agent in...'
* 'Property for sale in...'
* 'Property to rent in...'
* 'Two bedroom house for sale in...'
* 'Flat to let in...'
* Detached house for sale in...'

From there, the property searcher will be provided with the top 10 links that match their search. Ideally estate agents need to be as high as possible for these terms because property searchers will more likely use the links that are higher up in Google. Typically users do not go past page 3.

Troy Stanley, Resource Techniques CTO comments, 'Estate agents need to gravely reconsider their Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and position in Google if they are past page three. Page one, position one on Google, if at all possible, is the best place for estate agents to provide maximum amount of traffic to their website.'

'Currently 98% of our websites are on page one of Google from our SEO techniques. This combined with industry leading website designs, will give our customers the maximum amount of leads from the internet.'

Are you interested in web design? Read our recent article 'A well designed website is a weapon of mass consumption' or 'This will make you change the way you think about website design'.

You can contact us on 0208 457 4777 or via our Twitter and Facebook page.

Gadget of the week - Best wide angle digital cameras around

Olympus PEN E-P1
Olympus PEN E-P1

The Olympus PEN E-P1 has more of a retro look than, but don't let this fool you. The Olympus PEN E-P1 has 12 mega pixels, changeable lens, image stabilisation, dust reduction, while taking stunning images that will make your particulars jump off the web page! The camera doesn't have an inbuilt flash but many reviews state that it is 'able to shoot in low light' and it can also be slow when starting up. Available in silver in white, the PEN E-P1 is available from Resource Techniques from £649.95 from John Lewis.

Estate agent rating: 4 Estate agents out of 5!
4 stars
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7

The price isn't cheap for this Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 but it's cheaper than the Olympus. From around £250 you will get:

* 12x Zoom
* 25mm wide angle lens
* 10 Mega Pixels
* 3 inch screen
* 229g
* HD Camcorder

This camera has excellent image quality and the colours are rich and vibrant. The camera itself is well designed and packed full of features whilst having a compact size. This camera is in the mid-budget range whilst also having a HD camcorder that takes 30 frames per second.

Estate agent rating: 3 estate agents out of 5!
3 stars
Samsung WB500
Samsung WB500

The design of the Samsung WB500 can be said to be very similar to the Panasonic. The specs are also virtually the same with 10 mega pixels, 10x optical zoom, 24mm wide angle lens, 2.7 inch screen and a weight of 219g. Prices start at £169.99, visit the Samsung website for the full range of camera capabilities and other camera ranges.

Estate agent rating: 4 Estate agents out of 5!
4 stars
Nikon D3x Digital SLR
Nikon D3x Digital SLR

So far we have been catering for the semi-interested agent, whereas this camera is for an estate agent that serious about taking high quality images. It will provide you with more high res photos than you can shake a stick at. Perfect for estate agents who have a huge budget and want pictures that stand out. It has, 24 mega pixels, 3 inch screen, 1220g weight (not including the attached lens) so its not for those that suffer from backache.

What would the Nikon D3X Digital SLR set you back? Only £4,799! So we have given this camera our unique rating of...

Estate agent rating: 4 estate agents out of 5!
4 stars
Canon EOS 5OD - Gadget of the year by T3!
Canon EOS 5OD

If £4,754 is a little out of your price range, but you want to invest in a camera that will give your properties the high resolution photos that they deserve, the Canon EOS 5OD will be the right camera for you! It has won T3's Gadget of the year award and is only £900 from Resource Techniques. The camera has a massive 15 mega pixels with a 3 inch LCD monitor, a 'live view mode', Face detection, 15 different camera settings, 25 different languages and has a weight of 730g!

This camera will show customers that your property pictures mean business without having to break the bank. A clear choice for estate agents!

Estate agent rating: 5 Estate agents out of 5!
5 stars

Troy Stanley

Resource Techniques announce release of new website for Vision Mental Healthcare

Resource Techniques are delighted to announce the unveiling of a new website: visionmentalhealthcare.co.uk

The three owners and directors of Vision MH were friends long before the company was formed. They have all enjoyed successful careers in their respective fields of psychiatry, business and property development.

The inspiration for the project came from direct observation of a need within some areas of current service provision and this combined with the experience of having family members with mental illness led to the development of the current service.

18 months were spent discussing, planning and meeting with other mental health care professionals. This was accompanied by seeking the advice and opinion of local service user groups and other voluntary groups working in mental health care.

The focus has remained as it was in the start, Quality and Value for money combined with a passion for problem solving and innovation.

The submission to the Healthcare commission and subsequent approval took 6 months from having an empty building to having a fully functional mental health hospital. This was completed by a team of three people including one of the company's directors. All the policies and procedures were written from scratch.

Nick Cockburn, Director of Vision Mental Healthcare stated, "Vision Mental Healthcare is very pleased with the design, build and launch of the new website showcasing our services and facilities. Resource Techniques have provided an efficient, knowledgeable and very helpful service from inception through to final sign off, and we look forward to continuing to work with RT both on the further development of this site and future sites. We recommend RT most highly."

This fantastic new website is visually stunning and is extremely user friends. Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques, personally loves the website and thinks that the development team continually outdo themselves with each new independent website.

The four basic elements of web design

Estate agents, there are four basic elements of web design. Each of these fundamentals contributes, in their own way, to the overall user experience. Therefore estate agents must make sure that a single element doesn't let down the entire estate agent website. The four elements are:

* Content - There's no denying that 'Content is King'. Content helps your website in two ways. Firstly it plays a part in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and puts you higher in Google. Google have always stated that relevant information that is consistently updated will give higher positions than ones with limited content. Secondly content makes your estate agent website 'sticky' and property searchers will repeatedly return. First class content, including video, featured properties, relevant news, enhanced mapping, Google Street view, high resolution pictures, email alerts, printable PDF property particulars and more, will make your estate agent website 'sticky'.
* Usability - Great usability will never be noticed by the end user, but bad usability is instantly noticeable. Estate agent websites should have a clear 'property search' button on the home page with a user-friendly search function. In general the navigation and interface as a whole should be simple and reliable. Remember that bad usability will simply make the user close the web page and move on to a competitor's website.
* Appearance - The biggest criteria for estate agents is for their website to be visually impressive. This isn't a bad condition, but generally estate agents usually concentrate on this element more than any other. As stated above, each of the four basic elements contribute towards the website as a whole but if one element fails, the whole website will turn away potential leads. On a last note, the appearance of your estate agent website should reflect the branding of your estate agency. An inner-city estate agent should not have homepage imagery which reflects an agricultural community.
* Visibility - There is no point in having a stunning website if no one can see it. 'Online presence' or visibility through SEO and social networking is vital for the success of your website. Once the design aspects of the website are in place, estate agents and web design companies should then work together to guarantee that estate agents have maximum online presence.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Resource Techniques is a web design company specialising in estate agent websites. The four basic elements are integrated into every single project we undertake. Once the design process is finished and estate agents give the go ahead, the website will go live and we will work together to maximising the website's online presence.'

Estate agents can contact us on 0208 457 4777 or through our Twitter and Facebook page. Our team will take you step-by-step on how our industry leading service will benefit your estate agency.

A well designed website is a weapon of mass consumption

Web design is subjective, there's no denying that, but there is a lot of data that backs up the placements of very basic elements. Which is why the design of a website can be lethal; giving estate agents more leads than they know what to do with.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'There has to be a balance between creativity and painstaking research that has gone into many usability studies.'

'The clear 'Call-to-Action' that is integrated into every estate agent website design is a prominent property search button. Many web design companies get it wrong by having 'Sales' and 'Letting' as part of their primary navigation.'

'Research has shown that 97-98% of users accessing an agent's website go straight to property search because that is what they are there to do; look for properties. Give people what they want and design a property search button that just calls out to be clicked.'

Troy Stanley continues, 'This data points to a consistency in design but it still gives designers a range of tools to play with to create stunning websites. Whereas the design will help users along the journey towards contacting you, design will increase the 'stickiness' of a website. This 'stickiness' ensures that users repeatedly return again and again."

'Mix that with industry-leading functionality and your website will be a digital weapon in the war of estate agency. Such embedded features include Google Maps, high resolution photos in the latest viewer technology, Google Street View, Email alerts and many more.' - Troy Stanley

No one takes web design more seriously than Resource Techniques. Contact us for visually wonderful websites, futuristic features and dangerous data that all contribute towards a weapon of mass consumption - your customers will not know what hit them!

Call us on 0208 457 4777 to see what is possible.

The horrible C word, the dreaded S word and the unmentionable W word.

You are usually in your teens when you realise what the dreaded C word is all about. It creeps up on all of us, takes us unawares and makes us re-evaluate the world. Deep down we all hate it. Many people are in denial for a long time and try to busy themselves ignoring the mounting evidence. Alas, in the end, you cannot ignore the evidence. 'Change' is the only constant in our known universe.

As Bob Dylan once wrote, "The times they are-a-changin", which is as true in 1964 as it is today. Some may even argue that technology has even sped up the process, with the use of the internet and mobile phones, people are able to communicate at a much faster rate.

So what's the latest change that hasn't been fully utilised by estate agents? This is an easy one, the dreaded S word - 'Social networks'. The dreaded social networks make agents communicate directly with their customers. Oh no, we wouldn't want to directly communicate with new and existing customers... No wait, we were communicating directly with customers before, so how is social networking different?

In all honesty, it's not that different. It's as instantaneous as a text, as in-depth as an email and as personal as a phone conversation, and can be as warm as face-to-face. So how does it help my estate agency? I hear you cry... (Please don't cry, we're getting to the point!)

This leads us to our last unmentionable W word - Websites. Social networking not only helps you communicate with new and existing customers, but it allows you to point people in the direction you want them to go. Your website.

Not everyone wants to search for property all the time, but catching that one person at the right time can turn the tide when it comes to property sales. Unless they are a hermit, people will one point in their life look to moving house. This decision won't be immediate and neither will the final move. Within this time frame (spanning months to years), users will log onto their social networks and interact with the digital environment.

The great thing about social networking is that agents do not have to catch that person at the right time. Updating your profile, on a regular basis and with relevant content, will stay there indefinitely - or for as long as you have a profile.

As soon as the individual is ready to start thinking about moving, your estate agency will be sitting behind a mass of branded fresh, updated content on their social network. All this content will be pointing towards your website, which will of course have an unbelievably beautiful design, a prominent 'Property search button' calling them to action, high resolution pictures through the latest viewer technology and enhanced Google mapping with local amenities such as schools and public transport.

Troy Stanley comments, 'Don't take our word for it. Visit the Team Wessex website, type in 'BH21' and tick the box that says 'Display on Google maps'. From there you are able to view 13 different amenities including doctors, dentists and theatres.'

'Users love functionality like this. They can do anything from planning their child's route to school or the nearest bus stop so that they can get to work.'

'Call us on 0208 457 4777 to see how we can help your web design for estate agents, Search Engine optimisation (SEO) or social networking.' - Troy Stanley.

This will make you change the way you think about website design

There are a few ways agents can view a website, the best analogy in our eyes is to think that your website is like a house. What do we mean by that? Read on to find out...

Websites and houses both need a good foundation. For websites, estate agents need to build on a good domain name. Domain names ending in .co.uk and .com are the best for estate agents in the UK and will help towards Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This is because search engines will look at the location you are searching from and will provide you with results reflecting this. Domain names with .biz or .net can cause your website's Google page position to 'sink', just like quicksand. You wouldn't build a house on quicksand, would you?

The design of your house needs to be tailored to your own personal needs. For example, if you have a large family you wouldn't want a one-bedroom flat. You also need your builder or an architect to have the experience and knowledge to build and design a house or the one built for you will end up with a tree-house! This is the same for web design; an industry specialist will be able to cater to your personal needs and provide the features and functionality that all estate agent websites should have.

The plumbing needs to work for both websites and houses. For websites, if a web page doesn't load or there are features that don't work, users will just as easily leave as they entered and go to another estate agent's website. Do not let your plumbing ruin your house party, make sure that everyone is kept warm and the hot-tub is always on!

Entering a house is just like entering a website. You want people to come through the front door so that you can direct them to the various parts of the house but people can still enter through open windows (Unlike our websites, we lock our windows here at Resource Techniques!). Ideally you prefer people to enter your website through your homepage so you can direct them to the right web page.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Whereas you want as much traffic on your estate agent website, you may not want this many people in your own house!'

Do not allow your business to suffer under the hands of bad web design. Chose an industry specialist that will guide you the process of creating a website that you will be proud of and will provide you with endless online leads.

Do you agree with this analogy? Or do you have a better one? Let us know on our Twitter page or our Facebook page.

Resource Techniques announce release of new website for Sworders estate agents

Resource Techniques are delighted to announce the unveiling of a new website: sworders.co.uk

Established originally in 1782, Sworders Estate Agents in Bury St Edmunds is now an independent estate agency practice specialising purely in residential sales solely owned by Julian and Rachel Hall since July 2000.

Born and educated locally, Julian & Rachel have an excellent knowledge of the area they are serving with all transactions overseen personally by them, which is rarely found within the Estate Agency market place. In an independent survey by The Ombudsman for customer satisfaction, 9.5 out of 10 was achieved!

Rachel Hall, Partner at Sworders stated, 'Can't now wait to get the site up and running! It looks great. Many thanks again to you all. We really appreciate it. I thought it would be good, but must say it has exceeded all my expectations!'

This fantastic new website has a whole host of new properties that are available to buy and around the Bury St Edmonds area. Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques, personally loves the website and thinks that the development team continually outdo themselves with each new estate agent website.

Are social networks replacing search engines?

Social media is everywhere. There are even references to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Wikipedia on TV and in movies. There will even be a Facebook movie called 'The Social Network' due to be released next year starring Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield.

A new report has emerged underpinning the concept of estate agents connecting to new and existing customers through social networking. By Nielsen Wire, the report surveyed 1,800 people on the acquisition of content through social media.

The first question started off the survey with 'When looking for new information online, on what type of website do you start your search?' Out of the 1,800 participants, 37% used search engines, 34% used portals such as AOL or yahoo and 18% of respondents used 'social media' which includes Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Wikipedia etc. That is almost one fifth of people using social media for new information.

This information will vary greatly from person to person, depending on their situation, but what is certain is that some of these people will use social media to look for new property. Wikipedia and blogs can be ruled out, leaving social networking as the primary way for people to look for new properties online through social media.

The report concluded that it is very possible that social networks will replace search engines and portals in the future. Respondents found there is too much information on the internet to take in so the next step is to trust peers, relatives and other online 'friends' to ask them for their opinion.

How can estate agents benefit from this? Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Embrace social networking and implementing it into your marketing strategy. By communicating to online property searchers, estate agents are able to directly influence where property searchers are looking online. '

'Services such as posting the latest property or building a portfolio of users that you contact directly online will all help towards creating a desirable service that will keep property searchers coming back again and again.' - Troy Stanley.

Do you want to find out more about social networking? Read our other articles, 'Estate agents, who are you more likely to communicate with on social networks? Men or Women?' and 'Damn good reasons why estate agents should invest time and effort into social networking.'

Top 15 need-toknow news articles for a modern agent

In June of this year, Resource Techniques has increased the number of news features. Our team is dedicated to providing the latest news for estate agents including general internet news, social networking news, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) news, latest gadgets, website design for estate agents and many more. To celebrate this, we have complied our top 15 news articles that will help today's modern estate agent.

1. Estate agents, Generation Z are slowly growing up
2. Estate agents, SEO services are not just for Christmas
3. Estate agents are you having a social networking burnout?
4. Estate agents who are you more likely to communicate with on social networks? Men or Women?
5. Estate agents, me too positioning won't cut it with social networking
6. The crucial SEO secret that has been over looked - by almost everyone
7. 25 captivating Google internet Stats for estate agents
8. Top 5 Sat Navs for estate agents
9. Minesweeper and solitaire - the hidden education from the misunderstood demon
10. Estate agents, internet users love animations on your property website
11. Resource Techniques conclusion from our free website review for estate agents
12. 5 Killer songs for bored estate agents
13. Getting website design wrong will harm your business
14. Did you know that websites can bounce?
15. The end for newspaper advertising? Many estate agents ask this question

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Our news archive is growing by the day!'

'My favourite articles include, 'Estate agents, Generation Z are growing up', 'getting your website design wrong will harm your business' and 'estate agents, SEO services are not just for Christmas'. Troy Stanley continues.

'We upload all our articles onto our Twitter page and Facebook page. Check daily to see the latest news relating to property professionals.' - Troy Stanley.

Read all about it: The lightest laptop ever made

From working at a coffee shop to working at a service station, or even on-site, having a laptop can be seen as more of a necessity than a luxury for estate agents on the go. What about weight though? Does lugging around a huge laptop for the slightly higher memory, processing speed and extra functions a good enough reason to justify a bad back?

Good news! Sony has just revealed a new laptop that is the lightest one ever built, perfect for estate agents on the go! It's called the Vaio X a laptop is just a tiny 655g and half an inch thin.

This laptop is perfect for any commuter on the go. The battery life is claimed to have up to 16 hours, which is more than enough for the well-travelled estate agent.

Sony describes it as, 'a perfectly balanced package for style-aware business travellers'.

One downfall (and there was bound would be one), is that this weight comes at a price. To achieve this minuscule weight, estate agents must have a particular battery called the 'S battery' and no modem.

Not satisfied? Estate agents can also choose from the MacBook Air, Averatec 1579, Asus Eee PC or even the Toshiba Protege R500, which are all light choices.

Did you enjoy this article? Why not read '5 killer songs for bored estate agents', 'Top 5 sat navs for estate agents reviewed by Resource Techniques' or even 'UPDATE: our website screenshots on the iPhone!'.

Welcome to our first e-news bulletin for the 21st century estate agent

Estate agents, we are amidst a digital golden era. From the very young to the very old people are increasingly spending more time on the internet and incorporating it into their daily lives, from reading the news and communicating with friends, family and colleagues to shopping and banking online, they're even searching for their new home online. Estate agents that have embraced this have found a new wave of property searchers that have propelled them into the forefront of the property industry. 'But what is Resource Techniques doing to immerse me into the pool of digital knowledge,' we hear you cry...

Well this is great news for estate agents! Resource Techniques is now providing our first e-news bulletin! The bulletin will baptise estate agents into the digital pool of knowledge until silicon is coming out of their ears. But never fear, Resource Techniques will gently guide estate agents into topics such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), web design, useful gadgets, social networking, 3 seconds to impress and general internet news.

Our first mailer will include many interesting titles such as; '25 internet stats that will blow your mind', '3 seconds to impress - a must read for every website owner', 'Minesweeper and solitaire - the hidden education from the misunderstood demon', 'Gadget of the week - 5 top Sat Navs reviewed,' and lastly, 'Complete Twitter Guide for Estate Agents.'

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments,'"the e-news bulletin is a must have for estate agents. We are providing them, free of charge, with the latest industry news, easy to follow guides, gadgets, and statistics that show the changing behaviours of today's tech savvy society.'

Social networking is a must have for the modern estate agents! Do you have a social networking profile? Add us on our Facebook page or Twitter profile or you can add Troy Stanley on LinkedIn! Estate agents will not only be able to directly communicate with our dedicated team but we will provide estate agents with useful links that'll make them think and laugh.

Google enhanced Google maps listings - estate agents, get yourself on there!

Google has just enhanced their map listings. It has worried some web design companies as it is a simplified version of a website. To access the page, users must click on 'More info'.
The Business page includes:

* Category
* Description
* Details chosen by Business Owner
* Photos and videos
* Reviews
* Small Google Maps
* Sponsored links
* Related Maps
* Related Web pages
* User content

Real web design companies do not need to fear. This business page is more like a directory than a website. It has all the information that the user requires to get to or get in contact with the estate agent. This webpage misses key features from a main webpage such as; feature properties, news section, email alerts, email a friend, individual properties, EPCs, floorplans, property particulars and enhanced Google Maps including local amenities such as schools, restaurants, local transport etc.

Although this directory doesn't have as many features as a website, estate agents need to enter their details on there. This is so that members of the public that click on 'More Info' will be able to access your full contact details. To add your business to Google Maps go to :.www.google.com/local/add

Resource Techniques is dedicated to staying on top of any industry changes regarding SEO or website design for estate agents. Click to read more on 'website design for estate agents and SEO' or 'estate agents, SEO services are not just for Christmas'. To see how we can help your estate agent website design, ensure that you are getting as many people accessing your website and searching for property on your estate agent website by contact us.

UPDATE: Our website screenshots on the iPhone!

As mentioned earlier today, mobile internet is on the rise. Estate agents need to make sure that their design company is keeping up to date with the latest industry changes. Below is a range of screenshots from three of our websites including www.henningsmoir.com and www.colinbibra.com, www.bonetts.co.uk.



Both websites are crisp and look exactly how they would look if you viewed them on a PC, each with large imagery and a clear 'Call to Action'. Even the enhanced Google maps is accessible from the iPhone, let's have a look at www.bonetts.co.uk as an example:





Users are able to search for properties and view the results on Google maps on their own mobile! As in the screenshot above, users are able to zoom in, and with the quality still excellent, users can choose local amenities such as schools, doctors and restaurants.

Not only that, but our latest viewer technology, that is used by large companies such Sony and the BBC, is also able to seen in high quality. HIPS, EPCs, floorplans and PDF property particulars are all available within this website!

Resource Techniques is dedicated to staying on top of any industry changes regarding SEO or website design for estate agents. Click to read more on 'website design for estate agents and SEO' or 'estate agents, SEO services are not just for Christmas'. To see how we can help your estate agent website design, ensure that you are getting as many people accessing your website and searching for property on your estate agent website by contact us.

Noticing people increasingly using their mobile on the train, on the bus, or cafe? Mobile internet usage is on the rise!

The Neilsen Company has just released some interested mobile internet user statistics. Total internet mobile usage has increased by 34% to a total of 56.9million page views just in the month of July. More men are using mobile internet, but compared to last year, women have started to use mobile internet more.

The largest group using mobile internet is, unsurprisingly the 35-54 year olds, but surprisingly the largest growth is the 65+ age group with a 67% yearly increase of users (overlooking the tiny 3% overall usage by the 65+ group).

This is fantastic news for people who people who already use mobile internet, phone companies will notice this increase in usage and the great mechanism of capitalist competition will kick in and lower prices. Lower prices, in turn, will increase usage for mobile internet.

Will an increase in usage, more and more people will use their spare time or commuting hours to search for properties on their mobile. This comes at a time where uSwitch have also reported that the British public spend an average of 30 hours online in one week, 18-24 spend almost 7 hours a day online and 93% of the British population shop online.

As the processing power and internet speed increase for mobiles the next step for websites is to either have a mobile version of the website or estate agents need to make sure that their website is mobile friendly.

Resource Techniques is a specialist in providing IT services for estate agents. Services include web design for estate agents, SEO for estate agents, SEO services, web sites for estate agents and estate agent software. Visit our portfolio page for our estate agent website designs or contact us page for more information.

Resource Techniques is a specialist in providing IT services for estate agents. Services include web design for estate agents, SEO for estate agents, SEO services, web sites for estate agents and estate agent software. Visit our portfolio page for our estate agent website designs or contact us page for more information.

3 Internet milestones; online estate agents must take note.

The internet has hit three big milestones. The first was in the newspapers today; internet market expenditure has outgrown television spend for the first ever time. Whereas television has been leading the marketing spend for over half a century now, the internet took just over 10 years.

Stats were collated by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) shows that internet spend was a record £1.75 billion budget was spent on online advertising whereas only £1.6 billion was spent on TV advertising. This means that the internet now accounts for 23.5% of all advertising spend in the UK, while TV ad accounts for 21.9% of marketing budgets.

Could this be a sign of things to come? Will families gather round a LAN connection to communicate online after Sunday dinner? The suggestion bit extreme but the stats do suggest that the internet is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. Take this next milestone for example:

In the U.S. alone, over the month of August, there were 25 Billion online videos viewed, which means that the average internet user watched 157 videos each over the month. The data supplied by ComScore, also mentioned that Google had a share of 39.6% of these views (remember estate agents, this will mainly be YouTube).

A staggering statistic, but what does this mean for estate agents? It means that estate agents can take advantage of this phenomenon by having video content on their estate agent website. Virtual tours of individual properties and marketing videos of the local area can be uploaded onto the estate agent website to promote either the area or the property particulars.

The last internet milestone is a social one involving a three-fold of social networks in London; the London network of Facebook has the largest number of members, Twitter's chief executive said that London is the "top Twitter-using-city" and lastly a Digg Spokesman said that 10% of Digg's (A social network where users share content) traffic comes from London alone.

Don't believe the old adage that 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks', estate agents that haven't need to start embracing the online world and taking advantage of the opportunities on there. When considering a new web site, always demand a specialist. Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques 'we provide IT services just for estate agents. Services include web design for estate agents, SEO for estate agents, SEO services, web sites for estate agents and software for estate agents, but we also provide domain name registration for estate agents. To see what we can do for your estate agency, visit our portfolio page or contact us.'