Friday 29 January 2010

Website design for Hudson Moody Estate Agents in York and Leeds

New website design, hudson-moody.com has been released today for Hudson Moody Estate Agents in York and Leeds.

Hudson Moody was founded by Ben Hudson and Peter Moody, both chartered surveyors and fellows of the NAEA. They pride themselves on providing a professional and approachable service to buyers and sellers alike.

Hudson Moody is an award winning independent firm of Estate Agents in York and Leeds, specialising in residential property for sale and rent in York & Leeds.

This fantastic new website has a whole host of new properties that are available to buy and rent and around the York and Leeds area. Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques, was quoted, 'The large imagery and colour scheme go together perfectly.'

New website design for Halls Estate Agents in Ottery St Mary, Devon

New website design, hallsestateagents.com has been unveiled today.

Halls Estate Agents (est.1997) in Ottery St Mary, Devon is an independent family business run by Nick Hall. They offer property searchers a range of properties for sale and to let in Ottery St Mary and the surrounding areas.

Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques, regards Halls estate agent website design to be one of best, having clear colour scheme and branding throughout.

New website design for Edwards Estate Agent in Ferndown, Bournemouth

New website design, Edwardestates.co.uk has been released today.

Edwards Estate Agents was created through a desire to offer the highest level of customer service and proactive marketing to the estate agency business. Their individual approach and first class service, combined with our extensive property experience and knowledge of the area, will ensure that their clients receive the service they deserve.

Grant Brooks (Director of Edward Estates) stated in his testimonial 'how impressed I am with the final result and also the service. The feedback that we have received has been excellent.'

This new website design has a whole range of new properties in the Ferndown area. Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques stated, 'This website design is a personal favourite of mine!'

Estate agent website design - top 12 articles

Estate Agent website design can be discussed in many different ways. We at Resource Techniques have decided to create our top 12 articles that talk about website design. It gives Estate Agents a chance to view web design from a professional perspective without all the jargon surrounding it:

1. Website design for Estate Agents and SEO
2. This will make you change the way you think about website design
3. A well designed website is a weapon of mass consumption
4. What's the design behind the design?
5. Content is King and usability is queen
6. Website design maintenance; Cobwebs for Estate Agents
7. Building your shop window to the world
8. Estate Agents 5 fundamental questions when building a website
9. Top 5 ways Estate Agents need to design their website
10. Are you proud of your website design?
11. A picture paints a thousand words
12. Estate Agents considering a new website design must tread carefully

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Why not try reading 'This will make you change the way you think about website design' or '5 fundamental questions when building a website'?

New website design for Red House Estate Agents in Portland

New website design, redhouseproperty.co.uk has been released today.

Red House Estate Agents in Portland offer property for sale and let in and around Portland, including property in Weymouth, Chickerell and Wyke Regis as well as property management for existing property portfolios. Red House Lettings Agents ensure that landlords in the Portland and Weymouth area are well catered for with an experienced property management and lettings team dealing with setting up new tenancies and ongoing management.

Red House Holidays also offer holiday lettings in Portland, Weymouth and along the Dorset Coast, dealing with holiday cottages and apartments across South Dorset.

Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques, loves the lighthouse and moving sky animation within the website design.

New website design for Richard Copus Estates in Devon

New website design, richardcopusestates.co.uk has been released today.

Richard Copus Estates is the only estate agency in Devon dealing exclusively with older properties and barn conversions in Devon.

Over 75% of the properties are listed buildings, ranging from terraced townhouses, thatched country cottages and converted barns with or without land. Since all the homes are period properties or barns, there is no need to wade through hundreds of unsuitable houses to find your dream home.

This new website design has listed properties that are available to buy in the county of Devon. Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques, considers richardcopusestates.co.uk to be one of the best designs in the Resource Techniques portfolio.

New website design for D W Smith and Co Estate Agents in Bristol

New website design, youridealhome.co.uk has been released today.

D W Smith & Co Estate Agents in Bristol is an established local and friendly company with an excellent reputation for valuing, selling and letting properties in and around Bristol and are members of team - the network of estate agents.

David Smith (Proprietor) stated in his testimonial that he was very pleased with the website design and found the whole transaction very smooth.

Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques is elated with David Smith's response and is certain that positive customer feedback will affirm this.

Monday 25 January 2010

Bing maps - Estate Agents can create their own destination map

How many times have you drawn out a map to show someone a destination? You end up scribbling out an unsophisticated route with a few landmarks to help them along the way - similar to the image in this article.

[Click to Read More]

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Smart phones for Estate Agents - which is the best?


Smart phones are a must have for Estate Agents, allowing them to constantly be connected via email, social networking and various applications. It has become such a versatile gadget that many forget its main function - the mobile phone.

[Click to read more]

Monday 18 January 2010

What's the design behind the design?


Estate Agent website design has a hidden fundamental design behind the main website design. This design is purely concerned on the process of which a buyer or seller will go through once they have accessed the website. This process is different to a normal website as there are no 'shopping carts' for users to place a property in and then pay for one or even multiple houses at the end of their website visit.

The start of the property search process is on the Estate Agent homepage. From there users are given a choice using primary and secondary navigation. 98% of people accessing an Estate Agent's website go straight to property search, which means that the position of a property search button is vital to ensure that it is prominent on the homepage.

Once on the property search page, users will be expecting a clear and user-friendly search function to allow them to search for the properties that they are interested in. Search results on enhanced Google Mapping even the most technological savvy user.

Each property must then have the necessary features to either allow the user to fully experience what the property has to offer or users can save the property as a favourite for future reference. Features such as high resolution photographs, EPCs, Floorplans, Google Maps, Google Street view, full description, and property particulars in a pdf format let users fully experience property online.

The last part of the process is to have clear contact details on each individual property page. Clear contact details ensure that customers can contact the Estate Agent at any point.

Designing Estate Agent websites so that they smoothen out the process of the property searcher not only reduces the frustration internet users experience but also increases the chance of buyers, and sellers, contacting the Estate Agent. A modern website design will reflect this to benefit the Estate Agent and the customer.

Estate Agent social networking - 8 top tips


Estate agents know that social networking has become an important part of communicating with buyers and sellers online, but many do not realise that having a presence isn't enough. Many Estate Agents ask 'What can I do to stand out from the crowd?' Therefore Resource Techniques has constructed 8 top tips of social networking development to help Estate Agents turn Facebook 'Friends' into Facebook 'Fanatics'.
  • Set up your profile - Make it clear and concise so that property searchers instantly recognise the brand.
  • Get to know your surroundings - Do your research! See what other people around your area are talking about.
  • Respond to all communication - Ideally with positive feedback, quickly responding to messages shows dedication and reliability.
  • Connect with people - Social networking is all about making connections. Find out what interests people and find common ground.
  • Quantify your social networking - Quantifying your social networking shows what progress you have made. One example is bit.ly that not only changes long links into smaller ones but it also counts the number of people that click on that link.
  • Join in the conversation - Do you know a piece of information that would help someone else? Help them.
  • Humanise the brand - let buyers and sellers see the face behind the brand. It is a nice face, let them see it!
  • Do your best to build a community - Sharing information, links and local news will attract others to join. The more the merrier!

Only after actively seeking interaction and integration into the social networking world, can Estate Agents truly use social networking to help people find their dream property. Simply setting up a social networking profile and waiting for customers to come to you is no longer good enough.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Action negates failure in the realm of social networking. Only through action, and more importantly interaction, can Estate Agents guarantee the success of their social networking activities.'

Estate Agent website design - A picture paints a thousand words


In the website design for estate agents world, image is everything. As mentioned before, Estate Agents only have 3 seconds to impress someone visiting their website. Within that time a verdict will be drawn on your website, purely on its design. That verdict can influence the visitor to delve deep into your property portfolio or it can easily make the visitor press that dreaded 'Back' button. Why take that chance? Ensuring that your website has that WOW factor can be the difference between a buyer or a seller considering your business.

One of the best ways to welcome a user to a website is with a large image or stunning animation positioned in the homepage design. The image or animation must then give the visitor an indication of brand image whilst also giving that WOW factor that many Estate Agent websites miss.

Using this technique, visitors are welcomed by a large stunning image, visually impressed and then naturally guided to a prominent property search button. This stimulates the user to follow a process, starting at the homepage, moving to property search, various desirable properties and then to contact the agent for a viewing.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments on visual imagery with Estate Agent website design, 'Users are becoming increasingly impatient with the website designs. Property searchers now decide on Estate Agent's portfolio, integrity, and professionalism purely on website design. Getting this wrong WILL be costly for Estate Agents.'

Does your website design still give you, and your customers, the WOW factor that it deserves? If not, contact Resource Techniques or call us on 0208 457 4777.

Friday 8 January 2010

Cob-webs for estate agents

Estate Agent websites cannot be left to its own devices. It needs care and attention that only a specialist can take care of.

Do you feel that your website design is getting a bit old? Fill in our free web review form. The web review covers various aspects, such as web design, so that Estate Agents can improve their website for the New Year.

So what can Estate Agents do themselves to make sure that your website is kept up to date and free of cob-webs?

  • Write a blog/News feature - Not only does this help your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) by showing search engines that you have fresh content, but it will also generate interest from buyers and sellers. Local and national market related news shows that you not only have your finger on the pulse but you are also an expert in your field.
  • Rotate your featured properties
  • Communicate with every customer - even if it is just an email saying 'I'll be in contact within 24 hours' shows that you can be directly contactable from your Estate Agent website. The quicker customers are contacted the more impressed they'll be.
  • Acknowledge any criticisms - The old adage, keep your friends close but your enemies closer, can help Estate Agents see their website in a different light. Any number of complaints about your website can shed new light on something you look at on a daily basis. Remember that not everyone is right though!
  • Use social networks - An increasing number of people in the UK are using Facebook. Estate Agents can use this to their advantage by showing that their business has a face and is not just a brand.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Resource Techniques announce release our first international Estate Agent website for investabroadproperties.com

Resource Techniques are delighted to announce the unveiling of a new international property website: www.investabroadproperties.com.

Investabroad Properties is an established international property sales company which markets selected real estate throughout the world.

Their portfolio has properties for investment, holidays, relocation and fractional ownership, plus property funds and forestry and various alternative investments, extending to USA, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Far East and Australasia.

Peter Veitch - Managing Director of investabroadproperties.com comments:

"Many thanks for that and for all that you and the team have done to get us "up and running"! As you already know, I am very pleased with the result.

I will go through everything on the site once more and also absorb all the valuable information in your email and the attachments. I look forward to speaking to you again in due course.

Meanwhile, I wish you, Troy and all at RT the best for 2010."

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques, is thrilled at the latest extension to the Resource Techniques portfolio. Commenting, 'The stunning new website has a whole host of new properties that are available around the world, and in particular, the various homepage images are strikingly beautiful!'

Estate Agents - A New Year for some brand new gear.

Before the Christmas Break, Resource Techniques told Estate Agents that it's time to reflect on your achievements. Hopefully Estate Agents did give themselves a good pat on the back and an overindulging rest over the festive season.

Now it's a new year and many have a positive outlook for 2010. Many see it as a year of recovery and a time to rebuild on what has been destroyed on the market crash. This is well and good but Resource Techniques sees 2010 in a different light.

So how does the team at Resource Techniques foresee for 2010?

If one thing from cinema has taught us is that by now we should be driving flying cars, have contacted aliens from outer space and we will have enslaved a whole army of robots to do our most monotonous chores. Now we are here we can see that this is certainly untrue.

2010 will still be a year of technology. Below is a list of technology that Estate Agents should be looking out for:

  • Apple tablet - Latest reports suggest that Apple's own tablet will be revealed at the end of this month and shipped around March time. With a reported price of $1000, it won't be cheap!
  • iPhone 4th generation - After being released in June of 2007, Apple have made a habit of introducing a new version of phone every year around the same time. Industry experts have suggested that this year will be no different.
  • 4G - Mobile phones have seen a rise in connectivity speeds. 4G is the 4th generation of 'wireless telephone technology' and promises a maximum of 100mbps which is around ten times quicker than the current 3G. This technology has already been available for public use in Scandinavia last month. Time will only tell when the UK will receive such a luxury.
  • Project natal - A secret project by Microsoft that has been not so secret (first announced 1st June 2009). The project is expected to be another 'next generation' of home entertainment technology because users do not need to touch a game controller. Instead Estate Agents will have to use hand gestures, speech, or presented objects and images in front of a sensor that is placed below or above the TV screen.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Estate agents, is your online brand image fading fast?

Web sites are regularly compared to houses, which is perfect when you're a web designer specialising in websites for estate agents! Now imagine you are trying to sell a house that hasn't been lived in or touched for 50 years. The disrepair, vines and cobwebs will be instantly recognisable and could easily put off anyone considering living in it. Sadly the exact same process can happen to your website but within a shorter space of time.

Try not to cry too much. Your neighbourhood friendly website designer is here to help. So how do estate agents keep their online brand image fresh?

Although websites do not grow vines or cobwebs, there are clear indications that clearly show that the website has been left to decay in the World Wide Web. Below are the top 5 ways Estate Agents can easily keep their online brand image fresh without breaking a sweat.

  • Examine your keywords - Look back at previous search terms on Google Analytics to show you the various terms property searchers use to access your Estate Agent website. Re-evaluating your keywords maximises traffic from changing attitudes.
  • Replace old text - Search engines love new content. Checking your website's text and changing it will spark search engine interest and cause them to scan your website more often.
  • Role-play - pretend that you are a first time buyer or an elderly couple looking for a house to either buy or rent in your area. Testing your own website design in this way enables you to visualise the process that your buyers go through.
  • Fix broken links - Usability is only noticeable when something goes wrong, but not when everything works as it should. Make sure you pass on any broken links to your web designer.
  • Change the main image - Seasonal images only work if the image fits the current season so a Christmas image will only work at Christmas. A new image can give a breath of fresh air to your website.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Website designs need to be kept fresh and up-to-date and a little spring cleaning will make your website look as good as new. Contact your web design team and I'm sure that they will be more than happy to help.'