ResourceTechniques Blog

New website design for Arden Nicholson Estate Agent in Lytchett Matravers, Poole

2010-04-29T01:50:00.000-07:00

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

Arden Nicholson is an established, independently owned family Estate Agency that specialises in Residential Sales and Lettings, Land and Development, Financial Services and Holiday Lettings.

They are able to tailor our expertise to suit each individual client and successfully complete each property transaction with the barest minimum of stress and delay.

[Click to Read More]

New website design for Friend & Falcke Estate Agent in the Barnes and Chelsea

2010-04-29T01:49:00.002-07:00

New website design, friendandfalcke.co.uk is now live.

Friend & Falcke are estate agents in Barnes, Chelsea, Central and South West London. They are an independent firm of Estate Agents, Property Consultants, Surveyors and Valuers.

As well as Residential Sales, Friend & Falcke Estate Agents also specialise in Residential Lettings, Management and Advising clients in their purchases of Residential and Investment Properties.

The Estate Agent website states that they have twice been voted 'Best London Estate Agent' by the Daily Mail Awards.

[Click to Read More]

New website design for Richards Estate Agents in Corfe Mullen, Wimborne

2010-04-29T01:49:00.001-07:00

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

Richards are Estate Agents in Corfe Mullen, Wimborne, Dorset, specialising in residential properties for sale and rent as well as property management in Corfe Mullen, Wimborne and the surrounding areas.

[Click to Read More]

New website design for Blake & Blake Estate Agent in Ferndown, Bournemouth

2010-04-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

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

Blake & Blake Estate Agents in Bournemouth were established in 1946, combined with up to the minute internet coverage, they ensure their clients get the best exposure to the market place. The website states that much of their work comes from recommendation and repeat business.

[Click here to Read More]

New website design for Prestige Reality Estate Agent in Twickenham

2010-04-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

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

Prestige Realty are Twickenham estate agents specialising in promoting houses for sale using "Set Sale".

Prestige Realty Estate Agents, Twickenham have a property sales team with over 20 years experience achieving excellent results for property sellers in Twickenham, Teddington, St Margarets, and throughout the Richmond Borough.

[Click here to Read More]

New website design for Murray and Hayward Estate Agent in the New Forest

2010-04-29T01:45:00.000-07:00

Estate Agent website design, murrayandhayward.com has been released today.

Murray & Hayward estate agents in New Milton, Sway, Lymington, Milford-On-Sea are one of the leading names within the New Forest property market offering a wealth of experience from a team of friendly, dedicated and professional Estate Agents. Our residential property sales are complemented by our Prestige & Country Homes, Equestrian, Land & New Homes departments.

Murray & Hayward's four offices are all situated in most prominent locations in New Milton, Sway, Brockenhurst and Milford on Sea.

[Click to Read More]

New website design for Acorn Properties Estate Agent in Weston-super-mare

2010-04-29T01:44:00.001-07:00

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

Acorn properties specialises in letting and property management, covering a wide range of properties to let in Weston-super-mare, Worle and the surrounding villages of North Somerset.

As an independent family run letting and property management agent and with over twelve years experience in the rental market, they have a real passion for property in Western-super-mare. They also pride themselves on giving an honest, reliable and professional service at all times whilst retaining that personal touch combined with good old fashioned values.

[Click to Read More]

New website design for Alastair Hodge Estate Agent in Epsom

2010-04-29T01:43:00.001-07:00

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

Alastair Hodge is an Estate Agent in Epsom (established in 1991) selling property in Epsom, Epsom Downs, East & West Ewell, Headley, Tadworth & Ashtead.

Alastair Hodge offers a free market appraisal without obligation and gives expert advice on a bespoke marketing strategy. Also helping Vendors with their search for a new home whether in the local area or in other counties through a network of independent estate agents.

[Click to Read More]

Website design of the week - Robert Williams Estate Agents in Exeter

2010-04-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

Estate Agent website designs are now going to be celebrated on a weekly basis. The decision, made by website designers, came about so that truly beautiful websites can be celebrated in all their pixelated glory.

This week the designers are looking at Robert Williams Estate Agent in Exeter. Robert Williams have been selling property for over ten years and pride themselves on being professional, enthusiastic and passionate for property in Exeter.

The first thing that strikes everyone when visiting this Estate Agent website is the remarkable animation, starting off with a shining blueprint, saturating with colour and then morphing into a prominent and exceptional image.

[Click to Read More]

New website design for Morton Smith and Sands Estate Agent in Hadleigh, Suffolk

2010-04-29T01:39:00.000-07:00

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

Morton Smith & Sands Estate Agents in Hadleigh, offer property for sale in Hadleigh and the surrounding villages of south Suffolk.

They operate a modern business at the forefront of property agency, with a formidable reputation for client focused professionalism and local property market knowledge.

[Click here to Read More]

New website design for Hayman-Joyce Estate Agents in the Cotsworlds

2010-04-29T01:20:00.000-07:00

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

Hayman-Joyce's in the Cotswolds expertise and command of the local market is the backbone of any successful property purchase namely location, location, location. Their offices are ideally placed in one of the most desirable areas of the country - the Cotswolds.

[Click here to Read More]

New website design for Irving and Sons Estate Agent in Verwood, Dorset

2010-04-29T01:19:00.000-07:00

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

Irving and Sons are independent estate agents in Verwood who specialise in Residential Property Sales and Residential Lettings.

Irving and Sons (established 1985) these Estate Agents are family run & locally staffed providing a personal, professional and honest service combined with comprehensive local knowledge and experience of selling properties in the Verwood area.

[Click to Read more]

New 'Equestrian and Rural' website launched.

2010-04-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

Leading Estate Agents Penyards Country Properties with offices across Hampshire have launched an 'Equestrian and Rural' department from offices in the 'South Downs National Park' and 'New Forest'.

With its own bespoke designed website www.equestrianandrural.com, the strategy Penyards have adopted, whilst fairly common within the website marketing industry, although not so within the estate agents sector, is to use micro a site to promote specific products or niche markets.

New website design for Michael Steven Estate Agent in Plaistow, Newham

2010-04-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

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

Michael Steven Estate Agents in Plaistow, are right on the borders of Upton Park and East Ham. Trading since 1991 the company has established an enviable reputation in our dealings with properties for sale and properties to rent.

[Click here to read more about Michael Steven Estate Agents]

Estate Agents, videos has more SEO benefits than you realise

2010-04-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

When considering making videos for your website you have to realise what benefits you’ll be gaining from it. It is great for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), makes your Estate Agents Website more visually compelling, gets your company brand out there and helps build a visual relationship between you and your clients.

Video Search optimisation hasn't been around for very long but is growing rapidly. As more and more users are getting broadband access, video usage levels grow even further. For Estate Agents now is a great opportunity to be able to jump on the viral world and boost your status.

[Click to read more]

New website design for Laports Estate Agent in Hendon, Barnet

2010-04-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

New website design, laports.co.uk has been released today. Laports Estate Agents have established themselves in Hendon, Golders Green, Finchley, Mill Hill, Edgware, Colindale & other parts of North and North West London.

[Click here to Read More]

Estate Agent website design -Top 5 Principles

2010-04-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Web design and website design for Estate Agents can be simply broken down into 9 different concepts or principles. Following these clear guidelines ensure that Estate Agents will not make any major design errors on their website.

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New website design for Roger Hemming Estate Agent in Honiton, Devon

2010-04-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

New website design, rogerhemming.co.uk has been released today. Roger Hemming Estate Agents in Honiton deal with residential property in East Devon and are the best Estate Agents in their area. They have a great selection of..

[Click to read more]

New website portal for Team South Wales

2010-04-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

New website design, teamprop.co.uk/southwales has been released today.

TEAM South Wales consists of 12 estate agents' offices for the price of one giving you local expertise and understanding shared across the offices of the area’s most respected, independent estate agents.

[Click to read more]

The Great Estate Agent Website Race

2010-03-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the first F1 race of the 2010 season. As I sat watching the race, my mind was clearly still thinking about work as I was struck by the similarities of the real world F1 battle for pole position and those of the virtual, with the battle for page one ranking on Google for our estate agent clients. I am always trying to find ways of making the most complex subjects, easier to understand, so using my analogy I'm trying to show how important position one placement is for an estate agents website.

[Click to Read More]

New website design for John Williams Estate Agent in Llandaff, Cardiff

2010-03-25T04:43:00.001-07:00

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

John Williams Land and Estate Agents in Llandaff, Cardiff provides a professional service backed up with many years of local experience. They have built a long-term reputation for valuing, and selling properties for sale in Llandaff, Radyr and the Vale of Glamorgan.

[Click to Read more]

Estate Agent IT-s time you got that promotion

2010-03-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

Estate Agents work hard, some really hard and some... well, not so much.

Hard workers unite, 2010 is the year of the promotion and to give you that little boost Resource Techniques has compiled the list of the 5 things that will get you noticed, or cover your back.

[Click to Read more]

New website design for Northcott Beaton Estate Agents in Exeter, Devon

2010-03-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

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

Northcott Beaton in Exeter, known for its excellence in service and reliability, has been trading for 20 years.

[Click to Read More]

Estate Agent web design: A divine design will shine throughout the grape vine

2010-03-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

One of the most concentrated 4 basic elements of web design is appearance. A great website design for estate agents can be one of the factors that prompt online property searchers to repeatedly return while a great website design can also give the website that WOW factor that will compel users to investigate deeper into the website.

Click to read more

Advanced Twitter search for Estate Agents

2010-03-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Estate Agents and many Twitter users use Twitter's most basic search function - typing in words and pressing enter.

Unbeknownst to many, Twitter's search results can be manipulated in many different ways, if you know how. Each of these will reveal different results depending on exactly what Estate Agents type into the search box.

Click to read more

New website design for Kennedys Estate Agents and valuers in Bridport, Dorset

2010-03-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

New website design has been released today. Click to read more

Negative feedback in social networking for Estate Agents

2010-03-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

Negative feedback is guaranteed to occur in social networking because it is a two way open conversation between the Estate Agent and the buyer/vendor. Instead of running to the hills and shutting down all your social networking activity, agents should see this as a golden opportunity.

[Click to read more]

Simple and effective Estate Agent website tips from the Connect Conference

2010-03-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

Troy Stanley, the Resource Techniques correspondent in New York reports on common Estate Agent web site tips from the Real Estate Connect Conference in New York:

[Click to read more from Troy Stanley]

Mar Estate Agent web design - website design norms

2010-03-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

Website design, like other industries have common industry standards. Although it is possible to 'buck against the trend' these trends are designed to increase the web's visual impact and usability. In this article on web design, Resource Techniques will be covering the general web design standards for every Estate Agent website.

[Click to read more]

Geeky Gadgets for Estate Agents

2010-03-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Every now and then Estate Agents like to indulge their geeky side, whether it's for the office or at home. Staff members at Resource Techniques, including the web design team, have compiled a list of recent must-have geeky gadgets for Estate Agents.

Airborne Estate Agent

Ever dreamed of becoming a 007 Estate Agent?

[Click to read more]

Google maps improved for Estate Agents

2010-02-23T03:08:00.000-08:00

Estate Agents are watching Google's move into property listings on Google maps like a hawk with a magnifying glass. They know that any major change can have massive implications on the way properties will be viewed online.

The latest development from Australia has got tongues wagging. Google are partnering up with L J hooker, one of Australia's biggest Estate Agencies, to place 16 big Google Map 'Pins' all over Sydney, in an attempt to get people to automatically go to the internet to search for property. It sounds slightly ludicrous but Australia already has a rich culture of 'big things' - including a big pineapple and the first 'big thing', a big banana.

The marketing campaign will also include a few advertisements using the little yellow Street View man you drag onto Google Maps to access and view what areas Street View has available.

To date Google links to over 1,000 Estate Agent websites in Australia including Ray White, First National and Century 21. At this moment in time, there are no mentions of any partnerships with Australia's top two property portals, realestate.com.au and domain.com.au.

So far the team at Google seem unfazed by this. Andrew Foster, product manager for Real Estate search on Google Maps stated that Google is happy to take listings from anyone and that he has seen genuine enthusiasm from the property industry. Andrew Foster then went onto display some new features that Google Maps will have on Google.com.au.

Firstly users will be given the chance to narrow their property search to view the properties that are right for them. Options such as sale/rent, minimum price, maximum price, property type, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, parking and preferred area.

Users can toggle on and off another layer of photos, videos, Wikipedia articles, webcams as well as a live traffic monitor. Once someone has found the property that they are interested in, they are presented with more detailed information with price, address, photos, floorplans, a small Google Map and Google Street view and a link to the Estate Agent's website or a property portal.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques commented on Google Maps in Australia, 'These are exciting developments showing that Google are making a real push to ensure the success of property listings on Google Maps. Unfortunately no comments were made on any developments in the UK.

Air Keyboard - gadget of the week

2010-02-23T03:06:00.000-08:00

Estate Agents, do you find that there are too many gadgets are these days? Wouldn't it be nice if you could just combine that pesky mouse, keyboard and remote control into one wireless device?

Well now you can with the Air Keyboard by Cideko. This useful gadget lets anyone control any Windows ('98 onwards) Mac OS X (v10.2 or later) or linux computer by simply just inserting the USB.

The Air Keyboard is small with 142x88x32.9mm and is oddly light. It has a range of 50 meters and works for 50 hours with constant usage with two AA batteries. This isn't that particularly impressive. If an Estate Agent works an 8 hour shift, 6 days a week, they would have to change the batteries every week! This works out as 96 batteries per year, not exactly for the environmentally-minded Estate Agent.

Any Estate Agent that is willing to overlook this will be impressed by its functionality. All they have to do is insert the USB and point the Air Keyboard at the screen and it starts working. They can then use the mouse, keyboard and media simultaneously.

The Air Keyboard is available from around £50.

Troy Stanley comments, 'This would be perfect for those Estate Agents that either moves around their office or for people that love to watch movies on their computer, whilst in bed!'

Web site design for Estate Agents - Colour Theory

2010-02-23T03:02:00.000-08:00

Web designers at Resource Techniques explaining some basics on Colour Theory. Colour theory is a diverse and complicated subject, only through studying colour can people know why exactly some colours go together and why some colours look hideous.

Colour Wheel

Firstly let's look at the Colour Wheel. As many Estate Agents will remember from their school days, the colour wheel was original designed by Isaac Newton and has continually been developed and scrutinised.

In colour theory, there are 3 primary colours and 3 possible sets of primary colours. One possibility is Red, Blue, Yellow, another is Red, Blue, Green and the last possible set is Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Traditionally Cyan, Magenta and Yellow (and Black) are used in printing whereas Red, Blue and Green are used my most electronic devices such as TV and film. Even your computer monitor uses the primary colours of Red, Green and Blue.

If you were to mix one of the three primary colours with another primary colour in the same colour wheel, you would get a secondary colour and then mixing a primary and secondary colour would then create a tertiary colour. Using this system your computer monitor is able to create the whole spectrum of colours.

Colour meanings

Each culture has applied different meanings to various colours. Below are the colours and their meanings or possible emotive response in the western world:

Red - Passion, love or anger. Red is used to stand out from the crowd which means that it is great at drawing attention. The Colin Bibra website uses red to draw the user's attention to property search, which is exactly what the web designers and Estate Agents want!
Orange - Happiness, Hope, Vitality. Orange is an unusual colour to use in website design but works perfectly in the Robert Williams website animation.
Green - Nature and the environment. Green is mean to be peaceful and associated with the world outside. The Penyards website and the Belgarum website uses green fantastically.
Blue - Calm, trust and water. Blue is great for creating a calm and professional feel to the website. Dart and Partners and West Coast Properties are a great example of this.
Grey - Grey is a neutral colour that is used to highlight or make other colours stand out. Julian Reid website is a fantastic example of this, the green plants and blue logo and property really catch the eye.
Purple - Creativity, Royalty and Wealth. Purple is an unusual colour for an Estate Agent website design but the indication of wealth and luxury means that it is perfect for Hirch Way & Ambler website and the Paul Twyneham & Co website.
Black - Elegance and sophistication. Black is used well in the Rendells website and the Mayfair website.
White - Purity, Cleanliness, virtue. White is a great colour to outline and make other colours standout such as in the Chinneckshaw website and the Anne James website.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments on colour for Estate Agent website design, 'These are only a few of the basics of colour. Our web design team for Estate Agents has a better eye, knowledge and experience than anyone I've met.

Google buzz for Estate Agents - what are the pros and cons?

2010-02-23T03:01:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of buzz around Google Buzz. Will it rival the most popular social networks? Or will it simply fade into the background?

Well Google Buzz hasn't got off to a bad start. According to Google themselves, within 3 days Google Buzz users posted more than 9 million posts. This is a staggering amount and works out around 2,667 messages per minute. Ignoring the fact that Google Buzz automatically feeds from other social networking websites, this is an incredible statistic.

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of using Google Buzz? Firstly, since Buzz is integrated into Gmail, it automatically picks out your contacts and adds them. This is perfect for Estate Agents who already use Gmail as their main account, but not ideal for Agents who do not.

Secondly after inputting you login information, Google Buzz will feed you information from Twitter, Flickr, Picasa, Google Reader, Blogger and Google Chat Status. As you can see, most of these are Google owned so Buzz in theory will act as a central hub for all your Google activity with your Google Profile as the front cover.

A third advantage is that Google also recommends feeds that you might be interested in, even from people who you don't know. Users can then decide if it interests them and also toggle how often they want to see these recommendations. In practice Google will then learn what you like and suggest it more often!

The two disadvantages thrown up over the internet are on its privacy and its lack of simplicity. Reports have stated that The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is concerned over the way Google Buzz automatically finds users. This office is the same one that caused Facebook to make privacy and policy changes so don't be surprised if they make changes to Google Buzz.

Overall Google Buzz seems to be aiming at being a central hub of online activity. Other social networks may be added in the future, so watch this space. In a final thought, Estate Agents and social networking users see Facebook as a pub and Twitter as the town hall, how will they see Google Buzz?

New website design for Pink Estate Agents in York

2010-02-01T04:42:00.000-08:00

New website design, pink-estateagents.com has been released today.

Pink Estate Agents in York specialises in the first time buyer marketplace and investor markets for property in and around York and is a specialist department of Hudson Moody. Offering a more individual service for first time buyers and sellers, they sell property up to the value of £150,000.

Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques, remarked that website's 'pink' brand has been integrated into the design to make a strikingly beautiful website.

Website design for Hudson Moody Estate Agents in York and Leeds

2010-01-29T04:43:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-29T04:41:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-29T04:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-29T04:38:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-29T04:36:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-29T04:34:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-29T04:31:00.000-08:00

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.

Bing maps - Estate Agents can create their own destination map

2010-01-25T03:28:00.001-08:00

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]

Smart phones for Estate Agents - which is the best?

2010-01-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

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]

What's the design behind the design?

2010-01-18T01:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-18T01:46:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-18T01:44:00.000-08:00

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.

Cob-webs for estate agents

2010-01-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2010-01-06T06:45:00.000-08:00

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.

2010-01-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

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.

Estate agents, is your online brand image fading fast?

2010-01-05T02:26:00.001-08:00

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.'

Bing - that's the ring of a free new iPhone App

2009-12-24T04:26:00.001-08:00

Bing, Microsoft's own search engine, has just announced a free iPhone App. Estate Agents may want to trial this App before scepticism rears its ugly head. It does feel as odd as using internet explorer on an Apple Mac, but the features are good, damn good.

Click to Read more.

New web design for Moor2Coast.co.uk

2009-12-24T04:25:00.001-08:00

Resource Techniques are delighted to announce the unveiling of a new website: Moor2Coast.

Moor2Coast Estate & Letting Agents in Yelverton, Plymouth covering properties in Tavistock, Devon & Cornwall, throughout the South West and the UK.

Moor2Coast are a professional, dynamic and independent company that can offer you a unique and tailor-made service. Offering services for market appraisals, conveyancing, financial services, lettings and property management as well as investment opportunities in overseas properties.

This fantastic new website has a whole host of new properties that are available to buy or rent in and around the Plymouth area. Troy Stanley, Technical Director at Resource Techniques stated, 'The imagery used on the website is simply stunning. The web design team has worked closley with the Moor2Coast estate agent to create a professional website.

Estate agents of the future type without a keyboard.

2009-12-24T04:24:00.001-08:00

Resource Techniques has extensively covered new designs of keyboards. It could be argued that the keyboard is a primitive device and that even the most ergonomic mainstream designs are unhygienic and can lead to...

Click to Read more.

Estate agents don't forget about the Long tail of SEO

2009-12-24T04:23:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest, Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is not be a glamorous subject. Estate Agents are constantly reminded by web design and SEO companies that their SEO is bad because of one thing or another so it is understandable why so many Estate Agents switch off.

Click to read more.

Building your shop window to the world

2009-12-24T04:22:00.000-08:00

They could arrive at any time.
They could be anywhere.
They are silent critics.
They decide first contact.
They are your online customers.

Click to read more.

Estate agents, it's time to reflect on your achievements

2009-12-24T03:10:00.001-08:00

Estate Agents, give yourself a good hard pat on the back. According to research by The Local Data Company, One in six Estate Agents closed down between October 2008 and October 2009. Showing that this year has been long and hard and arguably only the best Estate Agents have survived.

Estate Agents have one more task before relaxing into the holiday spirit. Some see it as a chore, some find it intriguing and some Estate Agents never do it, but now is certainly the time to do it.

'It', in the paragraph before, refers to checking your Google Analytics.

Before you groan, Google Analytics gives Estate Agents an insight into how their customers interact with their website, which as we all know, is the modern tool for displaying your property portfolio. Therefore the end of the New Year is the perfect time to analyse how your Estate Agent website has performed over the year.

In a hurry? The top 5 things Estate Agents need to check on Google Analytics are:

Map overlay - Map overlay shows Estate Agents the catchment area for their website. If your website is optimised for the right keywords the majority of your customers will come from the surrounding areas. Do not be surprised if you have a random visitor from South Africa or Japan!
New vs. Returning - This shows Estate Agents what percentage of users accessing the website are new customers or ones that revisit the website.
Referring Sites - This is to check to see which websites sent you the most traffic. Remember that Google accounts for around 92% of the search engine traffic in the UK. Do you stats reflect this?
Keywords - What Keywords did people type to get to your website? Check your Google ranking for the most popular and see if your website is targeted towards the right keywords.
Content by Title - see which properties generated the most interest and then try to figure out why they generated that much interest.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Estate Agents that regularly check Google Analytics have a greater insight into their customer's online movements than the Estate Agents that never check. We recommend all Estate Agents use this free information at their disposal.'

Tis the season to watch Google tra la la la

2009-12-16T08:47:00.001-08:00

Recently Resource Techniques has covered three tantalising Google tweaks, properties on Google maps - a little bit of history repeating, and Google hides a little a gem showing that Google seems to have stepped up its recent releases and updates of its services.

Google even announced today, at the same time as Facebook, that they will be soon providing a URL or website address shortening service to compete against bit.ly. Goo.gl or fb.me have both been released on a limited basis, with goo.gl is only available via the Google Toolbar and FeedBurner and fb.me is reportedly only used via mobile.

Fear not bit.ly fans, the shortening service is still industry leading and has announced a 'Pro version' of the bit.ly service. Features include a custom URL service as well as a 'unique' real-time dashboard with even more information than before. The pro service is still in its beta stage and is available on request via this form.

Not only that but Google have advertised Chrome on the front and back page of the Metro which has a circulation of around 1.3 million. It seems that Google is now pushing Chrome to become the mainstream browser through tradition forms of advertising to reach the less tech savvy users.

Interested to know more about internet browsers? Contact Resource Techniques or send us a message via Facebook or Twitter!

Christmas Carbon Tweets

2009-12-15T07:57:00.001-08:00

Since its launch in 2006 Twitter has received more growth than any other social network in the history of the internet. Initially, members of the public only joined because their favourite celebrities such as Steven Fry and Jimmy Carr were not only personally tweeting but also interacting with others.

Now Twitter is more popular than ever and estate agents are becoming apt at promoting their estate agency whilst learning about its B2B capabilities.

Unbelievably Twitter has now been transformed from 140 digital characters to hard and paperback. A perfect Christmas present for friends, family or other Estate Agents that are either obsessed or interested to see how they can use Twitter to promote their estate agency online.

@Estateagents unsure about #Twitter?

'The Twitter Book' by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein is the ideal book for anyone interested in joining Twitter. It thoroughly explains the basics of Twitter and the associated symbols. After reading this, estate agents will be widely versed in the way of the Tweet and will have knowledge of third party websites such as bit.ly.

Tried Twitter and didn't get it

'The little book of Twitter' by Tim Collins is not only a beginners guide to Twitter, but it is also for Estate Agents that have been using Twitter for 6 months and are looking to improve their basic skills. The 160 pages are written with a humorous touch and will be a pleasant read over Christmas.

I love Twitter, but how can it help me sell houses?

This book is perfect for Estate Agents that have got to grips with Twitter but have not yet utilised it for their Estate Agency. As well as great advice on how to avoid any potentially damaging situations, the book also covers case studies on companies that have harnessed the wild beast that is Twitter.

Love literature? Try Twitterature

'Twitterature' by Alexander Aciman& Emmett Rensin is absolutely hilarious but Estate Agents will need a knowledge of Twitter as well as classic and 20th century literature. Widely reviewed as a very funny book with a few well placed swear words. Definitely an excellent read once the family have fallen asleep in front of a Christmas special.

History in 140 characters - possible?

'The History of Twitter' by John Holmes & Mitch Benn takes 100 significant moments in History and places them in increasingly witty 140 characters. At £6.99 RRP, it is the perfect stocking filler to try and inject some historical knowledge into younger generations.

Estate Agents, have you read any of these books? Have you got any other recommendations? Give us a tweet!

Estate Agent's 5 fundamental questions when building a website

2009-12-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. Without strategy, estate agents only have blind tactics that will lead them down the dark alley of failure. Do you want your website to fail its basic goals or do you want it to succeed and become the envy of the competition?

A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. Without strategy, estate agents only have blind tactics that will lead them down the dark alley of failure. Do you want your website to fail its basic goals or do you want it to succeed and become the envy of the competition?

1) Why is the website being built?

This question is designed to make estate agents contemplate the reasons why they have a website in the first place. Answering: just because everyone else has one cannot be an acceptable answer. Think clearly on the reasons how it will benefit your agency directly and indirectly.

2) Who is the website being built for?

A common misconception is that the website is being built for the estate agent. This is excusable because on a lateral sense the website has been commissioned by the director/partner but the website is not for solely the director/partner. The people using the website on a daily basis are not employees or directors, but property searchers.

3) What will property searchers be looking for?

Firstly the WOW factor - something that will not only encourage the user to enter the website but also give a slight hint of the quality of properties within the websites. Next users want to be clearly see either a large property search button or a featured property to click on. Both shows that users are looking for property, putting a hurdle up here will only frustrate users.

Once users have defined exactly the range of properties that they are looking for, users are then looking to build a picture of what the property is like in the mind. Features such as high resolution pictures, a clear text description, Google Maps, Google Street view, Floorplans, EPCs, virtual tours and online property particulars all add different dimensions to the overall mental picture.

Lastly users want to see clear contact details. Many estate agent website designs fail this need to have clear contact details on each individual property.

4) Where will my users come from?

* Loyal customer base
* Print media
* Social Networks
* Search Engines
* Directly typing in the web address
* Email campaign/Property brochures

5) How will I know the website is working?

The best way to identify that your website is a successful one is to quantify it. Google analytics lets estate agents analyse exactly how well their website is performing. Areas such as how many people have visited the estate agent website, where they've entered, exited, how long they stayed on the website, which area they entered the website and much more.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Do not forget that your customers will actually comment positively on your website! A shocking revelation but a beautifully designed website with a WOW factor and a rich user experience will attract more comments than a UFO sighting.'

Websites for estate agents and the future

2009-12-11T03:20:00.001-08:00

We have done it! We have reached, or in some perspectives, survived to the end of the decade! Now the big question on everyone's lips is "What will the next decade hold?' Will the digital golden era continue or will self destruction and self indulgence cause us to live like nomads on a desert landscape? Ignoring the doom and gloom associated with environmental scare mongers, the future is considerably bright for Estate Agents online.

Throughout the last decade, we have seen a rise in internet usage. Increasingly the UK public are using the internet to shop online, read news, communicate and most importantly, search for property. The growth and popularity of property portals, increased online usage and online competition has caused Estate Agents to re-evaluate the value of their website.

A website is no longer an object of prestige to show customers contact details and previous portfolio pictures giving a slight hint of the properties that they possess. It is now a place where property searchers can, at their own leisure, search for properties that is right for them. With fantastic features such as; email alerts, high resolution pictures, enhanced Google mapping, variable search options, printable pdf property particulars, users are now spoilt for choice with the options available to them.

The next decade is going to be an interesting one - what can estate agents expect next?

HD videos - Estate Agents can expect that more features will be available on their website such as HD video. Marketing properties via HD video is going to become increasingly popular for agents and buyers. Recently YouTube has upgraded their HD video capacity, indicating that HD camcorders and HD computer monitors are becoming increasingly affordable and increasingly mainstream. A short video can give users greater insight into the property that they are viewing whereas floorplans and pictures are only a small piece of the property jigsaw.

Properties listed on Google Maps - Our recent article covering Google considering whether to enter the UK property portal market, shows that Estate Agents can expect this feature to be rolled out very soon. With a search engine market share of 92%, this could provide serious competition for property portals.

Website speed - Google have also mentioned that a website's loading speed could affect a website's Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). If implemented, Estate Agents can expect their website and the whole of the internet to start optimising websites for speed. No longer will users be subjected to long introductions and needless flash websites by web design companies looking to impress.

Social networking integration - A topic that is repeatedly covered in the media. Estate Agents can expect to see a greater integration between their website and social networking. With real-time information becoming progressively more desirable, social networking is the perfect medium for up-to-date information. Content such as press releases, new services and property alerts will be distributed through the right social networks and to the people who want it. Websites will become a core of all social networking activity.

Increased website efficiency - Research from eye tracking studies, usability studies and statistics from Google analytics are constantly improving the way users interact with websites. Improving elements such as the organisation of information will lubricate the process of initial website access to the final stage of booking a viewing.

Accepting the cloud - Over the next decade, more users will understand what is 'cloud computing' as well as the advantages and disadvantages. Initial protests over security will be withdrawn after costs are lower and users require increased accessibility.

Mobile internet - Smart phones have allowed a new wave of mobile websites. Users are increasingly using mobiles to do a variety of tasks. Websites that cater for mobile technology and mobile browsers will see the benefit of this increased usage.

Instant computers - No longer will people press the big on button and then wait for the computer to start up or make a cup of tea. This has already been recognised as a factor by the big computer companies and estate agents can expect to see that it will be incorporated into mainstream very soon.

Web 3.0 - Very soon your search engine will start learning as much as it can about you. Every single search you make will give search engines a bigger and bigger picture of what your hobbies, interests, and general web surfing activities are. Google have already announced that the process of personalised search has started across the globe.

Resource Techniques is a website design company specialising in estate agent websites and web design. Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques concludes, 'Estate Agents websites and website design is definitely going to see vast improvements over the next decade, with agents having a greater online presence whilst offering buyers and vendors an increasingly better online service.'

Let us know your thoughts via our Facebook or Twitter account!

Three tantalising Google Tweaks

2009-12-09T09:11:00.001-08:00

Well hasn't Google been a busy body - within the space of 24 hours, Google has unveiled 3 projects that are coming to a .co.uk near you. Two of them directly affects Google's main search feature and one affects only Android mobile phone users, but also includes search. Read on to find out more...

Firstly let's cover the new feature affecting Android mobile phone users. Google have released the next step of mobile search, a slight tongue twister; Google Goggles. Google Goggles uses image recognition technology to help the user identify what they are looking at.

All the user has to do is take a picture and upload it to Google Goggle which then uses image recognition technology and gives associated information. Currently Google Goggle can recognise Landmarks, Books, Contact info, Artwork, Places, Wine and logos.

Google Wine

Imagine taking this technology to the extreme. You go to a different country and you can't understand the characters on a menu. Google Goggle then allows you to translate the choice to the associated image or text then users will go back to the old ways of point and nodding. Good times.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Unfortunately I have an iPhone, but I will be waiting patiently until it is released [on the iPhone]'.

Check back soon to read about the other two search updates directly affecting your search results.

Properties on Google Maps - a little bit of history repeating?

2009-12-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

After our recent article Google defies Rightmove throne; Rightmove shares gutted, there has been much interest and feedback regarding the likelihood of Google consuming the property portal market. Luckily Google already hosts properties for two countries - Australia and the U.S.

Google started listing properties on its Google Maps in Australia back in July of this year. With exactly the same affect, the main portal company realestate.com.au (REA group) had an initial 7% drop in shares. Six months later, the REA group has not only regained ground but the shares have increased 53% since the drop.

Therefore on a purely historical sense, Rightmove is likely to rebound from the primary shock and 'the end is nigh' predictions. Estate Agents against property portals need not cry too much over the possible survival of Rightmove, Google maps listing properties can work towards an Estate Agent's advantage.

Estate Agents that have fantastic Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and unbeatable web design do not have to fear. Google is not a property portal and it is going to stick at what it is good at - being a search engine. Therefore this has to be viewed as an extra medium for potential traffic. Users will click round the map till they find a property that they have interest. From there, the user will be directed to the agent's website.

Uh-oh - Bad news for Estate Agents that does not live up to today's standards. Without design that has that 'WOW' factor, functionality of property portals, and rich user-experience, you can guarantee that the user will press the 'Back' button. Right now a possible customer has just been lost within a few seconds of accessing your website.

On the other hand, it is fantastic news for Estate Agents that have a website that they are proud of. The extra avenue of traffic means that Estate Agents with stunning web design will retain more users than those that do not have that WOW factor.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'This change is truly exciting for estate agents that taken the positive step towards improving their website from the awkward designs of the 90s. If your website does not have that WOW impact then it is certainly time for a redesign.'

Visit our portfolio page or call Resource Techniques on 0208 457 4777 to achieve the type of web design that will keep old customers and capture new ones.

Google search - how would you change it this Christmas?

2009-12-01T04:42:00.000-08:00

Estate agents, imagine the power if Google suddenly appointed you as head of their search function for the Christmas period. Would you change anything or would you finally get that alteration that you've been dreaming of ever since you first pressed that search button?

Matt Cutts is well known in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) circles as being the head of Google's web spam team. From his many videos, he can be seen as a very likable person and when he speaks, the internet listens.

On the 24th of November Google posted up a video of Matt Cutts talking about 'which search feature would you add to Google' on Google's Webmaster channel on YouTube.

His answer was something that may not be noticeable to estate agents. As Matt is the head of Google's web spam team, he stated that he regularly emails links to other people. These links include extra text in the URL from parameters which he considers is not relevant to him.

Estate agents, how would you change Google? Would you change the search function or the design of Google? Let us know via our Facebook or Twitter page.

Heavy hitter Twitter

2009-11-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

Back in November, Resource Techniques released an article covering the word 'unfriend' becoming Oxford American Dictionary's word of the year, showing that social networking has taken one of the final steps towards becoming omnipresent within our society and mainstream media. Many estate agents have very different views on their social networking policy and now Twitter fans can rejoice with two pieces of good news.

The first piece of news is by the Global Language Monitor who has announced that Twitter is the most popular word for 2009! This may not come as a surprise for those estate agents that use Twitter, not only is it main stream media but it is a fantastic way to interact and direct traffic to their website online.

The most popular words of 2009 are:

1. Twitter
2. Obama
3. H1N1
4. Stimulus
5. Vampire
6. 2.0
7. Deficit
8. Hadron
9. Healthcare
10. Transparency
11. Outrage
12. Bonus
13. Unemployed
14. Foreclosure
15. Cartel

Many estates may notice that this list may have an American bias but remember that America has roughly 5 times the population of the UK. Unfortunately 'foreclosure' is also on the list, fingers crossed that 'contract exchange' is on next year's list!

The second good news for twitter fans is that Bing has announced their top 10 search terms for 2009 and Twitter is number 2! Unsurprisingly Michael Jackson was at the top of the list after his demise in June. The rest of the list includes 3 other celebrities who have died, a celebrity divorce, Jaycee Dugard (who was kidnapped in 1991), car scrappage scheme, stock market and swine flu.

Retrospectively this is good news for Twitter and Twitter fans, but the other popular words and search terms could be seen as slightly depressing. Just one question remains, will we look back and see 2009 as being a good year this Christmas?

Estate agents, let us know by contacting us via our Facebook or Twitter account.

Web design for estate agents - top 5 ways estate agents need to design their website

2009-11-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

Web design for estate agents is the same as any other website, isn't it? Not really. Obviously the basic code and structure used to create any website is in place, but there are fundamental aspects that make estate agent website design stand out from any other type of website.

So the big design question is; what does make an estate agent's website different to other websites? Our years of design experience and knowledge have provided the top 5 ways that estate agents need to design their website.

* Absence of an Online checkout - Houses are not bought online and therefore people do not shop online for houses in the same way that they shop for a DVD or online groceries. Contact details must have a high visibility in grained on to the design of every page.
* Listing property - Estate agents need to ensure that their website is an online brochure that they can be proud of so that their online portfolio will generate enough interest for customers to contact the agent for a viewing. This includes the full range of necessary functionality.
* Online branding - Statistics say that within 3 seconds of accessing your website, property searchers have made their mind up about your business, all from the design. Including the agent's level of service, how professional they are and the types of properties in the portfolio.
* Property search placement - another recent statistic has shown that 95% of users go straight to property search once they have accessed the website. A good property search button is exactly what users are looking for.
* News feature and property search - Google loves up-to-date, relevant and changing content. If Google notices that your homepage is frequently changing, they will visit more often to scan your website which will help your placement within Google's search results page.

Estate agents must insist on a specialist when it comes to their website as only specialists are able to cater for such a niche market. Many of the web designers do not have the knowledge or experience to give estate agents a web design that their business deserves.

Resource Techniques has the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver the web design, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and functionality at an affordable price. Give us a call 0208 457 4777 for a free consultation alternatively estate agents can request a free web review.

Interested to find out more about this 'Bing' thing?

2009-11-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

There's no denying that Google has the biggest worldwide search engine market share. Back in May of this year Google had a UK search engine market share of just less than 91%, Yahoo had 4.39% whilst Microsoft's Windows Live and MSN search engine of 2.75%.

Google's previous dominance must have unsettled Microsoft because in the same month Bing was launched. Bing was a replacement of Microsoft's Windows Live and MSN search engines which had combined US search engine market share of 7.21%. Since then Bing has had a huge marketing budget with many TV adverts.

In the last 6 months, Bing has grown to be the 3rd largest UK search engine with 2.89%. Although Google still has a majority share of 92.06%, Bing should not be forgotten.

Bing has a variety of fantastic features including; images, videos, shopping, real-time, travel, health and many more.

If you are interested in the various features that Bing has, visit their website discoverbing.com.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Resource Techniques not only checks every search engine, but also all browser compatibility for each of our websites. Any changes in design that will benefit SEO will be made.'

What do you think about Bing? Contact us via our Twitter profile or Facebook page.

5 Fundamental techniques to design your website for Google

2009-11-27T03:51:00.000-08:00

Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is vital for any estate agent that wants to naturally promote their website. Ideally estate agents would want their website to be page one position one as this generates the most traffic, but it is not always possible.

So how do I get as high as possible in Google? A good analogy is to think of your estate agent website and its design like a house.

Firstly, you need to lay the foundations and the foundation of a website is its domain name. The most popular way is for estate agents to use their brand name as the domain name. This means that it is easy for property searchers to remember and also web designers do not need to integrate the brand name into SEO.

The other way is to use Geo-Location domain name. Geo-location domain names use targeted words or 'keywords' within your domain name. This is picked up by Google and can help towards your SEO. The main problem with this is that domain names such as 'propertyforsaleinhendon.co.uk' is not very user friendly and can be difficult to remember.

Next you need to create the structure of your house which means that general design, navigation, Meta tags and a site map needs to be properly completed. Many lazy web designers have failed to fully implement the proper SEO techniques that estate agent websites require. Therefore they have doomed the structure of the website before it has even been finished.

Once the structure of your house has been built, you need to fill it with things or 'content' that people will want to see. Search engines are also looking for website content that is relevant to your audience. Estate agents that simply load up their properties onto their website are filling this criterion.

One major design mistake found by Resource Techniques' own web review is that an estate agent's properties are hosted by another domain name apart from their own or they just have a frame that shows a property portal within their website. This does not give any SEO benefit to the estate agent as search engines will only use the information that is hosted by their own website.

Other ways of filling your website with content is to include staff profiles, local and area information and the services you provide. The more information you put on your estate agent website, the more search engines can learn about your business.

Now your house is built on solid foundation, has a beneficial structure and the stuff inside your house is full of content that people want to see, it is time to regularly change your front garden. A regularly changing front garden entices people and search engines to see if the house has changed inside (estate agents will not want to change the front garden too much or people will not recognise the house!)

Instead estate agents should have two major areas that need to be habitually changed so keep returning; featured properties and a news section. Frequently changing featured properties will give users the impression that the estate agent's portfolio constantly changing. While a changing news feature will be popular for users and something new to scan for search engines.

Lastly estate agents need to become a trusted expert. Once people realise that the owner of the house is an expert in their field, they will return purely for the knowledge that the expert possesses. Once a trusted expert in your field, estate agents will gain credibility and have increased online presence.

Would you go to the house of a madman?

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques remarked, 'Designing an estate agent's website is serious business. Here at Resource Techniques, every single step is taken to ensure that the design will be beneficial. Any advice given will be designed towards putting each estate agent website higher in Google.'

Do you have any feedback? Let us know through our Twitter or Facebook page.

You've heard of SEO, but what about YTO?

2009-11-25T02:56:00.001-08:00

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is everywhere on the internet. Any agent looking at web design or a new website will have heard of SEO, but have you heard of YTO?

YTO does not stand for 'Your Total Overlord' or even 'You're Too Old', but YTO stands for 'YouTube Optimisation'.

'Why do estate agents need to optimise their YouTube Videos?' It boils down to the same reasons as to why websites are optimised; being found in search engines and within YouTube.

YouTube was established in February 2005 and by April of this year 5 Billion videos had been viewed in the UK alone. Worldwide, YouTube now streams a staggering 1 billion videos every day and an overwhelming 20 hours of video are uploaded every minute.

In recent news, YouTube has upgraded into HD whilst Google will also be adding speech recognition technology to every English speaking video by the end of the week, which is great news for people with hearing disabilities.

By next week every English YouTube video will have subtitles which will be used when indexing content.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'This could mean that a new wave of YTO will be ushered in. Estate agents must plan a deliberate script with intentional keywords so that it shown at the top of Search Engines and by YouTube's own search function.'

This script isn't the only way estate agents can optimise their YouTube videos.

Below Resource Techniques will take estate agents through the process of YTO.

Firstly estate agent agents need to organise the video files that they take. Excellent for personal organisation but also YouTube will automatically add the file name into the video title.

Changing the file as soon as estate agents load it onto their computer means that they will be able to keep track of the videos that they upload and they can evaluate their chosen video title when they upload it to YouTube. Putting themselves in the shoes of a property searcher, estate agents will be able to contemplate keywords such as the address, type of house as well as the word 'video'.

For example, estate agents can use '52 Web-Design Street, London NW4 4DD [Company name] estate agents viewing video'. Although this is full of keywords, it is not very user friendly. Why not try, 'House for sale 24 Design Street, London, Video by [Company name] estate agents/estates.' Estate agents must design the title for both the end user and search engines.

Next, fill in the description section with lots of keywords describing what the video is about such as; estate agent, property, viewing, one/two/three bedrooms, garden and the estate agent name. Widespread advice suggests that a link should be inserted at the start of the description linking to the property. This gives users a chance to view in-depth property details on your website.

Last thing on this page is to fill the tags section. Here estate agents need to insert individual keywords that have been used in the description of the video.

Once finished, estate agents should click on the link 'My Videos'. Estate agents will be able to overview, edit, delete and add captions to their video.

Once there, click on 'edit'. From here estate agents can edit broadcasting options. Ideally estate agents will want to edit the security settings so the video can be commented on, rated, have video responses and embedded as possible. This means that your video will be able to be shared, talked about, reviewed and embedded as much as possible.

The last thing for estate agents to consider is captions and annotations as they can also be used towards their YTO. Agents need to be aware that although they can provide useful links and extra information, many YouTube users find them annoying and in the way of the video. Overusing them will cause users to click away from your video.

Troy Stanley gives a final comment on how estate agents can improve their YTO even further, 'Any estate agent that is serious about uploading property videos to YouTube needs to use YouTube Insights which is available in 'My Videos.'

'This is an analytics feature that gives information that will help estate agents to optimise their videos. Areas such as location, discovery and daily views will help estate agents to become the leading YouTube estate agent in their area.' - Troy Stanley.

Do you use YouTube to market your properties online? Are you considering starting to market your properties through YouTube? Let us know via our Twitter or Facebook page.

Social network 'Foursquare' now in the UK!

2009-11-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

Created in March of this year, Foursquare describe themselves as, '50% friend-finder, 30% social city guide, 20% nightlife game'. It is a social network that allows users to share experiences, hints and places to go whilst having a game that allows users to 'check in' using the GPS on their mobile phone.

Back in August, Resource Techniques talked about a new social network that lets you explore your city and now they have expanded the website onto the UK shores. The cities that they cover are:

* Birmingham
* Bristol
* Brighton
* Edinburgh
* Manchester
* London

Although it is still a relatively new social network, Foursquare is tipped to be the next big social network using social networking, GPS and local knowledge.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Foursquare is a fantastic idea! The social network will be kick started by people that love to eat out or go to bars and clubs. Estate agents, watch this space.'

Many social networks have come and gone, will Foursquare stand the test of time? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook.

Computer taking ages to start-up? Welcome to the future...

2009-11-23T03:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone that has used Windows has used Internet Explorer. It is on every single Microsoft Windows PC, but in a recent European court case, users will have to choose to download internet explorer onto their PC or work computer.

On 11th of December 2008, Google publicly released their first version an internet browser called Google Chrome. In just under a year, Chrome has risen to almost 5% of the UK browser market whilst Microsoft's internet explorer has declined just over 10% within the same time period. Google claims that there are now 40 million worldwide Chrome users.

On the 7th of July this year, Google announced that they are to release their own operating system called Google Chrome OS. So what's the difference between the browser Google Chrome and the Google Chrome Operating System? Not much...

Google Chrome OS is essentially an internet browser that operates your whole computer. This has some major implications on the way estate agents access, manage and use their work.

Firstly, estate agents and general users will not install any programs onto their computer, all of it will be held in 'the cloud' (the internet). Meaning that estate agents do not have to install and manage their own programs, saving space and updating time.

Secondly having the minimum amount is held on the computer means that the start-up time for the beta version is currently a miniscule 7 seconds. No longer will estate agents start their computer, make a cup of tea and then sit around waiting their computer to load or wasting energy by leaving their computer on all night.

The last implication is security. Google boasts that Chrome OS distrusts every program that is run on it as well as not trusting itself while checking the code every time it is restarted so that it can repair itself if it senses something is wrong.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'In the not too distant future, estate agents could take their Google Chrome OS on the road and take it from viewing to viewing.'

'Within seconds, their laptop will load up and an internet connection will allow them to access 'the cloud'. Instantly letting estate agents edit any of their work files without having to transfer or re-edit them back at the office.' - Troy Stanley

Estate agents, are you interested in finding out more? Contact us on Twitter or Facebook.

Jumping from viewing to viewing, literally!

2009-11-23T03:28:00.000-08:00

Becoming green is a trend that many estate agents have started to adopt. Showing their customers that they no longer have a Bigfoot sized carbon footprint is increasingly attractive, if this is true, why not have a look at Powerbocking.

Named after the German inventor Alexander Böck, Powerbocking is also known as 'Jumping stilts', 'spring stilts', 'power stilts', 'Power skips', 'rocket shoes', and on the southern hemisphere it's also known as 'Kangaroo Shoes'. As it can be seen in the picture above, Powerbocking is a spring loaded boot that puts a spring in your step!

The science behind it is pretty easy: The downward force is created in each step, stride and jump. This gravitational energy is transferred into the springs that let the user bounce back, letting them generally jump between 3 and 5 meters and run up to speeds of 20mph and each stride is around 9 feet!

The Poweriser tread point is fitted directly under the foot which makes it an extension of your own leg. Estate agents can move in the exactly same fashion as they normally walk or run.

Powerisers or Powerbocks have claimed health benefits. They improve cardiovascular circulation, burn calories, tones, and reduces the collision with joints. Estate Agents can not only improve their carbon footprint but also get fit at the same time.

Imagine a property viewers surprise when they see their estate agent striding down the street without breaking a sweat!

Check out this video of the European Poweriser Team in Prague. The video shows a mini-Olympics style events such as sprinting as well as some dazzling stunts.

Also check out this video of an Office Poweriser Challenge. An office worker attempts 4 challenges in his office including walking down the stairs and sitting in a chair!

Remember safety first - wear protective gear such as elbow pads and helmets.

Powerisers or Powerbocks are available from around £180-£200.

Web design jobs to be taken by Google!

2009-11-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

Web designers have become slightly nervous over Google's swelling templates for Google Sites. They are very professional, clean and just slightly pretty which can easily be created by users using a simple step-by-step guide. Just have a gander at the screenshots below:

Although very pretty, these websites do not cater for the needs of an estate agent that is serious about their estate agent website. Firstly let's take the design. The designs above may be bright and colourful, but they may not necessarily be the right image for your brand. Matching your website design to your branding is very important as new customers that find you online will instantly judge your company on design of its website.

Have a look at the image below, or for greater detail, visit the Julian Reid website. The website is clean and gives off an image of professionalism with a hint of the types of properties that they cater for.

Secondly these templates do not support the types of functionality that every estate agent should demand to have on their website. Estate agents need the whole range of features that are all bedded into their website design. One clear favourite is enhanced Google maps. The image below shows all the properties from a search on Google Maps alongside various local amenities such as schools, doctors, dentists, transport, restaurants etc.

The next feature has become more than a prerequisite. High resolution pictures are easily accessible these days but the way estate agent websites display them can make it difficult for the user.

One way is to display all the high res photos in a pop-up. This directs the user's attention away from the website while modern pop-up blockers can confuse and block users from viewing the photographs.

Another way is to embed photos directly onto the website, which can make the photos grainy and small. Due to website size restrictions, this can impair the ability for users to fully view available photographs otherwise users will find themselves scrolling endlessly down the page.

Instead Resource Techniques uses the latest viewer technology that is used by large companies such as the BBC and Sony. When users click on a picture, they are presented with a 'viewer' with a high resolution photograph that overlaps the website. From here they can flick between photographs without being directed away from the website. All the user has to do is click away from the viewer or the 'x close' button and they return back to the property that they were originally inspecting.

The viewer can cater for more than just photographs. Estate agents are able to display floorplans, EPCs, HIPS, and print-friendly property particulars that are completely editable by the estate agent.

Resource Techniques is a web design company specialising in property websites for estate agents. Our services include web design, Search Engine Optimisation, software for estate agents and social networking consultations. For more information, call Resource Techniques on 0208 457 4777, visit our Twitter profile, Facebook Fan page or our contact us page.

Visit this page and fill in the form for a free web review.

Social networking seizes word of the year - Unfriend

2009-11-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

Social networking is everywhere. It has been talked about in movies (and is now a movie starring Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake!), it has been quoted in soaps, it is always in the news, and now the Oxford American Dictionary has placed it as word of the year:

Unfriend

"To remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook."

Many veterans of Facebook will be fluent in 'unfriending' whereas people who are new to Facebook will find it an alien concept. For those estate agents who are unsure, this phenomenon tends to occur on Facebook when a person has lost contact or no longer speaks to another person. Again this usually happens to people who have a major situational change such as moving to a different area, changing jobs or splitting from a partner.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'In 1998 the Oxford English dictionary included the term 'LOL' which means Laugh Out Loud. This was a sign of language evolving directly from the internet.'

'Eleven years later, the word 'unfriend' has been added to the dictionary, showing exactly how big social networking has become. This should be another sign that estate agents must start embracing social networking and integrating it as part of their online marketing strategy.' - Troy Stanley.

There have been a few other terms added to this year's dictionary. They are:

* Hashtag - a hash (#) sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets that also contain the same hashtag.
* Intexticated - distracted because texting on a mobile while driving a vehicle.
* Netbook - a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory.
* Paywall - a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers.
* Sexting - the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by mobile.

Are there words here that shouldn't be in the dictionary or have they missed out any? Let us know on our Facebook fan page or our Twitter Profile.

YouTube gets an upgrade!

2009-11-16T08:48:00.000-08:00

YouTube is an internet phenomenon. People upload a range of videos from hilarious accidents, clips of their favourite pet, how-to guides to video blogging. In fact it is so popular that every minute, 20 hours of video are uploaded which means that even if you dedicate your entire life to watching as many YouTube videos as possible, you won't even scratch the surface.

Since December of last year, YouTube lets users start uploading and watching their videos in 720p or 'High Definition'. Users with HD screens only have to look out for the small red 'HD' button between the volume button and the full screen option and with HD monitor prices lower than ever, HD is becoming increasingly popular.

Now YouTube has increased its capacity to hold 'true' HD videos. This means that instead of the 720p format, YouTube can now hold 1080p. For those that do not know the difference between 720p and 1080p, it means that instead of 720 vertical lines on the video, there are 1080 lines meaning that the quality of the picture has increased.

YouTube have also announced that they will automatically upgrade videos that have been already uploaded in the 1080p format. Perfect for users who regularly upload HD video to YouTube!

Many estate agents are now gasping a hold of video and using it as a fantastic way to market properties on their website. Integrating it into their website design, embedded videos enable estate agents to add a personal feel to each and every property.

Robert Oulsnam and Company is an estate agent in Birmingham that has just started using video on their website. Designed to inform, the two videos cover the profile of the estate agent and testimonials of their customers. This gives an extra dimension to the company and shows loyal and potential customers that they are an estate agent that is committed to keeping up with technological advances.

Are you an estate agent interested in integrating video into your web design? Give us a call on 0208 457 4777, visit our Twitter profile, Facebook fan page or our contact us page.

Dying to be remembered

2009-11-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

A morbid subject but everyone has at one time or another pondered what happens to you once you die. Whether you go on to an afterlife, are reborn or just fade away into oblivion, one thing is certain. Your Facebook profile will still be there.

The good news out of this gloomy subject is that Facebook have decided to allow your memory to live on within their social network. They have announced that a profile can be turned into a memorial of its decreased owner. Facebook will remove contact information, status updates, change privacy settings and Facebook will no longer suggest the deceased member to other Facebook members - They will of course require confirmation of the deceased which must include verification from an obituary or a news article!

Sources indicate that the move has been prompted because some Facebook members being suggested to add as a friend, 'reconnect', or be reminded by a status updates automatically by Facebook's news feed of a deceased friend - something that can cause a lot of emotional pain.

The negative side of this is that you have no control over your Facebook profile once you have passed on. Not that Facebook has 'evil' plans for your profile, but estate agents may not want their memory to eternally held by a social networking company.

What isn't clear is what will happen to your profile, when sufficient time has passed and all your Facebook friends have passed on too. Will Facebook delete you or do they have a moral responsibility not to?

The positive side of this is that a Facebook tombstone is accessible from any of your friends and from anywhere on the planet. They can leave tributes on how you touched their lives and use your shared photos as happy memories that will never be forgotten.

Estate agents, would you like your Facebook profile to carry on after your ultimate demise, would you prefer for it to be completely erased, or do you simply not care?

Let us know what you think! Contact us on our Facebook fan page or Twitter profile or call us on 0208 457 4777.

Twitter class now enrolling!

2009-11-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Bemused students studying journalism at Griffith University in Brisbane have just been told that Twitter will now be added as part of their compulsory curriculum. The news received mixed reactions, with some students believing it is a waste of time.

Jacqui Ewart, senior lecturer at the university commented, 'Some student's tweets are not as in depth as you might like. But I don't know if getting them to write an essay is any more beneficial.'

Twitter has been playing an increasingly larger role with online news.

Newspapers in the UK have embraced Twitter; such newspapers include bbcbreaking (BBC Breaking News) with 215,200 followers, bbcworld (BBC world news) with 57,202 followers, guardiannews (The Guardian) with 36,615 followers, and financialtimes with 32,362 followers.

Twitter users covered major events such as Iran election and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Users were awash with information. In fact during the Mumbai attacks, there was an estimated 80 tweets every 5 seconds.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'Twitter is the fastest ever growing social network and estate agents need to get in on the action. Tweeting the latest properties, property news and estate agency news can help estate agents drive traffic to their website whilst estate agents create their own self-made pool of information.'

Could this be the start of a migration of journalists from printed to online? Let us know on our Facebook fan page or our Twitter profile.

Estate agents, your keyboard is disgusting.

2009-10-30T09:24:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-10-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-10-28T04:38:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-10-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-22T01:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-21T03:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-19T03:37:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-10-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-10-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

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.'

Read all about it: The lightest laptop ever made

2009-10-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-02T04:16:00.001-07:00

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.

2009-10-01T03:17:00.000-07:00

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.'

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Estate Agent IT-s time you got that promotion

New website design for Northcott Beaton Estate Agents in Exeter, Devon

Estate Agent web design: A divine design will shine throughout the grape vine

Top 5 SEO articles by Resource Techniques

Advanced Twitter search for Estate Agents

New website design for Kennedys Estate Agents and valuers in Bridport, Dorset

Negative feedback in social networking for Estate Agents

Simple and effective Estate Agent website tips from the Connect Conference

Mar Estate Agent web design - website design norms

Geeky Gadgets for Estate Agents

Google maps improved for Estate Agents

Air Keyboard - gadget of the week

Web site design for Estate Agents - Colour Theory

Google buzz for Estate Agents - what are the pros and cons?

New website design for Pink Estate Agents in York

Website design for Hudson Moody Estate Agents in York and Leeds

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

New website design for Edwards Estate Agent in Ferndown, Bournemouth

Estate agent website design - top 12 articles

New website design for Red House Estate Agents in Portland

New website design for Richard Copus Estates in Devon

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

Bing maps - Estate Agents can create their own destination map

Smart phones for Estate Agents - which is the best?

What's the design behind the design?

Estate Agent social networking - 8 top tips

Estate Agent website design - A picture paints a thousand words

Cob-webs for estate agents

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

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

Estate agents, is your online brand image fading fast?

Bing - that's the ring of a free new iPhone App

New web design for Moor2Coast.co.uk

Estate agents of the future type without a keyboard.

Estate agents don't forget about the Long tail of SEO

Building your shop window to the world

Estate agents, it's time to reflect on your achievements

Tis the season to watch Google tra la la la

Christmas Carbon Tweets

Estate Agent's 5 fundamental questions when building a website

Websites for estate agents and the future

Three tantalising Google Tweaks

Properties on Google Maps - a little bit of history repeating?

Google search - how would you change it this Christmas?

Heavy hitter Twitter

Web design for estate agents - top 5 ways estate agents need to design their website

Interested to find out more about this 'Bing' thing?

5 Fundamental techniques to design your website for Google

You've heard of SEO, but what about YTO?

Social network 'Foursquare' now in the UK!

Computer taking ages to start-up? Welcome to the future...

Jumping from viewing to viewing, literally!

Web design jobs to be taken by Google!

Social networking seizes word of the year - Unfriend

YouTube gets an upgrade!

Dying to be remembered

Twitter class now enrolling!

Estate agents, your keyboard is disgusting.