For those with REW Template sites...

[ISellRiverview]

A few questions...

How many leads are you getting per week approximately and how long did it take you to start receiving them? Are they quality leads and are you finding more buyers or sellers?

Once you get the template, how much customization do you need to do, or do they set most of it up for you in advance? In other words, when its done will it be ready to go or do I need to go in and manually do all the text throughout?

I have a Point2 website currently that generates anywhere from 10-50 leads a week depending. I don't want to get rid of it completely because I like the syndication it does and its still lead generating, but I am thinking about getting an REW template site that targets a slightly higher-end clientele with a more streamlined classic look. Thoughts?

[webmaster]

Liane - REW templates (or any website) by itself will not generate you any leads - leads come from traffic, and traffic comes from lots of places - (but with REW users it's usually organic SERPS or PPC)

So without working very hard on SEO, or having a decent PPC budget your REW site (or any site) won't do anything for you other than look nice. (So yes there is lots you have to do - which means either time or money)

What I will tell you, is that from REW template stats I have observed with traffic, an IDX (registration enabled) you should be running between 3-5% conversion on organic and 6-10% on PPC is properly setup.

So that means for 100 absolute unique visitors, you would get between 3-10 leads depending on SERP position, competition, PPC vs organic etc.

[webmaster]

Btw - it sounds like you range between 1.5-7 leads per day (big range btw) so if I had to guess, I would say you get between 30-140 visitors per day - sound about right?

[OCTeam]

Liane, you've been around a couple of years now, been on some forums, worked your P2 site a bit, so you probably can handle what you need to do with an REW template (or better yet, an LEC site). Yes, you do need to do something to the site as it is not ready to go without you working on it or paying someone to work on it. It is no different than any other template site.. do nothing to it and you get nothing in return.

As an example, we had an old, antiquated template site (not REW) that was basically worthless and generated few leads. In it's place, we switched to an REW template site with REW IDX to showcase some of our team for fun and to see how it would perform. We did the initial setup with REW, added some 700+ pages in a month or so via the custom IDX and some buyer, seller pages, etc. Then linked to some other sites, etc. We now do nothing to it and it is a site we really do not really count on for business. However, it does generate organically about 7% conversion to number of unique visitors. Almost anyone in my office probably wished they had the leads it generates as their main site. For us, we have it for fun.

I know "for fun" sounds crazy, but our other REW sites are the ones we work and are the ones we depend on for business. IMO, if you are serious about having a website that works, REW with custom IDX is the way to go.

I think there is no better time than now to take the next step....Good luck!

[Eric Blackwell]

Hi Lianne-

I would agree with everything said above. It takes work, but the results are there for those that do. I think it is important NOT to minimize either of those aspects. REW's conference last year was made up of a group of truly savvy people who were generating quite a bit of real estate income via the web (it was wild to see everyone in one room.) Even wilder was that to a person they ALL (and I do mean ALL) have invested serious TIME and/or MONEY in the pursuit of that success.

It was one of the big take-aways for me from the conference.

I'd also add a little piece to part of what you asked.You asked about does it generate more buyers or sellers.

Almost every real estate site that displays listing is designed to bring in buyers. They are the ones looking for houses and those that will TYPICALLY be searching for terms re: city real estate, city homes, etc. (back to what Morgan said about traffic: I think that it really depends on the traffic source.)

My experience is, though that what starts as a buyer lead grows into both buyer and seller sides in our brokerage. A person looking to move up may well have a house to sell to get there.

So I guess they start as buyers most often, but you often end up with both.

Hope that helps.

Eric

[svrpaul]

As an example, we had an old, antiquated template site (not REW) that was basically worthless and generated few leads.

I remember that site with the "other company" that at one time was the leader of the pack... You did not get many leads from that site? It was one of the nicest "other company" sites that was out there.

[ISellRiverview]

I did a lot of work on my Point2 site myself. I am in no way an SEO expert, I've just experimented and tried to figure things out on my own. Not even sure I know what SERPS stands for ...Search Engine...something? And I have never used Pay Per Click because starting out I just couldn't afford it. I honestly spend very little on marketing but I still get enough leads to keep me busy. I just set up good IDX searches on my website and traffic somehow finds me - and I am high in Google on certain search strings like "Foreclosure List Tampa" - I'm on the first page. Yes I probably get an average of 100 visitors a day. I don't mind working on a new REW site, I'm just wondering how much is done for you - does it start out like a Point2 site where you just go in and edit all the text...etc. My plan is to after another closing or two, get an REW template and keep my MLSFinder IDX because I like it and am familiar with it. I guess what I am really looking for is higher quality leads. I get leads now from Point2 but a lot of them are in the under $150K range. I want to start targeting higher end homes and not be on the first page for foreclosures, but maybe luxury homes in the area instead...

[jessiesc]

We have several REW template sites. Every year we upgrade to one of their new templates or better.

I agree with what every one says..

To answer your questions:

The templates come blank and you have to fill in your content.

I would also suggest getting the REW IDX solution if it's available for your MLS. There's nothing to do with it, there is no adding listings or updating, they are pulled from your current MLS.

And quite frankly, is light years ahead of what you have now which is a framed solution and has side and bottom scroll bars.

I'm not attempting to be critical or mean, just stating the facts.

Also, there are a lot of upgrades and modules you can purchase from REW that will really help your site both in SEO and conversion.

I can almost guarantee you won't be sorry if you purchase a template. IMO, the REW websites - templates or other are the best ones available and I've looked at quite a few.

Best of luck.

[Malok]

Search Engine Results Page (or placement).

As far as setting up the site, if you have a basic idea on how other sites are set up - its fairly easy.

i.e. if you were a customer coming to your site, what would YOU like to see: clear calls to action? easy navigation between pages? what sort of content would you want to be there? easy to find contact information (phone #, name, etc)? local community information?
And the ability to search listings - easy, clear & fast.


Its mostly common sense if you think about it.


AND: theres a big promotion right now - its on SALE!
http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/...rey/7851/show/

Half price = no brainer IMO.


Hope that helps.


P.S. You mentioned syndication. Don't know if it includes these, but friends don't let friends syndicate to Trulia, & Zillow. Syndicating to those sites helps create THEM, not you as the authority for your market. If consumers want answers - they'll go to their site. Not yours. (Plus, if those sites become dominant, it creates a HUGE bill for all of us down the road. While it may be "free" now, theres only 1 reasonable place that they are going to look toward to recover the 10s of millions of dollars of venture capital money they've spent: real estate agents wallets.) Here's a 1 post summary that provides some highlights: http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/...257137-44.html

[ISellRiverview]

True - I am going to get quotes with and without the custom IDX - I can always add it later. I gotta start somewhere.