I'm considering shifting over to VOW2 (VOW with partial IDX info without signing up any kind of contractual terms and full IDX if the user decides to provide email and sign up). What's the collective experience on VOW2? I'd love to get some guidance here. Thanks!

Max

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Portland Oregon Real Estate Portland Real Estate
Lake Oswego Real Estate

First, I have never used VOW but have used IDXs for 3 years.

I, like many users, have a general resistance of having to sign up for information that can be easily obtained elsewhere without registering. As an example http://www.living.net/ has many state's IDX online. Think about it, no one likes spam and most users believe they will receive span when they register. Another problem I have seen with some VOWs is their lack of sensitivity to confidential information or information I may want to keep confidential. A further problem with some VOWs is confusing navigation.

But my biggest complaint, not only with VOWs but many commercial IDXs as well, is that you give them control over the major function of your site.

That said I will register for services such as saved searches, and making a viewing appointment, etc when the site has what I am looking for.

I think I have to agree with you. I've checked and tested a few VOW and VOW2 solutions. The registration thing frustrates me. Depending the kind of email address I use, it could take up to 20 minutes before I get a confirmation telling me how to access. 20 minutes is a long time for someone to stay in one site and not going somewhere else. As much as I'd to capture really qualified lead every time, I think it may not be feasible at this stage of my business when I don't have assistants to call people back right away.

In our MLS the IDX has very few homes and many of the ones it does have don't have pictures. Have been using IDX, but will be changing to a VOW as it is the only way to show the customer enough homes for them to stick around.
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Schaumburg Real Estate Relocation Directory Arlington Heights Real Estate

A couple of years ago I used Soar Net Solutions for a VOW website (they are no longer selling them) at www.mlssarasotaflorida.com. At the time they were one of the few providers that offered VOW. Very few agent websites allowed visitors to search the MLS until IDX became easier to obtain.

I received a good amount of business from this VOW site. The registration process is quite lengthy. It was a 5 step process. First, they would enter their email address, what type of property they were looking for and price range. There were a couple of other steps in between. The 5th and final step was to ask for a name and telephone number. Many visitors bombed out at this point. However, the people that proceeded seemed to be more serious. One good thing is that I still would get the email address and the type of property they were searching for. I still contacted these people and have sold a few homes doing this.

I recently had an IDX search built for my current site. I had the choice of going with a IDX or VOW. They would have built it either way I wanted it. I chose the IDX search with a very easy registration page. I am sure I lose a few people who don't want to fill out this page but how serious are they anyways? I would rather get fewer people that I can contact and build a relationship with than more people that may or may not contact me.

I have found that the key to building the relationship is a telephone call or the automated daily property emails. My IDX site saves what ever the users last search was and emails them new properties that come on the market. Do all of them do that? I have found that to be extremely useful.

Now that just about every agent website out there has an IDX search I think it is getting harder to get the visitors to fill out the registration page. I am still not sure which is best (IDX, VOW, VOW2). The whole password thing that is associated with VOW becomes cumbersome for most people. People will forget their password and just go on another agents site that does not require it.

I think it boils down to if you have a serious buyer they will most likely fill out the registration area and that is the starting point to building the relationship and making them your client, regardless of what other agent websites they visit. Many of my clients used other agents searches after using mine. They stuck with me because of either a telephone call or drip system. Just my .02 cents.

Siesta Key Real Estate

I believe that this is the KEY. If you let visitors view your IDX and then give them a reason to register such as: save their seraches, email listing information to themselves or a friend, receive new listings, etc you will get more serious buyers signing up. You give buyers the choice to register for more information after they see what you have to offer. A well presented IDX is the most valuable assest on a real estate web site.

Has anyone looked at their unique conversion rates with these three methods?

That would be difficult to do becasue there are many factors involved in a conversion. I am admittedly biased against registration before I can see what a site has to offer. The bias comes my own personal knowledge, experience and critical thinking. For better or worse, I advise my clients not to require registration but rather to offer attractive reasons for visitors to register. This same question has been asked many times in many forums. I have not seen anything conclusive and I don't believe there ever will be so in my opinion that each person to do their own analysis and act on their own conclusions.

Though this is an old thread, though it worthy of a continuance. How about an IDX/VOW combination where the client is allowed to search for homes without registration (IDX) but is informed that more listings are available to registered users (VOW)? Ex - www.teammolly.com

My past broker had both IDX & VOW. It was confusing. Most people would naturally start out with the IDX search. IDX offers less homes than VOW, but the way it was set up it was confusing. Most surfers would have just used IDX & never move on to VOW.

I went to the mentioned site & did an IDX search. I was actually surprised that so many homes even came up, usually it's only a few. So as a consumer I'd think this is it. I wouldn't realize that VOW was available as this gives basic info on the properties.

So where is the VOW on this site? I couldn't find it (I didn't spend a lot of time searching just as a buyer wouldn't). My problem with only offering IDX in our area (Northern IL), is that if a buyer knows there are more properties than what the IDX comes up with, they're going to think my search isn't complete & if they can't figure out how to move on to the VOW, I might lose them altogether.

So I only offer VOW & this way they get the most out of their search although our MLS requires registration.

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