Renaissance 101: The Basics You Need To Know About Real Estate Webmasters’ Website
Your real estate website is the engine driving your online success. With our Renaissance platform, you get more than a sleek design– you get a powerful tool built for speed, accessibility, and lead conversion. But to truly harness its potential, you need to understand how to leverage its features effectively. In this blog, we’ll explore the essential best practices for getting the most out of our Renaissance website and build a compelling online presence.
Smith & Associate Real Estate and Waterfront Properties' Renaissance websites.
Maximize The Potential Of Renaissance
Renaissance gives you a powerful, feature-rich foundation, but knowing how to use it effectively is key. Even with an award-winning website, understanding the basics is key, such as optimizing key webpages (Homepage, Community Pages, Blog, and About Us), using snippets effectively, following best practices for website design, and leveraging SEO and PPC. When you get these basic but essential elements right, your Renaissance website won’t just look good, it will also actively help you grow your business.
Manage Content With Snippets
Let’s start with snippets, which is a tool that is essential for creating and managing content across your Renaissance website. Snippets save you time and ensure consistency by allowing you to reuse content or features on multiple pages—and when you make changes, those updates apply everywhere the snippet is used. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main snippet types in Renaissance:
- CMS Snippets: Perfect for saving code or complex content you want to use on multiple pages.
- IDX Snippets: Display listings with specific filters or parameters, ideal for community pages. These snippets also allow users to refine their searches on the front end.
- Form Snippets: Add forms for different purposes—contact forms, buyer or seller inquiries, and approval forms—so you can easily capture leads and information.
- Module Snippets: These pre-built snippets include featured blog posts, agents, communities, listings, testimonials, mortgage calculators, and more. They help you quickly add dynamic, engaging content to your pages.
Now, to create a snippet, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to the backend of Renaissance and navigate to “Content.”
2. Click on “+ Add New” and select Snippet from the options.
3. Fill out the Snippet Name and Snippet Markup. The Snippet Markup is where you input the content or code you want to appear on the page.
4. Click “Save’ to save the snippet.
Once saved, click “Snippet” on the sidebar, find your newly created snippet, and copy its name (with hashtags before and after the name). You can then paste it into the backend of any page, and it will automatically display the content. With snippets, your content management becomes more efficient, helping you keep your site consistent and easy to update.
Design Your Homepage
Your homepage is one of the most important parts of your website—it’s the first thing many potential clients will see, so it needs to make a great impression. With Renaissance, you can easily showcase your services and personal brand, making it both visually appealing and functional. Be sure to use snippets to feature key items like highlighted neighborhoods, recent blog posts, and current listings. Add a brief personal introduction too with a photo of you and your team. Real estate is a personal business, so showing a bit about who you are can help build trust with visitors.
To customize your homepage, click the “Edit Page” on top of your homepage screen and fill out these key fields:
1. Page Title: We suggest including a geographical marker (such as your city or neighborhood) and your company name, separated by a vertical bar. This helps with SEO and ensures your page is recognizable in search results.
2. Main Content: Here, you can add your snippets and write-ups that give visitors a glimpse of who you are, what you offer, and why they should stay on your site.
3. Meta Description: Add a maximum of 156-character description of your page content. This is crucial for SEO and improving your click-through rate (CTR) from search engines.
4. Header Image: Choose a high-quality image that represents your brand. Make sure the text or quick search bar doesn’t obstruct important areas of the image, and remember to add alt text for accessibility and SEO.
5. Quicksearch: Select which quicksearch mode you want to display on your homepage: Buy, Sell, Rent.
6. Heading Text: Use location-based keywords or your niche in the heading to improve SEO and attract the right audience.
By optimizing your homepage, you can effectively engage visitors, promote your brand, and make it easy for potential clients to find what they need.
Craft Community Pages
The community page is a vital part of your website where you can provide valuable, location-specific information that will engage visitors. These pages are perfect for showcasing the unique aspects of a neighborhood, helping potential buyers learn more about the area before they make a decision. A well-crafted community page builds trust, highlights your local expertise, and can even help generate more leads by answering the questions your audience is actively searching for.
When it comes to best practices for creating a community page, focus on making it informative yet visually appealing. Start by breaking up your content into digestible sections to avoid overwhelming visitors with a wall of text. Highlight key aspects of the neighborhood like schools, parks, public transportation, shopping areas, and local attractions—this not only helps visitors get to know the area, but it also boosts your SEO by incorporating relevant keywords.
Use the IDX snippet to feature listings within the community, allowing your visitors to see real-time property options without leaving the page. Keep your text concise and engaging, and try to add a personal touch, like including local insights or anecdotes that show your expertise in the area. Additionally, incorporating images or videos of the neighborhood will make the page more visually appealing and immersive. Lastly, make sure to include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) and links to your property listings, to guide visitors on the next step.
Here’s how to create a community page in Renaissance:
1. Log in to the backend.
2. Navigate to “Content.”
3. Click the “+ Add New” button and select “Page.”
4. Fill out key fields such as the Page Name, Meta Description, and Preview Image.
5. Add the main elements, including images, snippets, and unique content.
6. Set the Page Level to “Communities.”
7. Click “Save.”
You can also use available templates to streamline the process and maintain consistency across your community pages.
Design With Style Guide
The latest versions of Renaissance include a Style Guide page, a valuable resource for creating and designing cohesive, professional-looking pages. This guide provides examples of website font styles, colors, layout options, heading codes, buttons, and more. Feel free to use the Style Guide to build or customize the pages above. If you’re not yet on the latest version of Renaissance or cannot access the Style Guide, don’t worry! Simply reach out to your Account Manager for assistance. We’ll ensure you have the tools you need to bring your vision to life.
Leverage Blog Posts
A blog page is essential for driving traffic, improving SEO, and positioning yourself as a real estate expert. Regularly updated blogs keep your website dynamic, providing valuable content that engages visitors and keeps them coming back. They also offer opportunities to target relevant keywords, which improves your search rankings and attracts more organic traffic. Plus, well-crafted blog posts build trust and credibility by showcasing your knowledge of the market.
When it comes to best practices, focus on creating informative, engaging, and relevant content. Address common questions your clients have, highlight market trends, and provide useful tips for buyers and sellers. Keep your posts easy to read by breaking up text with headings, images, and bullet points. Always include a call-to-action (CTA) to encourage readers to explore other parts of your website or contact you directly.
To set up a blog page in Renaissance:
1. In the backend, head to “Content.”
2. Click “Blog Posts” in the sidebar and then click the “+” button.
3. Fill out key fields such as Title, Headline, Meta Description, Tags, Related Links, and Preview Image.
4. Fill out the Body section with your content.
5. Click “Save.”
Following these steps ensures your blog is set up correctly and optimized for both readers and search engines.
Enhance Visibility With SEO
Renaissance is designed with SEO in mind, providing a solid foundation to enhance your website’s visibility on search engines. Technical SEO plays a crucial role, and Renaissance’s structure supports best practices. The site streamlines navigation for both users and search engine crawlers, reducing the number of clicks needed to access important content and improving indexability. Speed is also a critical factor—Renaissance is recognized by PageSpeed Insights as the fastest real estate website. Plus, it’s fully mobile-optimized, ensuring a seamless experience on any device.
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Renaissance website scoring 100 across all of PageSpeed Insights' categories.
Non-technical SEO is equally important to boost your site’s performance. Make sure to regularly update your blog and community pages since search engines favor fresh, informative content. Identify relevant keywords for your niche and incorporate them naturally into your content, headings, and meta descriptions. Avoid keyword stuffing—focus on providing value, and the rankings will follow.
We recommend grouping related pages logically and ensure every page is internally linked. This improves user experience and prevents “orphan pages”, which are isolated pages that neither users nor search engines can easily find. By combining Renaissance’s built-in SEO features with these best practices, you’ll create a site that both search engines and users love.
Generate Leads With PPC
While SEO focuses on long-term growth, PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising delivers more immediate results by driving targeted traffic directly to your site. With PPC, you can place your business at the top of search results, reaching potential clients who are actively searching for real estate services. This makes it a powerful tool for generating high-quality leads and boosting visibility.
Managing a successful PPC campaign involves selecting the right keywords, creating compelling ad copy, and optimizing bids to maximize your return on investment. It requires ongoing attention to ensure your ads reach the right audience at the right time.
Need help? Our team of experts can set up and manage custom PPC campaigns tailored to your goals. We’ll handle everything from strategy development to performance tracking, ensuring you get the most out of your advertising budget.
Carly Carey Real Estate Team's PPC ads.
Best Practices for Renaissance
To get the most out of your Renaissance website, follow these key best practices to help you create a site that delivers results:
- Ensure consistent branding: Use consistent design elements, color schemes, and messaging across your site. This builds trust and reinforces your brand identity.
- Regularly update content: Keep your blog and community pages fresh with relevant, valuable information. This improves SEO and encourages repeat visits.
- Interlink Pages: Create internal links between related pages to enhance user navigation and boost SEO. Doing this helps search engines crawl your site efficiently.
- Leverage snippets: Use snippets to maintain consistency across multiple pages and save time when updating information. They streamline content management and ensure uniformity.
- Enhance page speed: Optimize images, minimize unnecessary code, and leverage caching to maintain fast load times. Speed is critical for both user experience and search engine rankings.
- Include clear CTAs: Use compelling call-to-actions to encourage visitors to contact you or view listings.
- Utilize high-quality images: Use aesthetically pleasing and high-quality photos to enhance credibility and user interest.
- Monitor performance: Regularly review site analytics to track visitor behavior and preference. Data-driven decisions help refine your strategy over time.
Carly Carey Real Estate Team utilizing snippets to design its web pages.
Join the REW Forum
Join the conversation in the REW Forum and discover everything the Renaissance website has to offer! We’d love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback, ask questions, and connect with the REW community to shape the future of our innovative platform.
Learn more about Renaissance in the REW Forum.
Renaissance FAQ
What makes Renaissance unique?
Renaissance is designed with a focus on speed, SEO optimization, user experience, and lead conversion. It offers advanced tools like snippets, built-in style guides, and robust customization options to help you create a site that stands out while maintaining high functionality.
What if I’m not on the latest version of Renaissance?
If you’re unable to access the style guide or need help upgrading, contact your Account Manager. They can guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.