"If you build it…they will come" — with apologies to W.P. Kinsella.
I loved this movie, and have since watched a few more times and have seen different meanings come out of viewing it. In a nut shell, Ray the main character plows under his cash crop, corn, and builds a ball field in the middle of nowhere, because he heard a voice saying; “If you build it he will come”. He builds it, he comes…fun movie, good acting; and basically seemingly nothing to do with Royal Lepage Team Realty’s’ website.
First off I want to give a big shout out to Kent Browne for building our Brokerage to where it is today and to Randy Oikle for Managing managers, and brokers and salespersons, but also the day to day real estate stuff that we count on so much; Thanks to both of you my job is a lot easier than most.
Our website can be and should be easy to look at. It isn’t. It’s busy and frankly, confusing.( Who needs 22 buttons on the home page???) It needs to simplified down to the smart phone screens that we all use today; perhaps even an App could be developed so that it would then be even easier to view on the technology of today.
I believe, as a past owner of a web design and media company, that you need to go outside and hire an Agency; either a design or an advertising agency, to work with you and do Analytic’s on the current site. Find the top 5 things people are doing on the home page; redesign the site to accommodate them, and then hire an outside talent; IE a designer, and keep them on as a staff member to maintain the site for us… er you.
Our audience is simple; listing clients, buyer clients and current and future real estate salespersons. That’s it. They want to see our listings, who is listing them, and whether they want to work for us… not that complicated. AND they will once they are clients and staff come to the site for resources. Today people are mobile, and they are connected, they want instant information. They are social, but our site should not be so social that the Blog posts contain conversations such at the following; http://www.royallepageottawa.ca/expertqa.php?aid=612 or this one… http://www.royallepageottawa.ca/expertqa.php?aid=513 , and on this particular page in particular we have FOUR Facebook icons? Why? Listen if an agent want to posts conversations on their own site let them, but not on our corporate site, it makes us all look amateurish. Keep Facebook on a lower setting on one page only….maybe.
In a nutshell we have a great National site to model our own site off of, it’s clean and simple, we can do the same with our own branding. As for Apps CREA and OREB have them, and we can as well or we can ask to post their Apps on our site….why not make it simple and RESOURCE Oriented.
I love Royal LePage and I love Team Realty! The people in the company are a breath of fresh air, experienced and knowledgeable, they are some of the best in real estate; let’s go outside and find the best talent available in the web industry to make us look great on the web, no matter what device they are viewing us on!
If you build it they will come — if it’s nice they will stay!
