The next step is actually the hardest step and that is the marketing of the website. Building it when you know what you are doing is great for the future, but isn’t going to put food on the table today.

All the effort put in to build the right platform is important but the results of these efforts won’t be seen at least for the next 6 months.

Now on to the SEM. Marketing the website online to generate business.

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• Create the template to build the pages. This is accomplished by using separate PHP includes files for the header, navigation and footer.
• Build out all the pages to be used on the website.
• Create and insert the content into each page.
• Optimize each page using basic optimization techniques.
• Create internal links
• Create Site Map.

For a 20 page website, this should take an individual between 20-40 hours depending on the complexity of each page.

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http://www.secondplatform.com/client/sitetutor/perfectpropertywebsites-home1–5-3-2k8.jpg

http://www.secondplatform.com/client/sitetutor/perfectpropertywebsites-home2–5-3-2k8.jpg

http://www.secondplatform.com/client/sitetutor/perfectpropertywebsites-home3–5-3-2k8.jpg

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Over the years I have run into only 2 good designers whom are also good developers. They are not programmers, meaning they don’t create database driven websites, but great designers who also know how to build search engine friendly websites in HTML, ASP or PHP. The individuals whom I have worked with in the past whom I would recommend are listed below

Shannon Fermainian – Second Platform Web Design

Victor Spindler – Internet Ideals Web Design

If you have individuals you are interested in working with, make sure they have the following skills:

• Website Design and Navigation Skills (Different than print design or logo design etc..)
• Use Includes Files in the development of the website. This makes it easier for updating in the future.

OK, so you chose your designer. The next step is to provide them with a website outline so they can create a screen shot design for you to review. The outline should include the following:

• The color palette of the colors you want to use. This will come from the logo or you can also use a color chart. The color chart I have used in the past are located here….Color Charts

• The information you want in the header. This is important because the header is the same on each page.
• What type of Navigation you want to use. Horizontal Navigation, Vertical Navigation or Both.
• Layout of the content area: 1 column, 2 columns or 3 columns.
• What information you want in the footer located on the bottom of the page.
• A sitemap of all the major pages being developed for the website. The sitemap is a list of all the pages on the website, but for a developer / designer, it is the blueprint for the website, just like blueprints are used to build a house.

Once the designer has this information, they can then use their creative genius to create a design of the Home Page of the website.  In  regard to Perfect Property Websites, I will be using designs from Second Platform Designs.  I will post the mock-ups so that you can see the various choices.

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http://www.99designs.com/contests/5661

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So here is the first secret which I am revealing. Instead of paying $300 to $500 to a company for them to design a few logos from which you need to choose one, you can run a contest online for about 1/2 the cost and you can receive sometimes upwards of 50 different designs to choose from. Here is the website I have used in the past to run Logo Contests.

So today I started my contest to get a logo.

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Over the course of the last 4 years we have worked with clients who want to do what it takes to be successful on the internet.  This has been the primary focus of the business.  This has been very rewarding as it is a new industry with very few people really understanding the industry so if there is such a thing, I could consider myself an expert in the industry. Practically speaking however, I don’t think there are any experts, just individuals with a tremendous amount of knowledge practicing their craft each and every day.

Over this period, I have also worked with more established agents who have a strong business already but want to use the internet from the perspective of streamlining their business and using the tools provided by the internet.  Their main objective is not primarily generating leads, but providing the marketing necessary to offer a complete marketing and backend solution to buyers and sellers. This is where perfect property websites fits into the overall picture.

Property Websites are an “online marketing brochure” at a cost effective price.  They are great for Real Estate Agents to use in their listing presentations, FSBO’s to use when trying to sell their home, property managers and rental agents to promote their rental listings online and investors or builders looking to promote a new property or development.

The key to the success of this product will be the ability to cost effectively market the property over the internet.  Since the pricing of this product is geared to the mass market, there is only a small margin so the key to my efforts will be to generate enough traffic to the website via the internet to make it a profitable venture.

We will be using this blog to document my  real efforts so feel free to check back and see how we are doing.

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