IDX Your Real Estate Website
You want to endeavor to make your real estate website as efficient as possible. The ideal method would be to rope in technology as it would ensure that your website is as powerful as your peers.
Technology can really do amazing things. Take IDX. Just visit any IDX web site to test its range of features. It would propel you to get your real estate website IDX enabled at the earliest. A customized website powered by technology would enable your prospective customers to get what they want at the drop of their hat.
IDX: What It Is
Internet Data Exchange (IDX) enables web developers access data associated with real estate listings from a multiple listing service (MLS). This allows for the creation of websites specifically for a real estate business. With Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS) technology, real estate data is effectively moved from MLS’s to an IDX hosting company. These providers can host a real estate website created specifically for you. A really effective real estate website would not do well sans RETS enabled IDX solutions.
Advantages
IDX real estate websites bring several advantages:
1. Usability – Websites become easy to browse and provide effective information on listings.
2. User-friendly – The technology adds an extra dimension to user-friendliness. The user can now extract the exact information that is needed
3. Vast Data – With IDX enabled access to listing data you can map a property, show comparable properties, recently sold information, showcase local business information and more.
4. Intuitive Search – People searching for good real estate websites actually want ways to find properties. If a user is looking for a ‘budget property in Detroit’, he should be able to easily get the relevant listing.
The SEO Angle
IDX makes SEO easier, bringing the utmost search engine benefit for your website. Here are some tips on how you can promote your IDEX enabled website on the internet.
1. Content Management – Built on powerful content management systems (CMS), IDX websites allow you to easily update content on your web pages. You need not be dependent on a technical person to do the job for you. You can modify your website yourself as you please.
2. On Site SEO – The system would enable you to generate search engine friendly URLs on-the-fly. It also makes putting in keywords, titles etc. easier as you don’t have to modify the code. The system does the tenuous task itself.
3. Blogging – Integrate your website with your blog. This would provide a platform for you to interact with your consumers as well as support your SEO efforts. The blog will put you face to face with your customers, helping them to connect with you.
4. Social Media – Pull in people interested in real estate through social media. Make Facebook fans and connect with your customers on Twitter. Integrate data with social media API’s.
It Helps to Get Rid of…
An IDX website would help you get away with several aspects of the ones which don’t use technology:
* templates which do not suit the subject of real estate
* the ugly bad frame you used to show property listings
* flash which does not appear on the mobile phones and negatively impacts SEO
* useless HTML code
* unnecessary sub domains made just for hosting IDX’s.
Customized and technology based realtor websites effectively serve their purpose. It ensures that you get your return on investment (ROI).
The author is associated with Intangent, which specializes in making website for realtor.