Change the Description on Your Listing

You have the power to overwrite the Listing Description that was pulled from the MLS on any of your listings within the GraphicalData database. This feature can come in handy when the description you originally submitted to the MLS changes, or you want to freshen up your listing.

Begin by logging in to your admin center at GraphicalData. Select the “Listing” tab at the top of the page and then select “Inventory” from the drop down. You will now see your listing(s) displayed.

Select the listing to edit by clicking on “View”, which brings up the editable listing detail page. At the page’s lower left is the Listing Description editing box. Make your changes and “Update Text”.

You can always default back to the original by following the instruction on the page for this item.

New Look...Improved...SchoolDigest and RelocationDigest

GraphicalData's SchoolDigest and RelocationDigest now both sport a new look, as well as the way the information is presented on your website. GD has updated the engine that drives these resources and they are now served up more seemless and better integrated within your website. Client's can save their favorite communities and schools and view them at a later time by logging back into their account on your website.

Users who included only the search tool on a page will have that page redirected to our new tool URL. Users who have chosen to nestle the search tool between other content on a page will see the tool replaced by one of the banners you see above. Clicking on the banner takes your website visitor to the new tool.

Adding A Photo Gallery Or Virtual Media To Your GraphicalData Powered Web Site

It is easy to add a Photo Gallery Tour to your listing in the GraphicalData database. The Photo Gallery will then show as a button when the actual listing is displayed.

But wait, there’s more…most any type of media that has a web address can be attached to your listing. So, this could be the photo gallery, the photo viewer, a 360 degree virtual tour that you have had created, etc.

How? First, determine the address of the Photo Gallery (or other media). Then, just sign into your GraphicalData admin page and select the Listings Tab in the top navigation bar. From there, drill down to “Inventory”. Any listing(s) that are current in the MLS should appear in this section. Select “View” on the listing you wish to add your media web address link to.

The applicable section is called “Virtual Tours”. You will note that there are 3 fields available to hold media links to. Select “Tour 1 Link” to begin. At this same point, are simple instructions on how to proceed. In essence, name what the link is to be called (ie Photo Gallery) and then paste in the link…save, and you are done.

Now, anyone who views your listing, will see your Photo Gallery (or other attached media).

Have you added the new "What Is Your Home Worth" to Your Website?

This new featured tool could be called "What Is Your Home Worth?" or "Home Value Estimator" or anything that describes what it does. It is now available in your page option modules and is called the "Home Value Estimator" and can be loaded onto your home page, or a lower level page.

If adding to a lower level page, additional verbiage can be inserted along with it to perhaps set the stage somewhat (provided at end of this post). First insert the following text (via the HTML Editor) and then load Home Value Estimator module beneath it. This will give a nice page. View an example here. In this example, I even used 2 HTML editors and placed some of the text before the Home Value Estimator and some after...you can be as creative as you like! And I even dropped in a contact form beneath that for good measure...

Here is the verbiage >>>

Determine the approximate value of your home by completing the information fields below. This is approximate only as I have not actually viewed your home, and therefore all factors cannot be added or deducted from the estimated value.

The following home estimate tool provides information on recent closed sales for the past 6 months within 1 mile radius of the subject property address of your search.

This Home Value Estimator is not a formal appraisal of your home’s value. If you would like a Comparative Market Analysis of your home’s value, please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to provide that invaluable "human touch" and make available a more detailed analysis report.

Have You Been Receiving All Your Emails?

There is so much Spam out there, that many companies and email providers have implemented anti-spam type of filters to help solve the problem. This in itself can create another problem…missed or undelivered emails to you.

After analyzing this situation, I have found that many legitimate folks that use free email systems such as hotmail fall victim to many of the spam filters. The reason being that many spammers use the free services and then when they have to move on to a new email, it is easy to do…and at no cost to them.

The net result to you…the email from a legitimate party may be lying in a spam mail file. I would highly recommend that you check your spam mail at least once a week to see if a potentially important message is waiting for you. Your email provider may have spam settings as well as you having spam settings on your own computer...so just be aware of this challenge.

Another good solution lies in your GraphicalData back door admin center. The new redesigned interface of the admin center provides you with the latest 10 emails that have been sent to you via a form from your GD website. Now this doesn’t solve the delivery issue of other emails from other sources, but at least those lead generating emails from your website will show. This email display section is located at the bottom left of your admin center on the first page after logging in.

Wow, what a cool idea for quick monitoring of one of your most important means of communication.

Did You Know You Have VOW On Your Website?

What is a VOW? The acronym VOW stands for "Virtual Office Website". A VOW real estate web site allows you to provide your site visitors more powerful access to MLS data in exchange for their contact information. A VOW is where the public can enter, provide contact information, create their own password-protected user account, describe their property interest, and then conduct searches of all available listings within our MLS.

This all sounds cool and is probably pretty much what we expect the public to view on our websites. However, once the VOW has been activated by you via your admin center, all listings and additional information details can be displayed.

What do I mean by this? In some areas, the public is not allowed to see addresses, driving directions and selected pieces of listing information ... unless an account is created by the visitor on your website. Display rules are set by the MLS and once the visitor has created his/her account, they become a bona fide customer / client and are allowed to view this additional information.

Of course, they can save their searches and their favorite listings. And, they can opt in for email notification of new listings meeting their search criteria from this account as well.

So, how does this all work? What must you do to provide VOW to your visitors who sign up? In a nutshell, here would be the process:

When a user visits your web site for the first time, typically they will do a search and if they want to save it, or their favorites, or opt in for additional features not available to the general public, they are presented with two options: register as a new user or log in as an existing user. A new user is required to enter his/her basic contact information and the criteria for his/her first saved search. Upon registration completion, the new user becomes a “registered user” and is notified via email with instructions on how to activate and access their account. You, also receive an email notifying you of the new registered users contact information. NOW HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART…When you receive your notification via email that a new account has been created, you need to go into your GD Admin Center and activate the VOW to their account.

How do you do this? Simple! Just sign in to your GD admin center. Then go to your Website section. In the left panel of navigation icons is the “Manage Your Website Contacts” section (as denoted by the orange symbol graphic displayed here). This section displays your website contacts. Select the “edit pencil” for the contact that just created their account. You will see the “VOW” access option which is probably turned “off”. Merely click on it to turn it “on” and you have activated their VOW.

In a nutshell then, GD Sign In Page > Website > Manage Your Website Contacts > Website Contact > Edit > Turn On (VOW)

Any time the registered user returns to your site, they may log in as a registered user. Upon logging in, registered users are directed to their private admin center. From this screen they are able to manage their profiles, search home listings, save searches, save homes and request more information.

This is a cool way to provide something special and lock in a visitor to your web site.