Modifying Your SnapViewer

You can create as many SnapViewers as you like for placement on various pages of your website. Typically, you will be modifing an existing SnapViewer that Agent Support Center or GraphicalData has created within your site.

When modifying a SnapViewer that has already been created in your GD site, just follow the following simple steps:

1. Login as you normally would in your admin center using your email and password
2. Select Tools >>> Marketing Tools
3. Select SnapViewer
4. Then in the upper left corner of the subsequent page, select "Edit" under "Edit an Existing SnapViewer"
5. On the page to follow, it will be evident how to add new MLS#s or replace existing MLS#s
6. When satisfied, click the "Build Snap-Viewer" button and it will instantly update your SnapViewer Flash presentation

How To Search This Blog

Sometimes there is just too much information to sift through in finding what we are looking for...

In the case of this blog, the 10 most current articles are posted here in the main body. "Previous Posts" are found in the right hand column of this blog (they are the same 10 articles as found in the body of this blog...just links to each ).

"Archieves" are past articles posted by month and can be accessed just below the Previous Posts. Incidently, most all archieved posts are as valid as the day I posted them as they relate to GraphicalData websites and contain a wealth of information on most all topics.

An additional way to search is to use the search field at the very top of this blog site. Just type in the keyword or keyword phrase that you are loking for and submit "Search This Blog" for this site (you can also submit "Search All Blogs" option for the entire blogging network, but these results will not be specific to your website...however, they may still be of interest).

A drawback to this type of search is that if your keyword for a specific topic is different than the keyword phrase I am using in my article, then it will not show in your results.

Hopefully this brief article helps in understanding how to find articles of interest. You just can't beat the drilling down by month as you will discover other artricles that will be of interest to you.

Do You Want Your Website To Show Well In The Search Engines???

Want your GraphicalData site to show well in the search engines without spending thousands of dollars to do so?

Then mark the following date, time and place on your calendar:

• Thursday, July 27th
• 9:30 AM
• Silverdale office of Windermere
  

Ozzie will be covering "how search engines think", good page content, Title and Meta Tags, sitemap, links (inbound and outbound, online directories, facts and hype, understanding your stats, etc. We will look at what it takes to show well as far as page content...how often to you need to add fresh material...do you need to submit on a regular basis...and more Search Engine Optimization tactics.

And we will field any questions that you might have...and provide resources that will help you.

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I probably mother hen our accounts too much sometimes, as I really want all of you to have profitable web sites. If the above class will benefit you, then you need to attend if at all possible.

However, I also realize that many of you are just too busy and/or have no desire to learn how to optimize your website. But, you still really need to do so! You have invested "x" amount of time and effort into your site...so, if you choose, we can provide front end search engine optimization for you. Call Agent Support Center for our services and rates.

You have your website up and running, now let others know you are there!

Listings Mapped Correctly

If your listing is mapped incorrectly, then you have the power to modify its street location.

This is easy to do…just sign into your GraphicalData admin center account and navigate to the Listings tab at the top of the page. From here, select “Inventory” and then “View” the appropriate listing.

In the right hand center of the page you will find “Property Map – Click here to reposition property”. You can then follow the simple instructions.

If you do not feel comfortable making the change yourself, contact GraphicalData…they will be happy to do it for you.

GraphicalData claims a 99% accuracy rating on their geo-mapping, so nearly all of your listings should be mapped correctly most of the time.

Real Estate Blogs…The Essentials

If you have taken the leap and are indeed maintaining a real estate blog, some thoughts on your content:

Stay focused on your profession or the reason you are blogging. Post good quality, original content whenever possible. If you can give value towards your business and the topics at hand, your blog articles can help establish you as an authority on your local market.

A real estate blog should be specific to your region or marketplace (unless you are on a more general, national level). You need to focus your posts locally.

Be an authority. People like to deal with people that know their business…show them you know yours!

Of course, there are times where you will provide a good link to someone else’s content and the like when you find a good read for your audience elsewhere.

Bottom line, if you provide good content on a regular basis, you will be rewarded not only by folks using your site(s), but also by the search engines who are really getting good and giving credit where credit is due (by ranking sites accordingly).

Understanding the “What Is Your Home Worth?" Feature

The concept behind this feature is not necessarily to provide an accurate appraisal report at the whim of a visitor’s request, as that would be nearly impossible to do. We all know that to provide a valid report, an appraiser or real estate agent would really need to view the property, look at closed comps, review current comparable properties, make adjustments, etc.

And even if we could provide an accurate pricing analysis on a property from our web site, think about it. If a computer could evaluate the price/value of a home, we had all better start looking for a new job, they don't need an agent.

The whole point is to show the visitor that they do need an agent…and to contact an agent (you) to provide a real live market analysis with a “personal touch”.

To help make this more obvious the visitor, I am adding the following verbiage to most pages when the module is added as a lower level page, and at least one of the following paragraphs even when on the front home page:
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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 the value of your home. If you would like a Comparative Market Analysis, please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to provide that invaluable "human touch" and make available a more detailed analysis report.

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Once a user has his/her results, the following information/instructions are provided on the results page:

"Listed below are the homes nearest to your property that have recently sold. If the homes listed below do not resemble your property uncheck it's box and recalculate at the bottom of the page. To see more information about the sold property click on the photo of the property."

You can see that the user has the ability to modify the values by allowing the user to deselect any low end or high end properties that may not be reflective of their property and then they can recalculate.

NOTE 1: Other helpful names for a button or title/header at the top of this specific page could be “Home Value Estimator” or” Neighborhood Solds”,…or anything else that you feel appropriately identifies what this feature does on your site.

NOTE 2: In the event that you were unaware, this is also a lead generating system, anyone who fills out the information and submits it from this module generates an email to you with their email and the subject property they were endeavoring to determine the value on…how you treat this lead is up to you. This is a fair trade, as by providing you info, then they receive info.

NOTE 3: Additional information is available on this newer “What Is Your Home Worth?” feature in an earlier post.