1996 Interview
with
Becky Swann
the creator of the IRED Directory Q. Who actually reviews and rates the sites?
A.I do.
1999 Update: Debbie Shaddox took over as Reviews Editor and manager of a hand-selected review staff in August, 1996. Sharon Armstrong succeded Deb in June, 1999. Becky reviews only a few sites each week now.
Q. Is there really any benefit to rating sites?
A.
Real estate professionals view the ratings as a form of competition, and that really benefits the consumer. Consumers like the rating system because it helps them determine which sites really offer what they are looking for.
Q. What do you look for in a site?
A.
I try to look at the sites from the perspective of the consumer. What is here that would interest me? Why would I ever want to come back?
The answer is content. A pretty face is fine, but there has to be something more to make a consumer want to spend time there.
Q. So content is everything?
A. Not everything. Presentation counts too. But content makes up 90% of the rating.
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Q. If content is the primary factor, why do you generally give lower ratings to those sites which have the most property listings?
A. Listing your inventory is not providing content. Consumers aren't interested in seeing how many homes you can put up in a given amount of space. They want information.
Q. So you're saying that the WEB site should provide as much information about the company, agents, etc. as possible. In other words, provide the "personal touch"
A.
Wrong.
Consumers want information about the community. Yes, they want to see a sampling of available properties, but they are more interested in things like tax rates, utilities, schools, shopping, cultural activities, etc. They want to know how your community differs from theirs, and why they should consider moving there.
When you put up listings, showcase just a few. Don't mimic the MLS listings, or the Homes Review.
Give people real information about the house. Let them take a walk thru, and point out everything you would normally show them in real-time.
Remember too, you are attracting potential sellers, not just just prospective buyers. How you present your properties on the WEB will be perceived as an indication of how you will treat an actual client.
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