....OK, I've avoided it quite nicely until now - that question that everyone asks me - what should be on a Realtor Website?....
Are you a republican or a Democrat? Beer or Wine? Chevrolet or Cadillac? Twins or Vikings? My answer is, your web page should be a lot like you. A lot like how you do (and/or want to do business,) and who you want to do business with. Ask a half dozen "net gurus," "webmasters," and "marketing wonks" the same question and you'll get widely divergent answers, many of them good ones. Here's my admittedly conservative point of view. These are the basics. Master these parts in your web page BEFORE moving on to animation, frames, streaming audio, and whatever else seems appropriate for you.
1) Establish a "main page" that can be directly loaded by any browser. Make sure it's not showing lots of links or "Frames" to Your Company's or other Realtors' and/or your Area Association of Realtors. Make sure you have Keywords (See your guru.) Yes, everyone will find everyone eventually, but you want the ability to promote YOU first...
2) Get Good Photographs turned into good scans! Look for high quality scans that also load quickly (small file sizes.) It's a visual medium - get good quality photos of you! I personally believe "more photos is better," provided they are telling your story and not just simple repetition. Why not get shots of you around your market area and post them on your web page with area info????
3) Make it Custom. Make sure your Home page is custom designed and controlled by you. You may very well never mess with the page - have someone else do that for you. But look for ways to make your page(s) fit in with your other forms and styles of marketing. Avoid a home page that only offers you "bullets" or "cookie cutter" fill-in to make your page. Shop around and you'll find a competent designer or server/service willing to do a custom page for you for a similar price.
4) Get good "brochure" material together. Give your web-provider as much material and graphics to assemble a good brochure/page. Include plenty of information both about yourself and also your programs and services for buyers/sellers. When a viewer is looking for a Realtor don't you think that they won't "print out" perhaps quite a few Realtor pages for later study, reference, and review? Your page is a personal brochure and resume combined.
5) Ask for Business. Make sure you have very convenient e-mail links for immediate viewer response. Write your ad copy on listings offering additional info (plat maps, school info, etc. via e-mail.) Offer good reasons to contact you, and then follow through! In addition, spend a little more if you like the idea of having a "customer response form" that can be filled out and directly e-mailed to you. Be careful of systems that "forward" you or fax you these responses, all salespeople want to get their own leads immediately. *Note: a generic response form is very ineffective compared to a form that ties into a "special" and "unique" service package or bundle.
The above is your main base - your HOME PAGE! Keep it simple, fast loading, and informative. I believe that rapport-building is the first step in the sales process, and one that a good internet web page can deliver! Besides, one of the great advantages of web marketing is the ability to GROW and EVOLVE your web site from this beginning point. Notice that I didn't mention a whole lot about links yet. I'll spend my next "Notes.." on the topic of links - there's enough ideas there for an entire posting!