Modal Windows : Myths, Fears, & Conversions

What's a Modal Window?

You may already be familiar with the Modal Window feature of your Sequoia website for realtors, especially if you attended our LogicClassroom about Maximizing Lead Conversion! We hope you've had your Modal Windows turned on since your site went live!

We have seen our clients' lead capture rates increase significantly time and time again once they utilize this basic, yet crucial feature of their new Sequoia website design for realtors.

A Modal Window functions similarly to a pop-up window in that it is a small dialog box that appears in the center of the screen above the contents of the page the visitor is on. Pop-up windows are easily dismissed or ignored, however, whereas a Modal Window requires the visitor's attention before allowing them to proceed to the rest of the website. Modal Windows will still appear even if the visitor is using a pop-up blocker on their system.

How Modal Windows Work:

On your Sequoia website, the Modal Window (once enabled) will appear when a new visitor uses a property search on your site. The search results will be displayed, but will be elegantly faded out and disabled so that the visitor can only see the list of properties that match their query, but they won't be able to click on any of the properties on the list for more information until they fill out the contact form in your Modal Window.

If the visitor tries to scroll down the page, they can see the extensive list of properties in the background scrolling, but the Modal Window will continue to hover over the disabled results until they fill out the form or hit the 'Back to Search' button.

The ability to see the extensive list of properties behind the window helps assure the visitor that you have the information they are looking for, and that there is a large list of properties matching their criteria to choose from upon submitting their contact information.

Some of clients have expressed concerns about implementing Modal Windows on their site. They are concerned that Modal Windows will drive visitors away from the site entirely and cause them lose quality leads. This could not be further from the truth! We've had clients disable their Modal Windows in hopes of capturing more leads without prompting visitors to fill out their contact information in exchange for listing information, only to have the clients turn the Modal Windows back on within less than a month of testing the site without them!

Modal Windows are becoming more popular for websites across the internet and users are getting used to the requirement to sign up for an account in order to access information on a large variety of websites- everything from social networking sites, to news archives, and even e-commerce websites. Visitors will see that you offer the information they are after with the ability to scroll the results behind the Modal Window, and if they are serious about finding a new home or apartment, will have no issue with filling out your contact form.

Enabling Your Modal Windows:

If you haven't done so already, here is how you enable the Modal Windows on your new Sequoia website:

1. Log into your website, and go to the 'Settings' Tab.

2. Select 'Configuration' from the sub navigation menu on the Settings Tab.

3. Scroll down the Configuration settings panel until your reach the section titled 'Lead Options'.

4. From here, you can simply check the boxes next to where you want to Modal Window to appear.

We suggest enabling the Modal Window for Rental, Sale, and Luxury Developments to get the most leads. To make your Modal Window less intimidating to visitors, you can leave the 'Require Lead Phone Number' option unchecked, so the visitor doesn't have to supply that information, only their name and email.

Now that you can see how easy it is to enable your Modal Window, we hope that you will make use of this great feature to help you capture more leads within your realtor internet marketing campaign!

If you still have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us for support!

New Realtor Web Site Design Launch! Sherrygrancey.com: 8/12/2010

Sherry Grancey wanted to employ one of our expertly designed, ready to deploy themes, but she had a unique problem.

Sherry is a Gibson Sotheby's agent, and Sotheby's has strict rules about how their brand can be represented on the web and in print. In order to get Sherry the site she wanted and also comply with Sotheby's regulations, we changed fonts, colors, and logo positioning on the template Sherry knew she wanted to use.

Compliance with brand identity standards is a necessity for many agents, and Sequoia's real estate website designers are ready and able to make sure the custom real estate website design theme you want will comply. If your agency requires certain fonts, colors, or logo placement, we will be happy to incorporate them into the theme of your choice. Of course, we will also work with you to choose a theme that will respond as well as possible to the changes - Sherry Grancey's Theme looks right at home with Sotheby's corporate colors and fonts.

The following quote is a testimonial from Sherry:

"Boston Logic was immensely patient and hands on in helping me with my new website. I was skeptical due to a previous bad experience with a real estate website designer, but Boston Logic's staff listened to my concerns, answered my questions and provided the training I needed for someone like me who is clueless regarding web technology. I would recommend them highly."

Sherry Grancey is an agent with Gibson Sotheby's International Realty. She specializes in distinctive city and waterfront properties in Boston and Charlestown.

Control Your Real Estate Website Visitor Access Through Access Levels

Do you have certain forms, pages, or content that you do not want a visitor to your site to be able to view unless they are an employee or have signed up for an account on your website for realtors? If so, you'll want to keep reading to learn how to utilize your real estate website's Access Levels to give you more control over who sees what on your website.

Once you have launched your new real estate website design, you have the ability to choose who can see certain pages on your website, such as an internal agent bulletin board. If you choose to have select pages that a visitor must be signed in to view, you page will not appear on your site until they log into their account, or an account that is created for them.

Remember, if you have questions, you can contact us at any time, or watch the comprehensive demo video on Editing Your Website Settings.

To edit the access levels of your website, follow the simple instructions outlined below!
Edit Your Access Levels

Here is the rundown on how to set access levels for pages within your Sequoia website:

1. Find the page that you would like to set an access level for and select 'Edit'.

2. The next page that will appear is the same page that allows you to edit your content.

a. Scroll down to "Who can see this page."

b. Select Show.

c. All boxes are checked by default, which means everyone is able to view this page.

3. De-select the check-boxes for accounts that you do not to have access to the page you are editing. The two most important accounts to note are Lead and Anonymous User.
Lead Management Tab

a. A Lead is someone who must be signed into their account on your website to view a page.

b. An Anonymous User is anybody that visits your site and does not sign into an account on the website.

4. After you have completed selecting who can and cannot view a certain page, select the 'Create' button if it is a new page, or 'Update' if you are editing a current page.

You page now has an access level associated with it! Just like the pages within your website, you may go back and change your access levels as often as you wish.

Questions? Comments? Interested in integrating this feature in a brand new Sequoia-designed website for realtors?

Create More Potential Leads With Dynamic Forms!

So far, you have optimized and populated your content, created keyword-rich town pages, and now understand the basics of managing your website. We are going to delve a bit deeper into your website, by utilizing a tool that will keep users who land on your website engaged: Boston Logic's Dynamic Forms Tool.

Within your CMS (content management system) you have the ability to create your own forms. This can include anything from collecting basic contact information, requesting an evaluation on a sale or rental, to inquiries of all types. Creating a form is similar to creating a page within your CMS, and you can apply it to anywhere within your website.

Our newest optional feature in real estate website design, Dynamic Forms lets you create customizable forms for your users to fill out. From simple lead capture forms and requests for information to full questionnaires and more, you can build your own forms with checkboxes, radio buttons, required fields, file uploads, calendar selections, and much more!

Don't have the Forms feature enabled on your website? Contact us today to get set up!

To begin creating forms for your site, follow the simple instructions outlined below:

1. Log into the backend of your website using the LOGIN button in the upper right hand corner of your site.

2. Scroll to the CMS Tab and select "Dynamic Forms"

3. Select "Create New Form"

4. Design your form by entering the information you would like to have appear to your site visitors. In the first part, include all instructions on what you would like include in the form.

a. You also have the option to select if you would like the lead capture modal window to appear before they fill out the form which prompts them to sign into your website first.
b. The email address that you include is where all form submissions will be sent to.

5. Don't forget to fill out the second half where you can choose which fields you want to include in your form.
a. You can choose if you would like additional fields to be required.

b. To re-order fields, simply click and drag the arrows next to the filed type titles.

1. Once you have completed your form, Select "Save Changes."
2. After your form has been successfully created you will see a message that states, "The form Request an Evaluation was successfully updated."
Your form will now be active in the dynamic form section! Edits can be made as often as you wish to the form.

To add your form to the front-end of your website complete the following:
1. Under CMS, select "Pages"
2. Select "Create New" on the right hand side above all current pages
3. Enter Name, Path, and Page header: Similar to adding a regular page to the website.

1. Leave Body Content Blank - Scroll Down to "Form" and select the form you would like to add to the page.

1. After you select the correct form, select "Create".
a. The form will now appear as its own page within the pages of the website!

2. A form can either be added to a menu or used as a link within the website.
a. To add a form as a menu item, it is going to be added the same way you add a page to a menu.
i. Go to Menu > Primary Navigation > Create New
ii. Enter Menu Text > Find Form Page > Enter parent if applicable > select Create
iii. The Form will appear as a Menu Item within your Menu Bar

1. To add a Form as a link, select Edit on the Page that it is to be added to.
2. Enter the text associated with the Form (typically the form name, ie. "Request an Evaluation")
3. Select the Insert/Edit Link Tab on right hand side of tool bar
a. In the URL, enter the Form's path name (ie. "request-evaluation")

b. Text will now be hyperlinked to your form.
c. Select update page. Text will now link to Form.

Congratulations!

Users can now fill out your form to gain more information from you, and you now have an increased opportunity to make contact with users and close more sales.

Boston Logic is here to assist you in your real estate website's success. You can also contact Boston Logic's support team at any time for assistance.

Town Pages Improve Your SEO & User Experience

If you’ve started reading any of the blogs here or at RealEstateSEO1.com or BostonLogic.com, then you know that for a successful SEO campaign, unique high quality (and keyword-rich) content is king! But how do you add that type of valuable content to your real estate website?

LEVERAGE WHAT YOUR ALREADY KNOW:

One of the easiest ways to leverage your expertise in the real estate industry - and provide your real estate agent website design with keyword-rich content that is useful to search engines and visitors alike - is by adding Town Pages. Town Pages are pages with a paragraph or so you create with helpful information about an area, and dynamic search results you control by setting criteria when building the page. If your offices' websites for realtors currently does not include town pages, you can upgrade your website to include town pages for only $20 per month!

The information on these pages can be what you would tell someone looking for a new home in the area in question; you can talk about the demographics of the area, the great amenities, the architecture, the public transportation, etc. Basically anything you think clients would find useful or interesting. In addition, information on properties in the area such as average price, number of properties on market, and more is automatically added to the page.

HOW TO CREATE A TOWN PAGE IN THE SEQUOIA SYSTEM:

1. Log into your website. Click on the 'CMS' (Content Management System) Tab.

2. Select the 'Pages' text link from the sub-navigation menu.

3. From the 'Pages' menu, click on the 'Create New' button with the green plus sign icon. Then fill out the form in the 'Create Page' pop-up window that appears.

4. Fill in the Town Page information:

a. Name: This is your internal reference for the page- visitors won't see it. We recommend including the words 'Town Page' at the end so they are easy to find in the Pages Menu.

b. Path: This is the URL your clients will see in their navigation bar and it is also used by Search Engines to help rank your site. Make sure you use a keyword you want to rank for ('Fenway Apartments', in the example above).

c. Redirect URL: Leave this blank for your Town Pages unless you want to redirect your visitors to a different page on your site.

5. Page Content:

a. Page Header: This is the headline of your page that visitors will see when they land on this page. Make sure it is relevant, and utilizes one or more of your keywords.

b. Body Content: This is where you enter that paragraph of useful text you created. If you are pasting your text from a Word Document or Text Pad/ Notebook program, make sure to use the appropriate pasting option from the tool bar. You can edit the text within this box much like a Word Document, changing text with Bold or italic styles, adding hyperlinks, etc. using the icons in the tool bar.

6. Meta Data: This section is where you enter your SEO Title, Description, and Keywords as covered in our earlier email about Optimizing Your Pages. Remember to make sure your Title and Description are readable to a viewer and not a rambling list of Keywords.

7. Don’t worry about the ‘Footer Content’ or ‘Who Can See This Page’ for this lesson. The default settings are fine.

8. Hit the 'Create' Button when you are finished!

9. Your new Town Page will now appear on your 'Pages' list. Ta-Da! Congrats! You've just created your first Town Page!

You can now link to this page, using the URL you created, from blog posts or other pages that mention the neighborhood. The more relevant internal links your site has, the better for SEO and user experience. For example, if you mention something about Fenway Condos for Sale in your Fenway Apartments Town Page, make the words 'Fenway Condos' a hyperlink to a Town Page about Fenway Condos for Sale. If you talk about the Fenway's proximity to another neighborhood, link to that Town Page, too! Your potential client might not be sold on the Fenway area and you can keep them looking on your site longer by providing them with helpful links to other information they might find useful. To automatically boost SEO for your site, be sure to ink each of your Town Pages to dynamic (c0nstantly updating) Property Search results!

LINKING YOUR TOWN PAGE TO DYNAMIC CONTENT:

By linking your Town Pages to a Sales or Rental Property Search for that area, you will create a page with not only great text for visitors and search engines, but also a page with constantly updating information, which is great for SEO! We recommend making a Town Page for every area you want to increase your Sales or Rental activity in, to help improve your real estate online marketing campaign.

1. From the 'CMS' Tab, select the 'Town Pages' link from the sub-navigation bar.

2. Click the blue link for a 'New Town Page' from within the Town SEO Pages Menu.

3. The 'New Town Page' popup window will appear. Select the Town Page you just created from the 'CMS Page' dropdown menu.

4. Select the 'Search Type' you want associated with this page (Sales or Rentals).

5. Then select the search parameters for the listings you wish to show to visitors on this page, such as price range and the location (Fenway in this example). Be sure not to leave the price range blank or it will cause errors on your page or lead visitors to believe there are no listings available in this area.

6. Click the 'Create Page' button at the bottom of the screen once you've entered all your information.

Your new Town Page now appears in your Town Pages menu under the 'CMS' Tab and is linked to a relevant search to keep your page constantly refreshed with new information and no more effort on your part!

You're ALMOST DONE! Now you just have to make it so visitors can find your new page without knowing the URL through real estate website marketing. The best way to optimize your new Town Pages is to create a link to it that can be clicked on from any page of your website. This will ensure that users and search engines can find it!

MAKING YOUR TOWN PAGE EASY TO FIND:

Did you know that search engines cannot see information in forms, such as the drop down menus used in your property searches? In fact, search engines often only 'crawl' within 3 clicks of your website's Home Page. Search engines and users alike will find it easier to navigate to your Town Page if it is prominently displayed.

The ‘Town Page Footer Navigation Menu’ feature of the Sequoia system offers a great solution to this SEO dilemma, allowing you to create a text link (which search engines DO see) on the bottom of every page of your site (including your Home Page) using the keywords you chose when creating your Town Page. Adding each Town Page to this menu will increase real estate internet marketing presence, SEO, and promote ease of use for your customers.

1. From your ‘CMS’ Tab, select the ‘Menus’ link from the Sub Navigation Bar.

2. Select the link ‘Menu Items’ from the ‘Town Pages’ row on the Menus List.

3. In the ‘Menu Items for Town Pages’ drop down that appears, click the ‘Create New’ button.

4. Creating Your Footer Link:

a. Menu Text: This is the text that will appear at the bottom of your pages as a hyperlink to your new Town Page. Make sure the Menu Text you create is one of your keywords, so, in our example, the Footer link would say ‘Fenway Apartments’.

b. Page: This is where you select the page you want this link to go to. This is why we find it helpful to include the words ‘Town Page’ in the name of the Town Pages you create.

c. External Link: Only use this if you want to create a Footer Navigation Link to a page outside of your website, such as to an affiliated site, instead of an internal link.

d. Click the ‘Create’ button.

You're DONE! Your new Town Page now appears in the ‘Town Page Footer Navigation’ Menu, and in the footer of your website.

Once you create multiple Town Pages, you can change the order in which they appear in the footer navigation by click and dragging the menu item up or down by the green arrows icon to the right on this screen. Below is an example of what a hyperlink for your new Town Page will look like in your Home Page footer.

Now all the valuable content your wrote for your users and search engines is just 1 click from your Home Page, helping you begin to rank higher in organic search engine results for the keywords you are targeting!

Boston Logic offers various SEO and Social Media Services if you’d rather focus on your clients instead of your website! Feel free to contact me with any questions or for more information about our services!

Agent Websites Now Available on the Sequoia Platform! 7/16/2010

For Boston Logic's Agent Sites, we employ the same industry leading technology as found behind our broker web design office sites - in addition to enhance personal real estate online marketing features.

Until now, Boston Logic did not offer a cost-effective solution for Real Estate agents who wanted to have their own personally branded, custom real estate website. Well, so many individual agents asked us to create such a product, that we couldn't say no any longer!

Like our sites for Real Estate Offices, Agent Sites are designed to help you rank in the search engines, leverage social media, produce more traffic, and convert more of that traffic into leads. The difference is ownership - Agent Sites not only work seamlessly with the LogicLeads system of your company's Sequoia site, they can generate their own unique leads which go directly to the agent who owns the site. Aggregating leads from your Agent Site and your office's Sequoia site will increase the amount of business going directly to you.

Of course, Agent Sites have all New Sequoia Features of the best-in-class features that make Sequoia the leading platform in Real Estate agent website design: branded site designs with an unlimited number of pages, advanced lead management, unlimited editable lead capture forms, MLS property search with Google maps, extensive interactive user tools, rental search, and much, much more.

Our websites for Realtors offices consistently produce leads, traffic, and search engine ranking. Positioned at the cutting edge of online marketing and technology, Sequoia sites support next generation marketing campaigns, work seamlessly with social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and give offices the edge over their competition. Now individual agents can tap into the power of the best software platform in the industry - by using Sequoia Agent Sites.

Explore the power of your personal brand and the unlimited lead generation potential the web has to offer. To find out more about Agent Sites and the Sequoia platform: web design for realtors, contact Boston Logic today.

Realtors Now Looking to the Web for an Edge

In an article by Jennifer LeClaire of the Boston Business journal, real estate brokers are relying more and more on online marketing in this current market. Email marketing alone was hailed as a vital component of realtor internet marketing, as is an extremely effective way to engage and communicate with existing customers and future prospects - and has led the way in taking real estate services to the next level.

ConstantContact has recently conducted a survey in which nearly 60% of respondents indicated that they currently use real estate web sites and email marketing to drive more potential customers to their businesses. Now, more than ever, it is important for real estate agents and brokers to establish effective means to build and maintain strong customer relationships. And with the right website and online marketing campaign, more contacts = more leads = more closings.

But simply having a web site is not enough - you have to advertise it to gain drive traffic to your site to get leads. And furthermore, you must understand where your traffic is coming from so that you can narrow the focus of your advertising efforts. When executed and maintained correctly, as much as 50% of your business can come through your website. And if maintained and tended to consistently correctly over time, you will see a growth in business. The National Association of Realtor data states that more than 80% of home buyers will start their property search online, and 70% will then work with the agent that contacts them first.

Blogs are also a key tool for real estate businesses, and they are great resources for search engines to crawl for relevant search content. After time, blogs can attract much organic search engine traffic because of their keyword-rich content. So your real estate internet presence can make the effectiveness of print ads or billboards a thing of the past - as long as you work consistently on your website, blog, and email marketing campaigns, customers will find you.

Keep the Upgrades Coming! 6/15/2010

Once again, our developers have been hard at work innovating new ways to make more comprehensive and user-friendly websites for realtors. Browse through the following features, and contact us on how you can get started on your new real estate website design today!

We've added a Similar Listings option - companies can now turn on or off Similar Listings in their Settings. The feature shows up to six similar properties for sale in your property details view. The criteria for similarity are simply that the comparable properties come from the same MLS, the same town, and the same neighborhood if applicable, that their price be within 10% of the original property, and that their bed and bath count be plus or minus one of the original. The similar properties have to be active in MLS and have the same property type. This is a great way to show your customers other great listings that match their search criteria, keeping them engaged and on your site for longer.

We've enabled brokers and agents to manually send daily email updates. This can be done both for sales and rentals. If a new leads signs up and you don't want them to have to wait until the next day to get their first email, you can generate it right away using their search criteria (or criteria you set up for them).

We've also built an HTML search code generator that agents can place anywhere on the Web. Agents can generate the code from their profile details page when logged into the system - when the code is pasted on an outside site, it shows a search tool which sends leads back to the site the code was generated from. This is a great way for agents to gain more exposure, and leads coming in from these searches are automatically assigned to the agent who pasted the code!

Additionally, we made our Property Tools, such as Schedule a Showing and Contact an Agent, automatically assign leads to the agent who listed the property in question. If a lead uses the tools for a property listed by an outside agent, the leads become Unassigned (or are auto-assigned if you have automatic lead assignment turned on in your Settings). Any tool use by leads already logged in results in the activity being sent to the agent the lead is already assigned to, regardless of which property they are interested in.

Check back in often for more software upgrades for property web design!

New Features in Sequoia Now Live: 6/10/2010

The always-innovating developers at Boston Logic have released four major features now available for Sequoia real estate websites. Check out what's new in web design for realtors, and be sure to contact us on how you can get started on your own custom real estate website and real estate online marketing campaign today!

1. You can now set the default rate that appears in the Mortgage Calculator property tool in your Settings tab. This is the number that shows up when the tool is opened - but as always, you can type in a different number at any time. To access, go under the "Search Options / Sales" section, and is called "Default Mortgage Rate".

2. We've added the ability to indicate whether a Town Page should return only Bank Owned or Foreclosed properties. This is true of the back end searches available to agents and brokers only. When you set up a Town Page thusly, the only results you will see are bank-owned (foreclosed) properties.

3. The Contact and Agent, Schedule a Showing, and Email a Friend property tools are all linked to the listing agent. Rather than letting customers choose a preferred agent as in the past, the system now automatically associates any use of these tools with the listing agent if the agent is a user on the site. That means that any agent with a user profile on the site will get leads sent directly to them. If the property was not listed by an agent with a user profile, as in an agent of another firm, the leads will go to Unassigned.

4. If your MLS requires lead email verification (currently the only one we work with is Cape Cod and Islands MLS) you will now have an Unverified Leads subnav item under your Lead Management tab. This lets you view any customers who used the site but did not verify their account in order to view full property details.

"I hired a guy to design my real estate website…"

We hear it all the time. "I hired a web designer" or "My friend's friend designed my site" or "I work with a designer, they do my business cards and logo."

When we hear real estate agents and brokers tell us "I hired a guy to design my site," we know a few things are almost certainly true:

It's likely that your site is missing critical real estate specific functionality such as:
- The site has no property search or the search is in an iFrame - this impedes your search engine placement
- Your site probably doesn't have any way for a user to register and save favorites, get nightly email updates, or personalize their experience
It might be hard to edit your site. Every time you want to do so, you have to call the web developer or designer and pay more money.
Adding a blog to your site might be hard. might take a while. might be impossible = your designer doesn't know how to do it.
There's likely no lead management functionality behind your site, let alone the ability to track a user's searches, when they come back, how often, and what listings they look at.
You probably don't know how many leads your getting on your site and from which sources. In fact, you probably don't know much at all about how your site is performing. You might know roughly how many leads sign up each day, if any, but can you quote real traffic numbers, conversion rates, and other vital stats?

Now, here's the real sad part. You probably paid more for this independent designer, who knows little about real estate websites or real estate website design, to get your poorly featured site up and running than you would have paid to us. Why? How can we make this so unbelievably affordable? Well, it's pretty simple. Experience and volume. We know what works, we've done this about 1000 times and our team knows the real estate website industry better than just about anyone.

Give us a call or drop us an email and we'll tell you exactly what you're missing out on.

Modal Windows : Myths, Fears, & Conversions

What's a Modal Window?

How Modal Windows Work:

Enabling Your Modal Windows:

Related Links:

New Realtor Web Site Design Launch! Sherrygrancey.com: 8/12/2010

Related Links:

Control Your Real Estate Website Visitor Access Through Access Levels

Related Links:

Create More Potential Leads With Dynamic Forms!

Related Links:

Town Pages Improve Your SEO & User Experience

LEVERAGE WHAT YOUR ALREADY KNOW:

HOW TO CREATE A TOWN PAGE IN THE SEQUOIA SYSTEM:

LINKING YOUR TOWN PAGE TO DYNAMIC CONTENT:

MAKING YOUR TOWN PAGE EASY TO FIND:

Related Links:

Agent Websites Now Available on the Sequoia Platform! 7/16/2010

Related Links:

Realtors Now Looking to the Web for an Edge

Related Links:

Keep the Upgrades Coming! 6/15/2010

Related Links:

New Features in Sequoia Now Live: 6/10/2010

Related Links:

"I hired a guy to design my real estate website…"

Related Links:

Search

Archives

What is the Sequoia System

Recently Written

Categories