Take a Look. You'll enjoy this One!

MikeinFlorida · #1 (**permalink**) 10-16-2005, 12:59 AM

We've been on and off webproworld working hard for a long time on our new website, which is http://RealEstateAdd.com

Please take a look at it and enjoy it! Any constructive criticism, tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We've been working on the research and development on America's Real Estate Digest for nearly two years and we have finally introduced it.

Paul B · #2 (**permalink**) 10-16-2005, 03:45 AM

In IE6 at 800 pixel resolution (about 30% of screens currently) your headline disappears under the menu.

I'm not totally sure what the point of the site is. Can a site that sums up the whole of a state the size of Califirnia in 250 words be a lot of use to would-be buyers and sellers? Or is there much more to come?

MikeinFlorida · #3 (**permalink**) 10-16-2005, 10:00 AM

Thanks Paul B. The site will grow over time, but there's no other site like this that profiles all 50 states real estate markets throughout the Nation on the net. There are literally tens of thousands of real estate sites out there of course providing everything from searching the local mls to getting prequalified for a mortgage.

Like everything else that's new it will grow in time. It's intended to be a consumer friendly service providng the latest information on each state's real estate markets.

ADAM Web Design · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2005, 12:54 AM

Well...it's a start. I think you've got a long way to go, and you seem to recognize that. But it's a start.

A few things off the top of my head:

1) I don't like the way you say "Real Estate" for some states and nothing for others in the menu. Pick one or the other for the menu (I'd say nothing) and stick with it.

2) You may also want to split up the menu in a similar manner to that of WPW. You see how it's split up into Free Newsletter, Categories, and Forums down the left side of the page? Do that with your menu so that it doesn't look like one big long confusing list of links.

3) As a potential buyer of US real estate (and yes, although I'm Canadian, this is in my mid-term financial plans), I'd like to know more about the areas I'm interested in buying in.

- What's the climate like?
- Population density?
- Major industries that drive the state/city economy?
- Physical characteristics of the land?
- Employment rates/sectors (although this crosses over into major industries)?
- New home development in the area/population growth?
- Arts/Entertainment scene?
- Prices on common household goods/services? (Cars, groceries, utilities)

In other words, you'll be better served expanding on your base concept of "tell homeowners what they'd need to know about an area and then refer them to a real estate agent".

Even though it's not American, you might also want to look at the city of Toronto for possible advertisers and expansion. The Toronto Real Estate Board is the world's largest real estate board by far (I think their membership numbers are in 5 digits somewhere, but I forget), so you're bound to find some real estate agents here.

CJacobson · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2005, 11:40 AM

It's a pretty good looking site (on my configuration) but I have several problems with your writing on the home page.

First, I think you've gone a bit overboard with keyword density and prominence. As a human reader I found it annoying that the first four things I read said EXACTLY the same thing: (Page title: "America's Real Estate Digest...", banner: "America's Real Estate Digest", header (gray): "America's Real Estate Digest", first line of body (accented in boldface): "Read Estate Add is America's Real Estate Digest,"

I think you need to convey a benefit to the user in that crucial real estate. I think you need a verb! Somewhere up there in a prominent place I think you should say:
(1) Find key information on local and regional markets!
(2) Get FREE referrals to America's BEST realtors!

How many people do you think are searching for a "digest" anyway? In its noun form, it's hopelessly tired and dated (e.g. "Reader's Digest"...)

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Listing the states of the nation (without links) is pretty weird. Who is going to actually read them? IMHO, it's a waste of space.

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"feel free to return as often as you like." Gee, thanks for your permission!

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"From the Good People at..." You've got to be kidding! When people like Garrison Keillor use the term it sounds hokey, but we accept it because he's not using it to describe himself. (He uses it to describe Lands End clothing, and we know they ARE famously good people.) I think it sounds really pretentious when people use this phrase to describe themselves!

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In the footer, I'd put the non-state links (Home | Services | Buying | Marketing | Contact Us) on their own line.

MikeinFlorida · #6 (**permalink**) 10-17-2005, 12:53 PM

Thanks so much to Adam and C Jacobson for taking the time to respond. We are turning a lot of your suggestions into changes as we speak. -- That wasn't our intent to ever be prententious.

MikeinFlorida · #7 (**permalink**) 10-17-2005, 01:05 PM

Thanks so much to Adam and CJacobson for your response. We are actually incorporating many of your suggestions into the site right now and you will see many later on today. We'll be adding other resources Adam but with the magnitude and popularity that this site has already taken on Nationaly we don't ever really see expanding into Canada, where my family actually came from by the way. -- Still got a lot of family members in your part of the world.