Let me tell you a little story...
Last year I embarked on this journey to create my own boutique marketing agency. I was super excited. Ready to take all of the online marketing tips I'd learned over the last decade and share them with the real estate industry.
With a few clients under my belt, I quit my 9-to-5 and was ready to take on the world, I mean, how hard could it be... right?
I knew the first investment I needed to make in my business was to build a website, because let's be real, who's going to hire a marketing professional that doesn't have a website. I had heard great things about WordPress and so I hired a designer who was referred to me by a trusted source and was pumped to launch my online presence.
Unfortunatly my excitement turned to frustration very quickly. After about three months into the project and $700 later (that was a lot of money for me back then), my designer stopped answering the phone or emails and basically fell off the face of the Earth. I later learned he had sold his company and I was lost in the transition.
Needless to say, I was pissed!
By this time I had wasted over six months with this designer and had nothing to show for it... I still had no website. I knew there had to be a better way. So, I decided to research alternative solutions that would allow me to maintain complete control of my website, even though I had no design skills (can I get an Amen)!
After another six months of testing different platforms to find the right fit, I am proud to announce I finally have a website that does exactly what I want and that I built all by myself!
Watch this video to learn more about why I love my new Squarespace site!
So what's the point of this story?
I want you to learn from my mistakes! I wasted a year that I could have been generating leads and aggressively promoting my business because I was at the mercy of someone else who was holding my website hostage and I don't want that for you.
A smart business owner should have a solution that gives them complete control over updating their website when they need to, because our sites are not static. Even if you love your website today, chances are you will need to make updates on an annual basis.
So when it comes to website control, you basically have two options...
1.) Hire a pro
2.) Do it yourself.
Which option you choose will largely be based on your budget. I you have less than $500 to spend on your website or you're a control freak like me, a drag and drop (DIY) solution will probably be the best fit for you (this is the route I ended up choosing). I spent $300 on building my website and that includes all the fees for one year with Squarespace. This is my platform of choice, because it integrates with MailChimp, my email solution and has high-design templates, plus there are no hidden fees. Wix is also another popular choice. If an IDX search feature is super important to you, they also have website solutions like iHouseWeb, but these solutions are typically more expensive, monthly subscriptions. Note: Squarespace gives you the option to add your IDX code to your site easily.
ACTION STEPS:
1.) Write down the top 3-5 objectives (or goals) you want your website to accomplish in order of importance. Watch the video above for examples.
2.) Do a quick audit of your current site and take notes on where you are falling short with achieving your website goals.
3.) Write down one action step to take on improving your website and the date you will accomplish this by (should be no more than two weeks from the time you are reading this).
If you listed "grow my database" or "capture emails" as one of your top website goals, be sure to grab a copy of our list building checklist. It's packed with super awesome tips to help you start building your database.
XO
CopyKat