4 Tips for Hiring a Great Web Designer for Your Real Estate Business

Success in real estate investment is about more than your personal charm and skill in selecting a great property. You have to establish yourself as a professional through marketing and a social media presence. One of the most important tools to reach new customers and expand your brand is a professionally designed website. A personal website for your real estate business will list your accomplishments, experience, and contact information.

The internet is filled with free website design and hosting options—but unless you’ve got web design skills as hot as your real estate ones, Hilary Farr recommends strongly against making your own website. Here are 4 Rules of Renovation approved tips for choosing a web designer and setting up your online presence.
1. Don’t Build Your Own Website
In the real estate investing business, there’s a lot you can DIY: painting, basic repairs and demolition, and installing appliances and shelving. While you may have picked up some great skills in rehabbing a home, we don’t recommend constructing your own website.

There are many great, affordable website-in-a-box content management systems with drag and drop tools that are quick and simple to use. But you want your brand to stand out; it deserves more than a canned look. You want the credibility that comes from a professionally designed website with your own domain name, not a free one that includes the host or content management system.

Professional web designers can create a website that has functionality and a great look on both smartphones and computers. They can put together a classy design with appropriate fonts and colors that showcase your brand.

Plus, a professional web designer can build your site quickly. If you did it yourself, you’d be struggling to navigate new tools, shop for a web host, and load your content. This is all time you’re better off spending looking for leads, building your network, or rehabbing an investment property.
2. Find Freelancers Online
Once you’ve decided to hire a professional, you need to find someone with skills and a design sense you admire. Several websites online connect freelance web designers to clients like you. Visit freelance marketplaces such as Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer and post your job or look at designer profiles. Pick one whose prices and style are a good fit. You can also ask your friends or colleagues for references.
3. Don’t Pick the Lowest Bidder
The contractor who offers the lowest bid on a renovation project isn’t always the one who will do the best job. The same goes for web designers. When you start getting bids, review each designer’s portfolio to evaluate their skill and experience. The ideal web designer is someone who can make a website that represents you well without breaking your budget.
4. Be Specific
In your project description and in providing instructions to your web designer, you need to be as specific as possible. Be clear about what you want in your website and what the project will entail. How many pages do you want? What kind of content should be included? Do you want a blog, and what kind of contact information do you want listed? Some designers may find it helpful to see examples of the kind of websites you like. There’s no need to sit down and micromanage the project, but when you are clear about your expectations from the beginning, the designer can give you an accurate bid and deliver the product you want.

A professional website may seem like an extravagant expense, but it is a great investment in your business. Your website will help people find you, and drive business and leads your way. It is your digital home and can shape impressions of you and your professionalism. An investment in your online branding will pay off in the end.

Interested in more professional tips for real estate investors? Sign up for a Rules of Renovation Seminar today.

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