A lot has been written about the number of web sites an agent should have, who'd be great to hire to create the web sites, where they should be on the Internet, and how much money agents make as a result of their sites.  What might be helpful to know now is how much an agent should expect to spend on creating a good site, and how much it will take to maintain it each year.

First, let me first make a distinction between sites.  If you want to make money on the Web, you should have two types: your "primary" site and your "secondary" sites.  Your primary site is the one that you put most of your energies, efforts and expense into.  Your secondary sites are small, inexpensive sites that are sometimes found by search engines and that, hopefully, link to your primary site.

Based on what I know that's out there and works, I believe you need to spend at least $500-$600 for a primary site that's going to make you money.  On the other end of the scale, I think that if you spend more than $2,000 for your initial primary site, you've been taken.  I know some sales associates who have spent $6,000+ for their initial primary site.  For that kind of money, the site better wake you up in the morning, put the coffee on and make the bed after you leave the house!  No need to spend that much for a site, although some site design companies and individual designers out there are charging that much and, unfortunately, getting it.

If I were to get a site today and wanted to stay on the low side of this scale, I'd get a Personalbrand.com site; if I wanted a personal designer so that my site was completely individualized, I'd get Sandy Teller , websites@programs.com to design it.  

That said, you are going to have some ongoing expenses after your primary site is up.  It will, however, be the most effective marketing expense you've ever incurred.  You will probably spend about $50 a month to have your site "hosted," stored on a server connected to the Web, and you will invest in upgrading your site as time goes by, should you choose to do so.  I know some sites that are making money with little or no upgrading, but you will probably want to make your site even more effective by adding even more information for the consumer.  This expense, of course, varies from designer to designer.  If you have a team, make sure that one team member knows how to add content to your Web site, thus saving the expense of having your designer do it.

Remember, too, to invest in those inexpensive secondary sites, such as Realtor.com.  Such sites won't make you much money, but they can bring you some business and, hopefully, you can link them to your primary site, the site where you really capture the consumer's interest.  How many should you have?  It's up to you, but the more you have, the more business you will attract.  The current record for the number of sites owned by members of the Allen F. Hainge CyberStars(tm), by the way, is held by CyberStar(tm) Linda Soesbe of Colorado Springs, CO: she has 16 sites, including 2 primary sites and 14 smaller feeder sites.

Remember to keep the benefits of a good Web site strategy in mind as you look at costs.  The consumer now goes to the Web to research homes.  That's a given.  You've got to have a presence there - an effective presence.  Remember, too, that as your success in capturing buyers and sellers from your Web site grows, your other expenses (printed advertising, postcard mailings, etc.) will taper off, saving you money in these areas.

BTW:  If you haven't checked out the CyberStars(tm) Web sites to see what really works, do so today by going to http://www.afhseminars.com/cyber.htm.  The sites you'll see brought in anywhere from $20,000 to $330,000 in 1998!

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Published: September 21, 1999

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