How To Setup Dirt Cheap Real Estate Website!

For some reason, Real Estate websites tend to run for ridiculous prices… it is uncommon to find these sites ranging from $35 to $200 per month with up wards of $2,000.00 per month activation free. What is sad is that many agents and investors pay that much for a site.

Sure some of these sites have great features. In fact, some of them claim to have a backend office, and you can do all kind of things through it. But the reality is that most of us don’t need all these bells and whistles.

So, lets get you a dirt cheap website!

Your Options

You pretty much have three options when it comes to websites:

1. Pay for a pretty package like I said (I am not against a package website, but it should pay for itself!)

2. Pay someone to develop one for you, if you choose this option, try one of the freelancer websites that allow you to accept bids

3. Follow these steps!

Steps To Get Dirt Cheap Website!

Ok, what I am going to explain may sound to some a complicated process, but it is really simple… if you find computer challenging, pay someone for an hour of their time to come over and do it for you! it is much cheaper option.

Step One

Get yourself a good domain name, I’ve written an article called How To Find Killer Domain Names, if you have not read it, please do so now.

Now, I understand that finding a good domain name is difficult… don’t let that stop you from setting up your website till you find the perfect domain name though! Set one up with an Ok domain name and when you find one you can live with, just point it to the same site. It is really easy.

A domain name will cost you about $6 per Year

Step Two

Get yourself a web hosting account. You need an account that is flexible and has all the right permissions in place. Never use a local or small companies because they hardly ever give you enough space, or even come close to what you can get online now a days.

The company I have been using for years is 1 and 1. I recommend the "1 and 1 Home" package and it has more than enough space, email accounts, and it is very flexible with very simple administration interface.

This package will run you $5 per month

Another option is to get one with GoDaddy.com which will run you the same price (I have not tried it yet though, I just host some of my domains there).

GoDaddy.com has similar prices package

Step Three

So far, we have a domain name and a hosting service… Now we need the website!

For the website, download WordPress from http://wordpress.org/download/. It is absolutely FREE! WordPress is a free and completely customizable Blogging software, but we will be using it as our website.

I know some of you may think thats dumb… using a blogging software as a Real Estate Website, but if it is good for The New York Times, it is good for you… besides… you will see in a second what you can accomplish!

My choice for WordPress is not coincidental… WordPress is known for its 5 Minutes install… you basically download it… unzip it… upload it to your account hosted by 1 and 1 or GoDaddy.com and visit the admin page. WordPress takes over and installs itself!

You should get WordPress For Dummies it explains all the features in plain english and helps you manage your website.

Step Four

WordPress by itself will behave as a Blog software. They have very large collection of themes and plugins to choose from, but they are not Real Estate specific.

Here you have two options, FREE and Paid… unfortunately, the free one looks pathetic at best. You can get the free one by choosing any of WordPress’s themes (you can use one of the ones that comes with the download, or you can download and upload to your site any other theme).

My recommendation is to pay for professional looking one, You can buy a Real Estate Theme that has Property Listings, and allows you to manage content without HTML code from Revolution Themes for only $79.95. Take a look at the Real Estate Theme. They have various ones.

For the investors, you can download a free plugin called cforms from WordPress’s plugin repository. This plugin allows you to define your own Form for sellers to contact you. The form will send you an email if they submit.

Step Five

Upload your picture and add some reading for your visitors! My recommendation is to use the same format and concept as  Sales Letters. After all, Your website needs to sell you!

In Conclusion

Thats it Folks! Dirt Cheap Website!! Total Cost?

$79.95 One time fee and $5.5 per Month!

Links in this articles:

Hosting:
1. 1 and 1
2. GoDaddy.com

Real Estate Theme
3. Revolution Themes

WordPress:
4. http://wordpress.org/download/
5. cforms

 

• Tools To Improve Your Dirt Cheap Website And WordPress Blog
• Generating Traffic For Your Real Estate Website
• How To Find Killer Domain Names!
• What The Heck is Web 2.0 And Why Should You Care?
• Online Real Estate Marketing Using Craigslist Techniques
• The Truth Behind Real Estate Investing

© 2008 Fadi Zeidan's Articles.