Website FAQs

Website Design

What is a responsive website?

A ‘responsive’ website is one which adapts to different screen sizes to ensure the website remains user friendly for those browsing. This makes the website compatible with not only desktops, but tablets and mobiles, being the new standard requirement.

How many responsive website themes do we have?

We currently have 12 different themes in our collection. Each theme provides a different design around our property powering.

How will the website theme be styled?

Our Designers will style the chosen website theme around your company branding and colour scheme. The colour arrangement will be as per the chosen default theme and its pre-defined ‘colourway’. The primary and secondary colours will be switched out like-for-like to match your brand.

If you would like to specify the primary and secondary colours used, please let us know and we can factor this in during build.

Alternatively, if you require off-scope colour changes outside of the pre-defined colour-way we can accommodate this, but it will incur an additional cost. This is due to the additional build time. We would require a clear visual on how colours should be arranged in advance so that a quotation can be provided.

Can I swap elements from one theme to another?

Each theme is delivered as you see on our demo installations, with the acceptance of colour, imagery and text content. This means it is usually not possible to take a feature from one theme and place it within another. Our Designers will be able to confirm this prior to build phase.

Website Pages, Text Content & Features

How many pages are included?

9 pages are included as standard, which are:

  1. Home
  2. Latest Properties (contains default property powering)
  3. Properties For Sale (contains default property powering)
  4. Properties To Let (contains default property powering)
  5. Our Services
  6. About Us
  7. Request a Valuation (contains default form)
  8. Register With Us (contains default form)
  9. Contact Us

*does not include sub pages via a drop down.

Can I change any of the pages?

Yes, if you would like to remove a page and replace it with another of equal content then we can do that for you.

For example instead of ‘Properties To Let’ you might want ‘Commercial Property’. Or instead of ‘About Us’ you may prefer ‘Mortgages’. However, it must be a ‘like for like’ page or it would be classed as an extra page and subject to a charge to create.

Can I add extra pages?

Yes, we can add extra pages to the website if the standard 9 are not enough and they will adopt the same content layout as per the theme you have chosen.

They will incur an extra hourly charge to setup and further design time will need to be allocated. This could extend the build time of the website so please keep this in mind.

Additional pages over 9 are charged at an hourly rate of £75+vat, with a minimum of an hours charge. A quote will be provided for any extra pages once we have received all written content, or unless otherwise agreed.

We recommend no more than 15 pages in total to keep the website and build time sensible.

How much text content can I display?

The ‘Content Guide’ we send out upon project start will confirm the ideal text content required for your chosen theme. But as a rough guide we tend to recommend no more than around 1 side of A4 text per page.

However, on certain areas of the website such as the home page, there are restrictions on the amount of text. This is to ensure the design of the website continues to look its best and how it was intended to display. Text quantity for such areas is outlined in our content guides for each theme.

Can I have more ‘Call to Actions’ on the home page?

As defined below:

R1 – x3 as standard (1x more available on request*)
R2 – Unlimited*
R3 – x4 as standard (more available on request*)
R4 – None included
R5 – 3x as standard (more available on request*)
R6 – 2x as standard (1x more available on request*)
R7 – 4x as standard (more available on request*)
R8 – 6x as standard
R9 – 4x as standard (more available on request*)
R10 – 6x as standard (more available on request*)
R11 – x3 as standard (more available on request*)
R12 – 6x as standard (more available on request*)

* extra ‘call to actions’ beyond the standard quota are subject to an additional charge.

Can I have a blog feature?

We have an integrated blog feature for a one off setup fee of £80+vat. The feature will allow you to add/edit/delete blog posts and upload images via a front-end editor access. Login details for this page are provided after website sign off.

The editor will also allow you to apply a meta description to each post to benefit seo. If you are interested in having a blog page on the website we can provide a link to a sample blog page.

Can I update the text content myself?

Once the website has been signed off we can provide front-end editor access to the website which will allow you to edit the main text area of each page. However, there are some areas of the website you will not be able to update, in which case we will need to apply them for you.

It’s also worth noting that depending on the layout of text on some pages, especially any with custom layouts, they could contain HTML code i.e. where multiple columns of text appear or tabled data. Not being familiar with how to edit HTML code could cause problems when certain tags are removed by mistake. So for this reason it’s often easier and safer to simply direct any simple text changes over to the Design team instead.

We can confirm more on any potential editing problems once the website is constructed and then you can decide.

Can you apply changes after sign off/go live?

The Design team will respond to all inbound communication in the order it is received. We aim to reply within 1-2 working days, however this can fluctuate during busy times.

Minor text changes which are quick to apply, such as changing an address,  telephone number or a single paragraph of text will be applied by us at a convenient time, without charge, whilst within contract. We aim to apply small non-chargeable changes within 7 working days of being received, however this can fluctuate during busy times.

Changes which are more lengthy to apply such as logo/branding changes, restyling, extra pages, coding, multiple staff or image changes etc will incur a charge to apply based on our standard hourly rate of £75+vat, minimum of an hours charge.

The Design team will always review and advise if a charge applies to any requested changes before proceeding with the work, so that you have a choice as to whether to proceed or revise your request. We aim to apply chargeable changes within 15 days of the signed order-confirmation being received, however this can fluctuate during busy times.

Where any website changes or additions require completion by a particular deadline please provide advance warning and final supporting content at least 3 weeks prior to ensure it can be factored in around other projects.

Can I have a Live Chat Feature?

If you would like to integrate a live chat feature in to your new website we can likely accommodate this. You will need to source a provider for your live chat service and provide us with some sample code, allowing us to test it in the website first before you subscribe. We have many customers who use such features successfully.

Can I use an Instant Valuation Tool?

Yes! Subscribe to our Instant Valuation tool for full integration into your new website, to generate more leads and increase revenue.

Contact our Customer Services team on customer.service@expertagent.co.uk for more information.

If you would instead prefer to use a 3rd party provider for your instant valuation tool then this is something we can likely integrate into your website. Simply email the supplied code to our Design team and they will confirm this for you, and add to your website *subject to charge.

Can I add a privacy or complaints statement to my website?

We can add a privacy or complaints statement to your website and we will link to your document as a pdf file from the website footer (and privacy policy adjacent to each form). Please supply us with the documents prepared for your business.

Can I display my ‘client money protection’ certificate?

We can link to your certificate as a .pdf file either from the website footer or alongside relevant text on the Services page. Please supply us with the certificate in a .pdf format.

Website Imagery & Video

My chosen theme has an image slideshow, how many images can it include?

We usually recommend 5 images as standard, but we can add less or more up to 10 in total.

How often can I change the banner slideshow images?

We can change them for you on a quarterly basis (maximum), or we can provide you with direct ftp access to the images so you can change them yourself, whenever you like, without our input.

Where can I get stock images?

Either you can provide your own – perhaps of your local area, or source a local photographer who will be able to provide more professional quality photos. Or you might choose to source some from a stock photography website instead. We usually recommend trying:

https://stock.adobe.com/uk
https://en.fotolia.com
http://www.shutterstock.com
http://www.istockphoto.com

My chosen theme contains video content, do I supply this?

Yes, you must provide your video content to populate the compatible themes.

What format, dimensions and file size is the video require?

Please refer to our content guides which will outline the format, dimensions and recommended file sizes for your chosen theme.

Where do I obtain video content from?

The following stock websites also provide video content at varying prices. But please ensure we can use a sample clip in the website first before you buy. Video content can be expensive so its best to avoid too many purchases!

https://stock.adobe.com/uk
https://en.fotolia.com
http://www.shutterstock.com
http://www.istockphoto.com

Property Powering & Search

Can I change the layout of properties on the listings pages?

No, the design and layout is fixed as per the chosen theme.

Can I change the layout of the property details pages?

No, the design and layout is fixed as per the chosen theme.

Where do I display my portal fees information on my new website?

The fees information text can be entered into the associated field within your (software) property record. This will display on your website under the property description, on the property details page. Please note this information will also be sent to your chosen portals.

Alternatively you may choose to add any fees information to the ‘Our Services’ page under the relevant section. You can do this by either linking out to a pdf file (supplied by you) or by placing the information into a table (chargeable extra).

Can my vendors upload their own property information to the website?

For security reasons we do not allow vendors to upload their own property information into Expert Agent or an Expert Agent website. You, the agent, enters the property information via your CRM.

Can I remove certain fields from the search feature?

Yes, simply advise us when providing your content which fields you do not want included and we will hide those from your search feature.

Can I change the price increments on the search feature?

Yes, simply advise us when providing your content how you would like the price increments to appear.

Can I hide certain fields on the Registration & Valuation forms?

Yes, please advise us when providing your content which fields you do not want included and we will hide those from the form.

Website Misc

When will you start work on my website?

The project will officially ‘open’ once our Design department has made first contact with you and once we receive all required content from you.

At this point the website will be queued in our pipeline to start. You will be provided with an approx. timescale at this point. However this may fluctuate during busy times or if, for example, another project takes longer than expected to complete.

How long will it take to build my website?

Once the project is allocated to start with a Designer we aim to provide a url back to you to proof the constructed website online within 1>2 working days. This is based on a standard 9 page website.

However, websites with additional pages or features might take longer to construct and will therefore increase this estimation. Please keep this in mind when requesting any extra elements. If you need the website quickly its best to initially stick with the default offering.

I’ve changed my mind and would like to swap to another theme

Unfortunately we cannot easily switch the website to a different theme once it has gone into build stage. It would effectively mean starting again, rescheduling a new build and will incur additional costs to accommodate.

Please make sure the design that you choose is final and is well suited to both your preferences, branding and business.

I have rebranded, how do I update my website to reflect the new logo and branding?

Please contact the Design team with a high resolution copy of your logo and any other artwork associated to your new brand. If you require text changes, please supply those too in a Word document.

The Design team will review the requirement changes to the website and provide a quotation for the work to be scheduled into the pipeline.

Can I use my property software before my website goes live?

Yes, you can continue to setup and configure your chosen property software before and during your new website construction. You can also go live with the software before your website has gone live.

However, if you currently have a 3rd party website then properties may not update until your website goes live, so this could cause some temporary disruption where you might need to manually input data twice, so its best to plan accordingly.

Alternatively, you could temporarily link to your property listings on Zoopla to avoid any manual entries.

I have an Expert Agent account, do I need to complete my Expert Agent configuration setup before my website goes live?

Yes, you must complete the Expert Agent Configuration (new Expert Agent customers only) before your new Expert Agent website can go live. Because it relies upon certain configuration entries being populated before we can link the website to the property feed (i.e. Locations, Staff records and so on).

For other property CRM’s we advise also trying to ensure their configuration and setup is completed in advance of the website build, to avoid any problems feeding in data which could cause delay.

Can we make changes to the website via the content management system or via FTP?

For security reasons and to avoid potential errors we do not provide administrator or FTP access to our website packages. But our Design Department is always happy to help with any requests so please speak to them for more information.

At the end of my 24 month website contract, what will happen?

You will have the option to choose a new theme from our collection to benefit from the new features and functionality we have since introduced. Please contact out Account Managers at this time to discuss your options.

Why should you choose us over a 3rd party agency?

From past experience customers have a much easier and less stressful experience opting for one of our websites compared to integrating a property data feed into a 3rd party designed website.

This is because our website packages have the property data already plumbed in and so this part doesn’t have to be deciphered and understood by a 3rd party developer who is not familiar with our technology. No one knows our system better than we do!

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Does the website include any search engine optimisation?

We populate the website with Meta Description and Title tags prior to go live and may make any other recommendations around header tags and/or text content that we might spot during construction. However we do not provide a copy writing service and will not proof read the content you supply. We expect to receive the content in a final proofed state.

We also add compression and caching to the website upon go-live to help with load times.

We do not specifically provide an seo service as part of the website package and therefore do not make any guarantees around this. But what we do apply has been researched and is recommended to be the current techniques used to help with seo.

Our seo guide provides more information on what you can do to further improve seo on your new website – https://showcase.client.expertagent.co.uk/?page_id=376

We recommend reading this before preparing any website text content.

I have an SEO consultant, can you work with them to apply their preferred seo requirements?

Yes we are happy to work with your chosen seo consultant to implement any requirements they might have, where possible. We will always review the requests first and if a charge applies will confirm this with you before proceeding.

Website Hosting

Will I have to pay for the new hosting account?

Our website packages include website hosting with our preferred host Cloud Heroes. This is included in the package we sell, unless you have requested any extras over and above the standard hosting package.

Email accounts

We do not include email accounts as part of our website package and your existing email service will remain in place separate to the website. However if you do not have email accounts setup our host is able to provide this service for an additional cost tailored to your needs. Please let us know and we can have them provide details to you.

Can I use my own web hosting?

No, our websites must be hosted with our preferred host who are familiar with our technology, setup and customers. They have configured their hosting environments to suit our website and powering needs.

How does the website go live against the domain name?

Upon sign off of the website you will receive an email from your allocated Designer with information on how to put the website live against the domain name. This will involve some minor changes to the domain name to repoint it to the new web server, which can be applied by your domain registrar.

What information do you need to put the website live against the domain name?

We will not need any domain information from you to put the new website live, as this will be done by your existing domain registrar.

How long will it take to go live once the domain has been repointed?

Once the domains IP is changed as instructed by us, the new website will go live almost instantly. However it can take a short while to propagate across different ISP’s and this is normal.