http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/290744139 Property Portal Watch Workshop San Francisco - August 4, 2009 The Path Ahead for Property Portals

Who are we? http://www.flickr.com/photos/jima/243309196/ and many more… Clients:

We speak with everyone http://www.flickr.com/photos/23680544@N07 Regularly speak with 50+ portals in many markets, media sites, etc

Current web thinking OLD NEW Closed Own the user Brand Offline advertising Size Pageviews/Display Profit Driven Open Let the user go Experience Word of mouth Speed Actions User first

Closed

Own the user

Brand

Offline advertising

Size

Pageviews/Display

Profit Driven

Open

Let the user go

Experience

Word of mouth

Speed

Actions

User first

Topics http://www.flickr.com/photos/tantek/22778226/ Is content king? Openness? At what cost SEO? Google? New models? Print?

Is content king?

Openness?

At what cost SEO?

Google?

New models?

Print?

Is Content King? My database is bigger than yours

Is the database a differentiator? http://www.flickr.com/photos/adesigna/3237575990/

Do users care? http://www.flickr.com/photos/fun3/417463333/

Maybe bigger isn’t better?

Definition of content has evolved

User Generated Content

Or is it user experience that matters? http://www.flickr.com/photos/superbomba/3560084221

Discussion Is database size critical? How is community/UGC relevant for real estate? What matters, size or speed?

facebook

Twitter

Yahoo!

Should you let the user leave your site? http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpstorm/140115572/

Who owns the user? Portal Estate Agent Seller ?

Discussion Is “owning” the user still valid? Should you let the user leave? Should you let others in?

Friend or Foe? Property Portal http://www.flickr.com/photos/ittybittiesforyou/3528619275

Free!!!!

Free!!!! Users!!!!

Free????

If Google had to do SEO http://www.meangene.com/google/google1.html

The Cost of SEO time, effort expertise required lose control over product lack of transparency

time, effort

expertise required

lose control over product

lack of transparency

Discussion Is relying on SEO healthy? Is there any alternative? Should you diversify your sources of traffic? Is it safe to rely on a potential competitor?

Keeping the users

Keeping the users (2)

Is this the internet users want?

Targeting SMEs

Targeting agents

Google Real Estate

How will Google get users? “ The ascent of Google Maps is a result of the shortcut in the search results on Google. 61% of visits to Google Maps came directly from Google last week.” Heather Hopkins, Hitwise http://weblogs.hitwise.com/us-heather-hopkins/2009/02/google_maps_edges_closer_to_ma_1.html

The cream rises to the top, right?

Who owns the user? Portal Estate Agent Seller

Current web thinking Closed Own the user Brand Offline advertising Size Pageviews/Display Profit Driven OLD NEW Open Let the user go Experience Word of mouth Speed Actions User first

Closed

Own the user

Brand

Offline advertising

Size

Pageviews/Display

Profit Driven

Open

Let the user go

Experience

Word of mouth

Speed

Actions

User first

Discussion Is Google a portal? Is Google defending the user? Is Google neutral? What are the challenges Google Real Estate faces? What should portals do?

New models? http://www.flickr.com/photos/35421063@N00/2731757488

Inclusion flat fee ex: Yellow Pages Audience Pay for audience ex: newspapers Performance results ex: search Free ads ex: globrix, gumtree

Inclusion

flat fee

ex: Yellow Pages

Audience

Pay for audience

ex: newspapers

Performance

results

ex: search

Free

ads

ex: globrix, gumtree

Is free really viable? Registration Detail pages Financial services Related info Upselling Adsense

Should you be thinking about performance?

Agents want the users Not all agents, but growing number Invested in website Google trains them with Analytics, Adwords

Not all agents, but growing number

Invested in website

Google trains them

with Analytics, Adwords

Migration is hard http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnoid00/1909096140

What do you sell? Performance http://www.flickr.com/photos/al-stan/3093809724/ Branding http://www.flickr.com/photos/funkyah/455336901/

Discussion Are new models viable? What do agents want? Is it possible for giants to change model?

Print? http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluefootedbooby/352172004

Print is dead Source: ImmoStudie 2009

Offline and Online Search by id num, from newspaper

Long live media groups!

Discussion Is online AND offline more powerful than just online? Has the window closed for old media? Why are so many leading players pure online?

Conclusions http://www.flickr.com/photos/fliegender/236372712 Content still king, but less so Preference better than ownership Nothing is free New models coming Not all print is dead Speed is critical

Content still king, but less so

Preference better than ownership

Nothing is free

New models coming

Not all print is dead

Speed is critical

Learn more We’re here all week. Let’s chat. http://blog.nestoria.co.uk Twitter: @nestoria http://www.flickr.com/photos/foundphotoslj/466722575/

Questions? http://www.flickr.com/photos/calavera/65098350/