Comments on: Sellsius Launches their Real Estate Classified Site!!

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Thu, 03 May 2007 00:13:52 +0000

Those guys are someONES we look up to. We appreciate your giving them some constructive criticism as one who knows a lot more than I about the topics you have adressed

By: Jesse Bilsten

Jesse Bilsten — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:13:38 +0000

I would apologize for being harsh, but it’s so frustrating to try and push this industry in new direction only to have the people who seem to have the ability to move it forward, set poor examples.

I have no doubt the back end works flawlessly. It’s just the presentation layer that infuriated me as that is what my primary interface is with this industry.

Don’t take my critique to heart on the back end, but please make sure your next design is one done for the user and not for your data. You can tell from your current layout that you’re very proud of your data and not paying attention to your interface. Meaning there are a ton of links and everything has a very similar/small value/weight on the page.

Moving forward I would suggest installing crazyegg.com and watching what your users click the most and take that into account when you hire a new web designer/information architect. Make your most important feature the main focus of the site, and tone back the others drastically.

A great document to read when entering into the web industry is 37 signals web business document. It’s the same KISS mantra you’ve heard before (keep it simple stupid) but with a web/programming twist on it.

http://gettingreal.37signals.com/

I’d love to get you guys going in the right direction so let me know if you need some talk time or if you need suggestions for designers. I may not have time to do it, but I’d love to make you guys the best you can possibly be, as this industry needs some SERIOUS help and it looks like you guys could be something to look up to.

By: jf

jf — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:01:46 +0000

I appreciate your expert technical critique Jesse. Since we are from the real estate industry and not technology, we relied on a programmer to build the site—one who said he was experienced with real estate sites. It took the first firm we hired over a year and he still could not get it right. As for coding, we respect your opinion that the guy was high school level (I would gladly give out his name so others could stay away but I dont want to publicly embarass him). We hired a new firm and they made the site work.

And that’s the key for us— the site does work. Test it: Do an exact match and it will only give you results with those specific parameters. And please try the Sellsius link tag/track tool. Let us know what you think of it.

PS We would love to talk to you further about your comment and how we could improve the site.
Thanks Jesse.

By: Jesse Bilsten

Jesse Bilsten — Wed, 02 May 2007 20:05:49 +0000

This site is utterly horrible. The code is a jumble of tables and misaligned design that only confuses. How can you possibly be proud of this site?

I’m hoping a redesign is in the works? This looks like information was randomly splattered across the page with no structure or thought about the user. Image roll overs? I’m pretty sure those were decided to be out of date back in the late 90’s… At least it isn’t a giant flash website. So you can take solace in the fact that you could have done worse.

Next time hire a real web designer. This is something I would have designed for IE 5 10 years ago… Today? I have high schoolers who apply for work at my job who can code/design something better than this.

By: jf

jf — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:50:03 +0000

We would love to shock you Tim More than that, that we could give you something of value with the site.
We’re going to find out what 2 regular guys from the industry can do with an idea. Yes, there is always a risk of failure but life is short and why not follow your passions and dreams. Thank God we live in a country that allows you the freedom to try. Take care Tim.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:20:42 +0000

If Sellsius manages to get more than a few hundred paid listings nationwide in the next year I would be absolutely shocked. That’s barely enough to keep the lights on.

By: Rhona

Rhona — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:27:00 +0000

Ardell’s comment regarding the Blogosphere being a community is spot on and well said. We need more people changing and adapting existing models. When we launched our new Web site at the end of January 2007 one of the first comments was from a Blogger that took our model to pieces and then attempted to say that it was just to be humorous. I like what Joe and Rudy have accomplished and wish them the best of luck

By: jf

jf — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 05:55:58 +0000

Vern, I addressed some of your concerns in Dustin’s post. What we think are contributions to real estate classified sites’ engineering:

1. exact search—most searches are fuzzy—for example, if someone listed an “oceanfront penthouse fixer upper” & it was searched with those tags selected with “exact match”—only that listing would be produced.
2. niche search—we were agents in NYC and people asked to see only doorman prewar studios—tough to find without a lot of weeding through—but we created those niches (& can add more)–bingo you get them (if members list them)
3. targeted keyword search (speed search)
4. sellsius link ad tagging tool
5. Other supporting professionals on the site –in directories, adding content (see our mold inspector) and a forum. Many other pros do no have blogs but we allow them to take advantage of blog google juice by adding content on the site—as if they were contributing blog posts. We see this as a continuing user content trend.
6. SEO friendly (permalinks, articles)
7. seeing the person (profile) behind an ad
8. taking license numbers of pros who join

Granted all the above require member contribution but the sellsius link works now.

We didn’t invent a new car–we just tried to build a better engine.

We will try to promote our members and help them all we can. Hopefully, you may find something to like Cap.
Thanks for your feedback.

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:24:11 +0000

LOL, I didn’t see Dustin’s post. We must have been writing and posting at the same time!

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:18:15 +0000

What’s interesting to me is they started the Blog first, with no business model in mind whatsoever. To celebrate and thank them for their fabulous blog effort, I support them in all things.

I became one of their first “founding” members on the site a few weeks ago.

The Blogosphere is a community. Would you celebrate it if YOUR neighbor just started their own business? Of course you would.

Sellsius is our “Blogneighbor” and Joe and Rudy are our friends for life. Good enough reason for me.