Month: June 2018

Why should Estate Agents bother about website SEO?

Do you really want your potential customers (tenants, buyers and landlords) to find your business before they find any of your high street neighbour Estate Agents?

Do you really want to boost your business by having more potential clients and ensure people visit your business website first? If so, then for you to stay ahead in the game, it is worth doing your SEO homework for your Estate Agency website!

In short, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a process that optimises and enhances your Estate Agency website by applying certain measures and parameters to it that improve its ranking (get you in the top search results) in Search Engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. SEO increases your website visibility on the internet and thus boosts traffic to it which means more potential customers! Non-optimised websites simply fall far behind in internet searches and miss out on potential clients.

So, how can you ensure that you do not fall behind on the internet, and achieve your goal of making your website feature amongst top search results in Google for getting more clients for your Estate Agency business?

Here are 5 main reasons why an Estate Agent should go for website SEO:

1. SEO gives you an edge over your competitors

In the era of booming property demand, there are countless people looking out for houses to rent and buy, and landlords are looking out for a trustworthy and reliable estate agent – there are innumerable property websites already out there, so how can you make sure that they come to you before any of your competitors? A good answer would be – with the help of SEO.

In a tough competition, SEO enhances your website and gives you an advantage over other Estate Agencies by making it found easily and conveniently in search engine results such as Google, ahead of others, and this helps you stay on top of other business rivals. A website is optimised based on SEO standards, procedures and guidelines by putting certain technical measures and parameters to it that significantly boosts its ranking and visibility over the internet so that it can be found effortlessly in top search results.

For example, if people search in Google for ‘estate agents in Camden’ then based on the results returned it is most likely that they will visit the credible websites of those estate agencies that are featured on top of the list and on first few pages – people will simply find what they are looking for effortlessly so there is no need to search far ahead on the pages further down the line. If your agency is not visible in the top search results and on first few pages then it is likely that you lose out on customers who have already found other estate agents before you!

2. SEO is an important part of your business marketing strategy and investment in it is worth it

In today’s time a good website is an important ingredient in your marketing recipe. A good technologically superior and secure website that fulfils the internet standards is a good start. If you have already taken the step to invest in having a professional website for your business then it is also worth that you make an effort to make sure that it is found easily and conveniently on the internet, after all the prime motive of a business to have a website in order to be more visible to as many customers as possible – tenants, buyers and landlords. An investment in SEO can ensure that your website climbs the top rankings in search engines.

3. SEO is a powerful measure that can boost your business in a tough competition

An optimised website can be found easily and conveniently in top search engine results. An ever-increasing usage of modern smart phones and tablets, customers are looking for a convenient and easy way to find things with so much variety and information on your fingertips. So, if you want to be found quickly and easily on top of others in a tough competition then it is imperative that you are found by clients before they find other providers. Time is of the essence and customers will hardly get to your website and find you if it is sitting far behind on Google search results.

4. SEO earns trustworthiness and reliability for your business brand

An important step towards your business is showcasing a reliable and reputable Estate Agency business brand so that people can trust you and do business with you. In this information age customers trust businesses who are visible and noticeable with a positive image on the internet. It is difficult to trust a website if they have no credibility on a search engine such as Google. SEO improves your trustworthiness and reliability and increases your visibility, it increases the confidence in customers to do business with you.

5. Google loves an SEO Optimised website

Google loves a website that has followed its guidelines and standards for a good SEO, and you will be a favourite candidate as long you follow the best practice. An Estate Agents website can feature in the top search results by applying certain technical procedures based on the SEO recommendations set out by Google. So, if you want to be featured amongst the top in the list you need a good SEO for your website. Non-optimised websites simply fall behind in Google and lose visibility and thus losing customers.

In simple words, SEO is a dynamic process and with the help of certain tools and steps applied, your Estate Agency website can climb to the top of the search ladder and can have an edge over your competitors within no time.

So, you can leave the SEO technical jargon up to us, since we specialise in estate agency website design and SEO, and have helped our numerous customers achieve their aim of making their website found in top search results – you can also accomplish this goal. Don’t feel left behind, get in touch with us now!

Google to mark all websites without HTTPS encryption as ‘Not Secure’

From July 2018, Google Chrome browser will be flagging all websites without an HTTPS encryption as ‘Not secure’!

For past few years Google has been strongly advocating HTTPS encryption for websites for a more secure web. Google had gradually started marking non-HTTPs websites as ‘Not secure’, and it will flag all websites as ‘Not secure’ from July 2018 with the release of Google Chrome 68. Any website without an SSL Certificate will display a prominent red insecure warning in the URL. This can be damaging for the reputation, trustworthiness and reliability of your business since it will alarm the website visitors and discourage them from engaging in any further activity on your website.

How to identify a ‘Secure’ and a ‘Not Secure’ website?

The installation of an SSL Certificate applies an HTTPS encryption on a website and thus, the current Google Chrome 67 browser showcases a recognised ‘padlock symbol’ in green and includes the HTTPS:// prefix for URLs along with the word ‘Secure’.

 

Currently, any website without an SSL encryption displays the regular HTTP:// or just the letter ‘i’ which upon clicking shows the message ‘Your connection to this site is not secure’. However, with the release of Chrome 68 in July 2018, every website without an SSL encryption will display a prominent ‘Not Secure’ warning in red in the browser URL as a caution to visitors.

How can I avoid my website being flagged as ‘Not Secure’?

An SSL encryption is the first step towards earning trustworthiness and reliability for your business website. Having an SSL certificate is vital for your website and it will prevent Google to display any alarming ‘Non Secure’ red sign. HTTPS provides your website with critical security, data integrity and makes it safe from any malicious activity.

In the internet age, the online identity of your business showcased as a reliable and trustworthy brand is of prime importance and it increases the confidence in customers to do business with you. Customers trust websites that are visibly safe, secure and genuine with a positive image on the web.

Apart from avoiding the imminent Google insecure warning, HTTPS for your website is not only important for security of the website and integrity of the data but is also vital for GDPR compliance as well as the SEO ranking factor.

If you decide to make your website secure by switching to HTTPS, QuantaTec can provide you with a trusted solution and handle the process for you!

Read more details about what is HTTPS and SSL, and the importance of HTTPS encryption for your business website on our Blog article.

What is a Responsive Property Website Design and why is it important?

What is a Responsive Website Design?

A Responsive Website Design (RWD) is built on modern advance web technology that is capable of adapting to any computing or mobile device on which it is viewed, where it automatically resizes and accommodates to any screen size and resolution. A responsive property website provides a hassle free accessibility, user-friendly interface and an optimal user experience in any orientation – whether on a portrait or landscape viewing mode.

People use a variety of gadgets and different devices to view websites – including PCs, laptops, tablets or smartphones, and a greater number of people are now using mobiles to view websites than ever before. Whether a user is viewing a website on iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Sony or any other device of any brand, or using any internet browser including Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox or others, a responsive website is optimised in such a way that it adjusts and adapts itself accordingly for the different viewing platforms.

Why Should you have a Responsive Estate Agents Website Design?

1. Google ranks responsive websites higher in Search Engines

A responsive web design is Google’s Search Engine ranking signal. Google gives priority to websites built with responsive web technology over all other types of websites, and ranks them higher in search engine results as compared to non-responsive websites.

When people search for something in Google or other Search Engines (such as a website of a property business), the results are displayed based on a number of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) factors. A Responsive Website Design is one of the factors that count towards achieving a higher Search Engine Rank (your property website listing result in Google).

2. One website works for all devices

A responsive property website design eliminates the need of developing a separate website for each device, and also keeps design consistency across all platforms. A non-responsive website is built on an outdated technology which is not suitable for viewing on smartphones, and is not compatible with modern devices. It simply does not provide the essential features that form the basis of modern technology standards of a website. Such non user-friendly websites are a definite turn-off for your customers.

3. Helps to keep up with a tough competition and prevents losing customers

It is important to update and upgrade your website to meet the industry standards, and provide a modern and professional online image to your clients, so that you may not fall behind in the competition. In the modern era of technology, having an outdated website is surely a set back for your Estate or Lettings business, and you certainly do not want to fall behind your competitors and lose customers.

QuantaTec incorporates the best practice methods and the most advanced technology in the market to develop modern responsive property websites. Our websites provide you with a competitive advantage to succeed in a tough environment, as well as impress your customers.

If you want to check how a responsive Property Website Design performs on different gadgets and devices including mobiles, tablets, laptops or PCs, try the responsive Estate Agents Website Templates from QuantaTec.

What is HTTPS encryption and why you should have an SSL for your website?

The difference between ‘HTTP’ and ‘HTTPS’ on a website URL may not be noticeable or significant to most people but there are huge implications for not having HTTPS.

With the launch of Google’s Chrome 68 browser, when it will start to flag all non-HTTPS websites as ‘Not secure’, HTTPS is becoming a standard for all websites for a more secure web as Google has been advocating it for many years.

The SSL certificate shows trust and authority to your website visitors and HTTPS encryption ensures the security as well as data integrity. HTTPS can protect the information exchanged through a user’s connection by encrypting the information so that the user’s data cannot be stolen or their activity tracked. It ensures data integrity and prevents information from being corrupted while transfer. It provides authentication which protects against malicious attacks.

People are often confused with the terms SSL and HTTPS and they are frequently used interchangeably – an SSL or SSL Certificate is essentially a product that can be purchased and installed on your web server, whereas HTTPS or HTTPS encryption is the result of applying that certificate on your website.

What is an HTTPS encryption?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is an extension of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), where the extra ‘S’ stands for ‘Security’. HTTPS applies an encryption on the bidirectional information exchanged between a browser and a web server to prevent someone trying to steal any information through a website.

What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate is a set of data files which can be installed on your web server, and it results in applying an HTTPS protocol on a website. It also showcases a recognised green ‘padlock symbol’ with the word ‘Secure’ in the website URL and includes the HTTPS:// prefix.

Currently, a website without an SSL encryption may display the regular HTTP:// or just the letter ‘i’ in the prefix of the URL, which upon clicking shows the message ‘Your connection to this site is not secure’. Any website without an HTTPS encryption will display a prominent red insecure warning sign in the URL from July 2018.

Here are 5 reasons why you should go for HTTPS for your website:

1. HTTPS provides security and integrity of data, and protects from malicious activity and intrusions.

Hackers and intruders are always looking to exploit vulnerable websites, including unprotected information exchanged between your website and users. Malicious attackers and intrusive companies exploit unprotected websites to steal information, install malware, inject ads or unauthorised links and create security vulnerabilities. HTTPS protects against man-in-the-middle attacks. The encryption of data and communications exchanged between a user and server protects against tampering of the communication and eavesdropping.

2. GDPR Compliance – HTTPS protects the privacy of your website users.

The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into effect on 25th May 2018.  GDPR was designed to protect the privacy of personal data of EU Citizens, harmonise data privacy laws across Europe, and to reshape the way organizations across the region approach data privacy, it applies to anyone doing business in EU irrespective of their location. Non-compliance with the GDPR can result in imposition of massive fines on businesses.

GDPR has clear requirements that can only be addressed through the implementation of HTTPS encryption. Every unprotected HTTP request can potentially reveal information about the personal data including identities and behaviours of your users to intruders and hackers. The principal motivation for HTTPS is protection of the privacy and integrity of the exchanged data while in transit and authentication of the accessed website.

Article 32 of the regulation (“Security”) states:

“Taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons, the controller and the processor shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, including inter alia as appropriate:

  • the pseudonymisation and encryption of personal data;
  • the ability to ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services”

GDPR states that regulated information must be protected with ‘appropriate technical and organisational measures’, which includes encryption of personal data and the ability to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of systems and services, thus HTTPS fulfills this requirement for the component of data protection.

3. HTTPS and SEO ranking factor

In order to achieve and retain higher rankings in Google search results, there are many best practices for Search Engine Optimisation. Whether websites use secure, encrypted connections has been a signal in Google’s search ranking algorithms since 2014. Also, websites with HTTPS load much faster than the HTTP sites, and speedy websites are likely to rank higher in Google. Google favours a website that has followed its standards and guidelines for a good SEO.

Better SEO leads to better Google rankings which can lead to more traffic on your website, and with more visitors seeing a secure and trusted website will use it over a non-secure one, thus improving your website’s click-through-rate.

4. Google will flag all non-HTTPS websites as ‘Not Secure’

Google advocates secure HTTPS websites and has been voicing for a secure web for years by encouraging webmasters to make the migration to a secure website.

Starting July 2018, Google Chrome browser will be flagging all websites without an SSL encryption as ‘Not secure’, thus any website without an HTTPS encryption will display a prominent red insecure warning sign in the URL.

5. HTTPS builds trust and authority.

Website visitors are highly likely to be alarmed by insecure warnings on websites and will abandon any activity or purchases on a non-trustworthy website. HTTPS encrypted websites are more safe and secure and are likely to build trust and authority for your customers for further engagement on your website.

In conclusion, HTTPS is an important step to protect your business and the data of your customers, as well as to maximise confidence in your website.

Read more on our Blog article about why you should bother about SEO.