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Estate agency websites are unique because they’re somewhere in-between an eCommerce website and a portfolio website. Making these unique websites function effectively and better than your competition will require modern website plugins. But what is a website plugin and what are some of the best website plugins for estate agents?
What is a website plugin?
A website plugin is an item of software that allows the website to perform functions that otherwise would not have been possible. They can serve an array of uses for the website owner and the website’s visitors. Most websites include multiple plugins across different pages.
These plugins are mostly used on websites that are designed through Content Management Systems (CMSs). The plugin may be available as a free addition or for a small fee. This makes them quick and easy to install. However, you should have the professional web design knowledge to install them properly and ensure they won’t cause issues with aspects of your website’s performance.
Here are three examples of website plugins that could be useful for estate agency websites:
Live chat software
Live chat software is a type of plugin software that can be added to an estate agency website to improve the visitors’ experience, reduce business hours spent answering queries and encourage property viewings.
Live chat allows the website visitor to ask questions about properties or the estate agency’s processes. The software can be adapted to answer these directly and/or by directing the visitor to specific website pages with links. This allows the user to discover answers for themselves and then decide to make contact with the estate agent or not. It saves the business time and filters out low-quality leads.
Social media feeds
Adding social media feeds to your website can contribute to updating website visitors on your latest property listings or industry news they may need to be aware of.
A social media feed is a live feed of your social media activity, which could be Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram. What you post on your social accounts will automatically appear on banners or sliders on your website. It adds to the connectivity of the different components of your online presence.
Online calculators
Online calculators are frequently used by mortgage brokers and financial advisers on their websites. But they could also be used by estate agents to help people work out what type of mortgage they could get to filter their property searches. They could even be used by renters to work out how much they can afford.
Online calculator plugins are widely available for different purposes. Not only will they add to the functionality of the website for the user and encourage enquiries, but calculators also make the website experience more personalised and interactive.
Talk to a WEBPRO Estate developer
If you want to benefit from any of the plugins above or want to know about the many other estate agency plugins that are available, why not speak to us? Our talented developers can help you choose and install the best plugins efficiently. We even have the personnel to develop bespoke plugin solutions that aren’t already available off the shelf. This can be useful if you need a bespoke function for your site.
Recap: Website plugins are software used to enhance the functionality of websites. Most industries require multiple plugins so their website can perform the tasks needed and contribute to business processes. Estate agents are no different. There are a number of excellent website plugins that can improve estate agency websites, not limited to live chat software, live social media feeds and online calculators.
These plugins make your estate agent website come alive with interaction and personalisation. But arguably more importantly, they can save your business time while filtering out low-quality leads and encourage contact from warm leads.
P.S. We can add new plugins to websites that we didn’t make ourselves. Simply get in touch for info!
