Waterfront Properties of Smith Mountain Lake

Site Launched: May 2000
URL: http://www.smithmtnlake.com

Waterfront Properties of Smith Mountain Lake, Inc., is the premier realty company for the lake's property. Its existing web site served as an on-line brochure for its developments and golf courses, but the site's information was generic and did very little to entice a visitor to act on present property opportunities.

Anderson & Associates proposed a unique solution to Waterfront Properties: not only would they offer a searchable database of available properties, but property information would also be made available through a smart-mapping interface. The redesigned web site would be enticing, informational, and functional; it would advance the sales process to the point where web site visitors would be ready to tour, in person, the properties that most interested them. The first order of business was to provide a fresh "look" to the web site, through a graphic concept that reflected a solid navigation system. This navigation sectioned information into topics that would interest a visitor: Properties, Communities, About the Area, and Realtors.

The next step was to propagate all current property information through a custom database that could be accessed by the web site. This information could be searched according to any number of criteria: price range, status of development, community, number of bedrooms or bathrooms. The data returned for these properties ranged from floor plans to artist renderings to actual photographs of the property and its surrounding view. The key to the successful implementation of this searchable property information was daily maintenance of the data. For this reason, A&A constructed a password-protected, web-based form that would allow Waterfront Properties staff to add, edit and delete property information directly in the database. This solution increases the independence Waterfront Properties has over its own site's success.

Then A&A constructed the smart-mapping interface through its WebGIS.net (TM) solution. This solution, essentially a web-based geographic information system, was customized to match the graphic concept of the rest of the web site. The mapping interface allows the visitor to point-and-click to review property or golf course information. Zooming and panning tools are provided so that the visitor can investigate surrounding property, waterfront or golf course locations.

This "functional" information is endlessly cross-referenced to the rest of the site, so that when viewing information about a property, the visitor can follow links to learn more about the agent listing that property, the community in which the property is located, and the floorplans for the house style cited.

There are many benefits to WaterFront Properties' website

• The site allows its visitors to take control of the initial sales process through searchable property listings that include photographs and floor plans.
• Visitors can locate property information through a customized visual interface of smart-mapping that provides context to the visitor's search.
• The property information is easily maintained by staff through a password-protected, web-based form.
• The web site provides a professional presentation of useful information, and gives the visitor every incentive to do business with Waterfront Properties of Smith Mountain Lake, Inc.

 

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