Previously I have written on budget (time and money) and also on organising your email routine. I would like to share some ideas on the basic tools or bits of software that will help you to be more organised and efficient.

There are a huge number of efficiency enhancing tools and products on the market - the problem is deciding what you need - NOT what you want or think might be cool.

The time wasted in learning a new tool or piece of software that is not really going to buy you much - ROI (Return On Investment), is time that you could have spent tweaking your website or walking the dog or playing with the kids.

I will not try to convince you about buying stuff - most of what you need is available free on the net - the problem is finding it.

Your best bet is to take the time BEFORE getting too heavily involved in your project to think about what you might need to accomplish it. For instance - an email tool - OK these mostly come with your operating system and at the outset are powerful enough to do the job until you outgrow the basics and need to move on - so, don’t spend time and money looking for the ultimate email program.

Web browser - once again, this is standard with your operating system - although fairly soon you will need to get a tabbed browser, but I will write a separate article on this.

Word processors are also part of the package - as long as you have a decent text editor like Notepad or similar and an HTML capable editor like Word to start with you are OK. Here you might like to get a free tool called NVu fairly soon - this is a decent HTML editor which does not put all sorts of background HTML in your web pages like Word does. Your next step up - remember, only when you outgrow the basics - would be a web site design and building tool like DreamWeaver or CuteSiteBuilder or similar. Here you will be paying for the software, so be sure that it is really needed at this time.

If you are looking to publish e-Books or similar, you will most likely need to get a text to PDF converter. Adobe has one but this is quite expensive, so look for a basic text to PDF PRINT ROUTINE or script. These are available free on the web. As you progress, have a look at getting one of the full PDF converters as these enable more functions and security on your creation.

Graphics tools are pretty much a personal choice - once again though, your basic Paint or MicroGraphix should do for a while to create jpegs etc. Here again, as you start looking for the next upgrade, remember that the cost has to be met from somewhere. Fortunately, there are quite a few companies on the net who do graphics rendering of logos and images for you - there are even a few that give a free trial (this is long enough for you to create your first logo etc so that you can get going)

If I can leave you with one thought for today: Just as a plumber cannot do his work without the correct tools, he also does not carry around a whole workshop just for the sake of having stuff there. He chooses what he needs in his toolkit and that is what he works with. We should be the same - think about what you need and not what you WANT!

About the Author
Steve Castle is a respected Internet Marketer who is committed to ethically helping others to achieve their financial freedom. mailto:steve@ask-a-southafrican.co.uk http://www.ask-a-southafrican.co.uk/pips.html http://www.triseven.ws http://www.xponentialsystems.co.uk

As the real estate industry relies more heavily on generating leads through technology, it is crucial for real estate professionals to create a presence for themselves on the Internet. However, creating a presence by having any old Web page is not enough. Professionals must be prepared and committed to creating a quality Web site if they want to maximize the number of lead captures available through consumer Internet searches.

Options are endless when it comes to possibilities for professional, top-notch real estate Web sites. If you don’t already have a Web site, you can design it yourself, pay a company to do it or use a template to fill in your information. Regardless of your preference for creating the Web site, it is in your best interest to consider the following tips before your site goes live. If you already have a Web site, evaluate the design elements that are effective and maybe less effective based on the following suggestions.

Tip #1: Less is more
A Web site layout that is simple and clean will be far more attractive to visitors than a busy cluttered site.

Tip #2: Stick ‘em
One of the keys to generating leads through your Web site is by making it sticky. To make your site sticky means you provide enough information for visitors so they stick to your site because they are finding the information they need and don’t have a reason to go somewhere else. However, you must design your site in such a way that it is easy to navigate. If consumers get lost in figuring out how to retrieve desired information, they will shut down your site and go elsewhere.

Tip #3: Time is money
Be careful when choosing graphics. Flash and scripts will increase your file size by huge amounts. In today’s working world, people want information, but they don’t want to wait for it. If your Web site takes too long to load, customers are not willing to wait around for your page to load because they know they will find almost the exact same information somewhere else much faster.

Tip #4: A picture says a thousand words
Although content is a critical part of a good Web site, a picture can say so much more. Be selective with you pictures, and be sure pictures you use bring focus to what you want potential home buyer’s to know. An example of using a picture well is to display a featured home on your site. This picture will show something buyer’s are looking for, and will encourage them to read other content on the page.

Tip #5: Go against the grain
When planning content for the front page, don’t use cliché ideas from your competitors; be smart about the information you provide. If you want to personalize your site, don’t put your hobbies, pets, and life story on your front page. Consumers who are looking at your page are looking for real estate – give them the content they want.

If followed, these tips are bound to be effective in generating business for real estate professionals. By creating and implementing a professional and quality Web site agents will find greater success in generating leads.

About the Author
Content provided by 10x Media. Established in 2003, 10x Media provides innovative online marketing tools. It has expanded its online presence through networks such as Inside Real state, Inside Finances and Grab Real Estate, which contain thousands of pages for city and state specific real estate information across the nation.