Your website is your online "real estate" showroom, so it needs to be appealing and functional. Most experts would agree that your website should also have IDX so that you can provide MLS property search for website visitors. Without IDX, you can display only your own listings, which doesn't provide a compelling search experience. The ultimate goal of your website is to gain new business or sell properties, so it will need the ability to capture leads.

Your website options span a wide range – from 100% custom design, to template-based do-it-yourself. The key to success is balancing your budget constraints with your goals, and finding a vendor who will fit that niche.

To help you learn more about real estate websites, we recommend reading the following articles. They're a good place to get started:

• Real Estate Website Checklist: Buyer Resources
• Real Estate Website Checklist: Seller Resources
• 5 Things That Should Not Be on Your Real Estate Website
• Visual Hierarchy and Your Website
• Real Estate Website Sales Conversion Funnel

Choosing the Right Tool

If you're in the market for a real estate website, there are questions you can ask to evaluate which option is right for you, like:

• Does this developer have permission to pull a data feed from my MLS?
• Does this website have an integrated CRM?
• Does this website have integrated lead management?
• How easy will it be for me to make changes to this website? Will I need the help of a developer?
• Can this vendor also host my website and email?
• Is it a responsive design that works on all browsers, including mobile?

Find more questions to ask in our 2014 Technology Guide. It's a free resource for real estate pros who want to learn more about the technology products available to them.

Here are three website solutions highlighted in the Tech Guide:

• WebsiteBox: Known as the "$99 Do-It-All Website," WebsiteBox offers websites to agents for life for a one-time cost. Websites include IDX search, an integrated CRM, SEO-friendly content, and more.
• WolfNet: Custom, semi-custom, and turnkey WordPress websites built with cutting-edge technology. Each site is professionally designed, SEO optimized, and features integrated property search and intuitive content management.
• TorchX: Features integrated MLS listings and backend lead management for more effective follow-up on prospects. TORCHx automatically creates pages for every city and neighborhood in your MLS while allowing you to create and add unique landing pages for each. Available on mobile, tablet, and desktop platforms.

For more information on the options above, download the full guide. For a full list of website providers, visit our Product Directory.

More in the "Tech 101" Series

This is the latest in a series of articles that explores the spectrum of technology products available to real estate professionals. Each post covers what a specific type of technology does, how to evaluate solutions in that category, and available options. Here's what we've covered so far:

• CMAs
• Back office solutions
• Online Marketing tools
• Market Analytics
• Electronic Signatures

Stay tuned for more!