website design case study

1st Estate are a leading independent Estate Agent & Property Management company based in Manningtree town centre. They have a wealth of experience and local area knowledge, which enables them to effectively deal with residential sales and lettings. They provide a professional service seven days a week.

Website Design
The layout of the 1st Estate website has changed little since Afizz rebuilt it in 2004. The introduction of an Access database improved it flexibility and functionality and has served the site well.

Database and Website Upgrade
Following a review of the site's performance and usability from the office staff's point of view it was decided to upgrade the database system to a full fledged MSSQL platform. At the same time the web design was brought up-to-date with a fresh look and interactive mapping.

We also developed a custom built control panel for staff to manage their property portfolio. A key area of improvement was the introduction of a fully automatic image manipulation and uploading system. No longer are they faced with the manual re-sizing, cropping, rotating and uploading of the property photos.

The control panel is also instrumental in providing paper based property details in various formats at the click of a button. A very effective and time saving solution.

Interactive Mapping
Mapping has become an essential feature for an Estate Agent's web site. Many use Post Code data for determining the location, however there are inaccuracies when using this method. We employed more sophisticated technology to establish a mapping system with pin point accuracy.

The mapping system also selects key regional features such as Schools, Railway Stations, Post Offices etc for each property.

Touch Screen
If you are ever passing 1st Estate's door, you can experience their innovative touch screen display in the window. The touch screen uses a modified version of their website to enable passers-by to interactively view property details 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The database control panel seamlessly integrates the provision of live updates of the property records and photos.