1. The big picture
• I have set up a company in Malta, Mela Properties Ltd. which is aimed to encompass property management, agency and advertising. Currently we are looking for someone to build a website and hand over the code and allow ownership to us on completion of the project.
• This is a start-up company; we have researched and want to make a customer oriented agency as there is scope to better serve clients and bringing the whole industry together to share information without handing over the agency fee. We will allow and actively invite others to share their brand and their listings on our site [login to view URL]
• We envision a period of free use, but after a certain population of properties on board, be they from owners, or managers, or agencies, they will pay a small fee for the advert. Packages will be paid for through a payment gateway, namely APCO, and this will be part of the process of the build. This needs to be integrated.
• As an agent we will allow free listing on site, and the lowest commission payable on the island of Malta. We guarantee this on sales. Rentals or management plans are also offered.
• The website project should achieve branding, with links to twitter, Instagram, youtube and facebook. The ads should show a range of products linked automatically. Tabs should describe service solutions such as management, about us etc.
• The biggest issue I have had so far is finding a person capable of working on a site with a plan and a clear vision or picture of what I would like to achieve, which should have a CRM and database of emails and phone numbers, along with the relevant properties history.
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email sign up is required to message or to post/advertise. Phone number is also mandatory along with name. Terms and conditions should include a disclaimer that the person posting takes full responsibility of the content that they post. This is included in the sign up stage.
2. Target audience
• Our customers will be both local and foreign people, who reside or want to reside in Malta. The website is only targeting and advertising property in Malta and Gozo.
• The target audience is totally unaware of this company as it is at the start up stage.
• We hope the website visitors should browse property advertised with us, and also post properties. If they wish to sign up as well that would be most beneficial to build the database.
• The brand and the service, including ease of use, and customer focus are the main goals envisioned with this project.
3. Goals and objectives
• The client has the option to call us or email us. We will post contact us info.
• The ideal situation will be that the client will be able to post their property in a simple, easy and fast process where we have no input aside from a possible review to prevent spamming or explicit or false info being published.
• A transaction is a completed and paid for advert posted on the site.
• The sign up process should capture email, mobile phone number (8 digits, starting with 77, 79 or 99 in Malta) along with a first and last name (separately for mass mailers)
• The customers should be able to call/email us or the advertiser directly in order to enquire about the property they see advertised. Users should have their phone number automatically filled in once logged in, and they should be able to change that in the account area if the need arises.
4. Your current website
• The current website looks good, but the previous designer didn’t complete. The layout can be used, or you can start from scratch, whichever you prefer.
• I would like to have the site as both PC and mobile friendly, along with an app.
• There is currently no traffic as neither the signup and payments, or the post a property function is set up.
• All the visitors will be either generic or through social media targeted advertising, or hopefully through word of mouth of clients, and referrals.
• I would hope to have a high conversion rate of visitors to signups.
5. Competitors
• All competitors are working alone, the aim of this website is to make it so attractive and easy to use that even the competitors will join in on a subscription and post their properties, with this in mind would an API function be useful?
• The competition is closed off, so it will be difficult to gain traction in the area, but possibly focused advertising and publicity will help.
• I dislike the ease of use, and the fact you have to trawl all websites to find a property, I also find it frustrating that properties listed are still active after 6 months, when they could also be sold within a month. A function I would like would be a monthly update/refresh list email sent out.
• There is one site I would like the functionality and use matched. That site is [login to view URL]
6. Project Management and Timeline
• There are some graphics available including the logo and name, the CRM and ADMIN sections are most important and it is imperative that they are easy to use, and have good searchability and changeability.
• I would like to be live within 4-8 weeks.
• The target for taking payments through the online portal would ideally be functional at this time too, but would be acceptable within 8-12 weeks as there will be a period of free advertising offered on launch.
7. Technical
• I don’t have a web hosting agreement and will have to find one before the site goes live. Once you have the build done there will be more idea as to what level of hosting will be needed.
• The site will be offered in English
8. Ecommerce
• ? There will be certain types of user, single, triple, other agent, or Mela agent. Mela agents are only able to be awarded by ADMIN. Other agent pays monthly or yearly subscription, whereas a single or triple user pays a once off fee.
• I hope to be the biggest property website in Malta within 2-3 years.
• Properties should be searchable by type, area, price, no of rooms, or size in m2, along with classification either residential, commercial, land, or garage. There will be further lists under each section. There are approximately 64 townlands in Malta and Gozo, and this would be made searchable via an interactive map where the properties show up once search parameters are clicked.
• The site needs to be integrated with a payment gateway as mentioned above, APCO, and would also need paypal options.
9. Budget
• There is an option of ongoing relationship forming on completion of the site in a maintenance capacity if we form an agreement.
• The budget for marketing on Facebook etc. will be managed by the company once set up.
• The project is up for tender, and if there are any questions on this description which are not clear then please message me