You Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression

By Megan Montemarano

First impressions are a vital component of success. Here at William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, we believe you only get one chance to make a first impression, and carry this mindset in everything that we do, starting with our award-winning website. Since its redesign in 2015, williampitt.com has received a great number of notable recognitions, all of which commemorate the feature-rich technological innovation at the site’s core.

It’s not only our site that makes a great first impression—but our clients and our sales associates as well, through their association with the award-winning online platform. From start to finish, our homes are consistently positioned in the best possible light, benefitting from our company’s standout marketing materials including property videos, full-bleed high-resolution photography, website customization according to the user’s location, and detailed community information such as accessibility to area schools and precise commute times to Manhattan. Once onboard, we offer the whole experience for everyone involved, and a memorable one at that! By working together and utilizing the matchless service, expertise, tools and network associated with our company, impressive first impressions are a given.

Just this past November, our company was acknowledged for its immersive online experience by the Web Marketing Association, becoming the 2016 WebAwards winner of the “Best Professional Services Website” in the Professional Services category. The WebAward Competition is considered the premier annual contest for web developers and marketers. Winners are chosen by a select group of industry leaders, who judge the websites of candidates based on seven criteria: design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, innovation and content. This award is a tremendous honor, as only one winner is selected per industry.

We were also recently chosen from nearly 13,000 submissions as an Official Honoree in the real estate website category in the 20^th Annual Webby Awards—the “Internet’s highest honor,” according to The New York Times. Presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), The Webby Awards is the global leader when it comes to honoring Internet excellence, and is comprised of multiple web industry experts. For the 2016 awards, it was none other than our premier company that was chosen in the real estate website category, making us the only residential real estate brokerage named. As a selected Official Honoree, we were part of the top 20% of all entries, which came in abundant force from all across the globe.

For their 11^th annual awards, The W3 Awards honored our online excellence, naming williampitt.com the “Best in Show” winner for Visual Appeal and “Gold Award” winner for Website Video Features. The W3 is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, a top-notch group of professionals from acclaimed media, advertising and marketing firms. The awards, which consider recipients ranging from large agencies to small firms, honor the top creative websites, focusing on the marketing professionals behind the sites, videos and programs.

Finally, not long after our website’s official launch in 2015, we received the exciting news that trusted real estate news publication REAL Trends ranked williampitt.com the “#1 Best Designed Real Estate Website in the Country.” The 2015 REAL Trends Real Estate Website Rankings were chosen by five technology experts, who narrowed down an initial 750 real estate website entries to the top 25. Out of the remaining submissions, 70 judging panelists, comprising real estate chief technology and marketing officers across the United States, voted on the best websites for eight categories.

With all of these accomplishments in mind, it becomes clear that making the best first impression is simple with us at williampitt.com. Be sure to explore the site, to see for yourself!