Improvements to search and results in XSites Network mean more reliable results, better exposure

There's going to be a change in how search results for appraisers on the XSites Network are returned starting Thursday, September 1. If your profile indicates you do work in more than one state, you should have received an e-mail about this already.

Starting September 1, you can be listed as doing business in your home state for free. But to show up in other states' results, you'll need to pay $99 per year per extra state. Elite bundle members get two free states. For everyone, there's a limit of five altogether.

So if a potential client searches for an appraiser in Reno, Nevada, the search results will include:

appraisers whose main offices are located in Nevada

appraisers who have changed their default "home" state to Nevada (see below)

California appraisers, for example, who do business in Reno, and who have purchased the right to be listed in Nevada's results as well as California's.

You're probably aware that in recent months we've revamped how the XSites Network searches appraisers and returns search results to potential clients. Now, instead of information you enter and maintain specifically for the Network, search results return a link to your Appraiser XSite website. How you market your services and convince potential clients to do business with you is entirely in your hands.

We responded to concerns that the Network itself was inserting itself into the process of your getting and doing business. And we don't want your client to confuse the XSites Network with all the competing directories that charge you for your listing or skim off the top of your fee. Your client is looking for the best, most professional service from an appraiser they can trust. We help them find your site, and you take it from there.

We've improved how clients search for and choose an appraiser. They can search within 100 miles of a ZIP code, for example. Clients can sort search results by company name, city, state, XSite owners with online ordering capability, even appraisers who use WinTOTAL. And they can click right through to your online appraisal order form if you choose.

Another improvement we've made in response to user feedback is limiting the number of states appraisers can designate themselves as doing business in. Unfortunately, some users were gaming the system so that they showed up in states far from their offices, where they might not do much (or any) business.

Correcting this makes search results more reliable, which is good for your clients. It makes sure you're competing for business with other appraisers who actually work in your same area, not a bunch of large, remote offices, which is good for you.

Your free "home" state will be the one where your main office is. You can change that "home" state if for example, your office is on the border of two states and you do most of your business "next door." To change your "home" state if you have the Aurora generation of WinTOTAL form filling software, start at your XSites' My Office page and then go to Business Management | Options | Coverage. Otherwise, you can still start at the My Office page but you'll go to Orders | Profile | Coverage Information instead.

Regardless, to be listed in a second state (or third or more, if you don't have our Elite bundle) you'll have to pay for it. Click here to buy additional states.

If you're only listed in one state – and this is the first you're hearing about this – just know that we're improving the XSites Network to ensure that you don't have to compete for business with appraisers who aren't located and actually doing business where you are. If you have any questions about this new policy, it may be answered on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, or please send us an e-mail to corpsupport@alamode.com and we'll answer promptly.