New Network, new directory: how the XSites Network ranks you in directory search results

The XSites Network rankings of appraisers now are different than the rankings the old Mercury Network produced. This is a result of our recent switchover of the Mercury Network to the new XSites Network, and here's how they work.

Previously, Mercury put fee and service details of your competitors up next to yours, and made it easier for them to compete with you. But we shouldn't be deciding how to convince clients to hire you, you should. We heard this in one form or another from many Mercury Network users over the years.

Now, to be ranked at all, you have to have an XSite, because the directory will route clients to XSites. The directory isn't the focus of your XSite – and you shouldn't treat it like it is. Convincing clients to do business with you is in your hands.

Whether you're ranked at the top or on page two or three, your clients are going to make the decision who to hire based on how you present yourself and your business on your XSite, not where you rank on a search. That's the point, in fact. They'll look at fees, coverage area, products offered, designations, education, everything you tell them on your XSite. Our not getting in the middle of your branding and marketing is a big plus, but only if you take advantage of it.

We've cleaned the directory up in two ways, one we've accomplished and one you'll see happening in the coming weeks. First, we queried our database and identified anyone who's been listed in the directory for more than 30 days but has never accepted an order through their XSite. XSites are so cost effective and easy to use we have people who get them for other things than their appraisal practice. Others set up a demo or trial site but abandoned it for whatever reason. This query identified them.

Then, we contacted each such site owner and asked them if they wanted to remain in the directory. If they clicked on the link indicating they did, they were retained. This eliminated the "dead wood" from the directory. The result is a listing of appraisers who actually use the XSites Network to do business, a plus for your clients as well as for you, since non-Network users won't be ranked ahead of you.

Anyone who received any kind of order via the Mercury Network in the last year but didn't have an Appraiser XSite website was given one free for 90 days. Now that everyone who uses the Network has an XSite, we rank you by how long you've had an XSite. That's an objective, ironclad and easily available (to us) standard for rankings.

With this new way of determining search results, you won't find your competitors gaming the system to artificially appear higher in the rankings. To even better ensure that, the second improvement we're making over the coming weeks is limiting coverage areas to a single state. While you will be able to purchase additional states (or get a certain number of additional states free if you have our Elite bundle – be on the lookout for details), this will be enough of a disincentive that you won't see a single appraisal office appearing at the top of the rankings for all the major markets in the country. The directory will be more useful and reliable, and you'll be reliably identified as a true appraisal provider in your coverage area.

Directory and ranking improvements weren't the whole point of the recent switchover. Your XSite now represents your branding and marketing, without the intrusion of another company or brand. Lenders aren't ordering from some entity called the Mercury Network, they're ordering from you. That's why you don't log on to the old Mercury Network to manage your orders, but instead use your XSite's admin area. Orders are placed directly on your XSite.

We've also named Brian Ringer, who managed the release of XSellerate automated marketing to the appraiser, agent and mortgage markets, XSites Network Product Manager. He'll have the responsibility of expanding this service and driving more XSite collaboration features as we leverage our unique position in the real estate industry to benefit our customers.

"Collaboration among all our XSites will be an important goal for the very near future," Ringer said. "Mortgage and Agent XSites are growing by leaps and bounds, and we plan XSites for other types of vendors and clients as well. Soon you'll see a true interactive network with XSites owners of all stripes relying on one another and keeping each other productive and profitable."