Simple and Effective Real Estate Agent Web Site
We live in a technologically-exciting world. Every Real Estate Agent knows that in order to be with the times, a personalized website is a must.
Brand new webmasters today can make use of easy to master web design tools that add functionality only a web programmer could have dreamed of just a couple of years ago.
And that is great, right? The flashier and fancier the website the better, right?
Wrong! Quite the opposite is true.
The accessibility of fancy web mastering tools has resulted in hundreds of "junk" websites that have so much going on at every page that the web surfer is completely overwhelmed.
Some of these web pages have as many as 7 or 8 distinct content areas contained on an 800 by 600 pixel screen... a flashing header graphic, several paragraphs of text, an opt in form, Google ads, Amazon ads, affiliate links, audio and/or video buttons to push, and sometimes even more.
But good Real Estate Agent Web Site doesn't need all of this nonsense!
If a website is too complex, web visitors will never stick around long enough to make a difference. There are too many decisions to make, too many distractions. And the content is completely lost among all the technology and advertising.
What is the solution? Most successful real estate agent webmasters today--that is webmasters who have visitors coming back over and over to their site and who are making money and/or getting some other desired response--will tell you that the answer is clean and simple web design.
Usability is the key.
Great website designs focus on 3 basic values: simplicity, clarity, and speed. In other words, you need a site that is visually appealing, but at the same time downloads quickly and is easy to navigate.
To design a Real Estate Agent Web Site that has visual appeal, you can make use of simple graphics, color, and graphical text. But what ever you do, stay away from flashing animations and busy backgrounds. In fact, if you want the majority of visitors to be able to read your text easily, a white, cream, or light yellow background with black or dark blue text is best.
While isn't necessary to be an accomplished graphic artist to design a visually pleasing content site. Grab a photo or two from a free stock photo site such as creativecommons.org, add some colored text and a tagline using a graphics program like Windows Paint or Paint Shop Pro, and that's all that is needed for a header.
Clean and simple web design extends to the layout of your content too. Text is most readable when it is in "chunks." This means short sentences and paragraphs of no more than 2 to 4 sentences each. Make liberal use of colored subheadings and bullets. Sprinkle a graphic or two per page to break up the text and add visual interest. Use margins (padding) around your text, so that it doesn't bump up against the edges of your navigation and ad panels. Lots of white space is crucial.
An "opt in" form is one of the most important thing to have on your site, since it can help you build a lead list. It should be be placed in the left or right panes, with your content in the main center panel. Your content pane should be the largest area on the screen, so that it draws the reader's focus.
While advertising isn't necessary, it can be beneficial. Many webmasters use Google Adsense or a similar program. If anything, advertising can help pay hosting cost.
In summary, many beginning real estate agent webmasters (and even some more experienced ones!) think that squeezing as much functionality into every page as possible is the right approach. It is not. What will keep people on your site and keep them coming back as well, is a clean, simple, easy to navigate design.
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Visit Real Estate Marketing Talk for more information about best design for a Real Estate Agent Web Site. |
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