Real Estate Websites — Design Tips for Agents

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by Brandon Cornett

If you own a real estate website, or you're planning to, you need to think about design. Effective, reader-oriented design will draw visitors into a real estate website. Sloppy, inconsistent or confusing design will send people packing.

So whether you're building your own website or outsourcing it, you need to have a say in the final product. Here are some ways to build effective design into your real estate website. I call this approach reader-oriented design.

Real Estate Websites & Reader-Oriented Design

Reader-oriented design attracts the reader
Clutter and confusion will repel a potential reader (or prospect, or customer) quicker than anything else. Forget the fact that your headline is compelling, you body copy well-researched, and your offer strong ... the reader will never get to any of those elements if the website's design turns them away.

Good design invites the reader in. Through its balance, clarity and freshness, good design says to the reader, “I respect you, and I've created this website accordingly.”

Reader-oriented design helps the reader
When design, content and structure come together in harmony, reader comprehension skyrockets. He or she understands at a glance what the site is about.

They can then decide if they want to continue reading based on the more important fundamentals of relevance and persuasion. In other words, good design channels the reader into those factors that have the power to move them.

Reader-oriented design reassures the reader
As far as the reader is concerned, your real estate website directly reflects the quality of you and your organization. If your website is sloppy, so are you. If your website is top-notch, so are you. Thus, good design increases your credibility.

Reader-oriented design sells!
Good design cooperates with strong content to sell the reader on your ideas, your services and your value. And isn't that the whole point?

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