When buyers are ready to buy and sellers are ready to sell, they no longer use the Yellow Pages to find a real estate professional. Instead, they head straight for their computer and begin their search.
 
When the prospective buyer or seller has found your site, are they going to stay there? Even more importantly, are they going to return?
 
You only have a few seconds to grab a prospect's attention.  Your homepage must have original and informative content, it must be user-friendly and it must have good graphic design.
 
Search Engines may not look at graphics, but people do.  If your website is poorly designed, the prospect will most likely leave your site within 10 seconds; but if the website is appealing, they are more likely to add your site to their "Favorites" and return again.
 
Your website must be eye-appealing and attention grabbing. Forget the neon colors. If the design is hard on the eyes, the prospect will click out faster than they clicked in. Most website visitors do not like pop-ups; especially when they request information. So, instead of getting information, you have annoyed the prospect (who closed the pop-up in the first 3 seconds). Avoid immediate voiceovers or music as most people consider this an annoyance as well.
 
Ten years ago, it was all about brochures and business cards to help you stood out from the rest. Today, it is your website that must stand out. Take a look at your competition's presentation. If it is eye-appealing, they are probably doing more internet generated business.
 
Designing a website, choosing graphics, color-schemes, etc., can be time consuming.  I would advise seeking expert advice and assistance. Of course, I think a Virtual Assistant is a perfect choice for this job. Hosting companies will help and advise; but you may end up with a very "canned" look, which is not memorable at all. Whereas a Virtual Assistant will help you design a site that looks great and reflects your personal style. A Virtual Assistant is usually more economical than a website designer as well.