Editor's Note: This is the first in a five-part series.
Imagine a comprehensive real estate website that serves as a community resource on- and offline. What would my future home page look like?
Think Google.
Consider this Wall Street Journal headline: “You’re a nobody unless your name Googles well.”
Woo Factor
When it comes to real estate website design, it’s all about “woo” (winning other people over) not “whoa” (a command to stand still). Winning people over means fulfilling a fundamental need. "Whoa" is essentially smoke and mirrors.
Keeping with this logic, all the widgets, gadgets and flash slideshows might give a visitor more to look at, but won’t garner repeat visits.
KISS
When in doubt, “Keep it simple, stupid!” Creating a user-friendly experience requires stripping away all excess to reveal the essential. If a blog is a conversation-starter, the first line should be, “Hi, how are YOU?” Not “look at me!”
Along these lines, five must-haves for a real estate website are: who, what, when, where and why—the 5Ws. The principle underlying this maxim is that each question should elicit a factual answer.
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