With most people turning to the internet to get some quick information, your estate agency website acts as a 24-hour shop window to not only your properties but your company. Likely to be the first port of call for finding your contact information, you want to make sure your first impression hits just right. But how do you do this successfully?
#1 Usability
The first mistake some estate agents make is making their website hard to use. The biggest turn-off for today’s internet users is websites that aren’t easy to find or get information from. If there are too many gimmicks like flashing banners or pop-ups to grab attention, it can affect how quickly a page loads for example. Getting caught up in the design or functional gimmicks without considering how they will affect usability will have a negative effect on the user.
The website must be easy for everyone to use so that your visitors will want to stay to find what they were looking for. While design and aesthetics are important, don’t let them affect the website being user-friendly.
#2 Property Search
It is no secret that anyone visiting an estate agent’s website is more than likely looking for a property. A clear, easy to use property search will help direct potential buyers to the listings, and a filter function will help the user easily narrow down the results, to quickly find what they are looking for.
Having the search bar in a prominent easy-to-find space on the page is almost as important as having clear contact details. Your property search function should be the primary ‘Call to Action’ on the front page. Remember, internet users are looking for information to be delivered quickly to their fingertips, so this is an important step to get right.
#3 Optimise your SEO
No matter how good your website looks, or how easy it is to use, it will mean nothing if you aren’t getting traffic to your site in the first place. That’s where Search Engine Optimisation comes in. Using SEO-friendly web content will help you to appear on the first couple of pages of a search engine. This will help people to find you when doing searches such as “Estate agents near me” or “estate agents in [your location]”. Making use of these searches can mean the difference between more people in your area recognising you as a household name, and your online traffic being minimal.
#4 Clear Navigation
Your navigation bar can say a lot about your company and website, so it being easy to find, use and bring up key information is vital. The main pages searched for by users looking for a new property are the catalogue of properties themselves, contact information, and services. Making sure these are at the top of your website, will make it easier to find information, and therefore your website will be a joy for the potential buyer.
As well as your navigation bar, you also need to think about the flow of the buying process. When looking at a property online, having an easy way to get in touch for more details can be a benefit to not only you but your consumer. Consider putting a call to action somewhere on each listing. This way, it’s a clear path to the next steps, with no extra clicks!
#5 Property Content
Property listings are a key part of your website, it’s normally the main reason people are there! Making sure the content is clear and not stuffy will make sure your website feels less like you reading a novel and more like you’re taking on digestible information. Use large, high-resolution photos, detailed but to-the-point descriptions, and useful extras like Google maps and large legible floor plans.
Finally:
To summarise, make sure your website is clear, easy to read, and easy to use. It should all be about your end user. Try putting yourself in their shoes and make sure all elements of your website work together to create a user-friendly experience.
Need a new website, a complete redesign, or some new landing pages? Take a look at one of the projects we’ve worked on here.
Katie Gillingham
Katie is a Freelance Copywriter living in rural Dorset with her daft old Labrador. She first started writing content for the property industry back in 2015, and loves nothing more than bringing brand voices to life!
