Your Web Sites’ “Curb Appeal”

Does your web site have “curb appeal”? That is, will it engage visitors long enough for them to slow down, take a look around and maybe even ask to see more? Would you ever tell a seller, “Don’t worry about the overgrown shrubbery, the gutters hanging down or the broken fence. I’m sure it will sell anyway!” No, you wouldn’t. You’d tell them to spend a few dollars and a weekend fixing the place up. And they’d do it, because they want the place to sell.

So, do you want your web site to sell people on your service the way a home buyer might be “sold” on seeing more of a home based on their first impressions? If so, it’s time to re-evaluate your site as it is now. Is it clear, concise and easy to navigate? Does it offer users a reason to stick around, visit more pages and read what you have to say?

A study by a Canadian research group indicated that visitors can make a decision about your web site in as little as 50 milliseconds. So what should your site look like that will convince them to hang around more than 1/20th of a second?

First of all, your text should be dark text on a light background. We almost always prefer black on white. You should consider text size as well. You don’t want it to be kindergarten big, but you don’t want mouse-print either. Ideally, you should have font sizes that are adjustable, allowing the user to increase or decrease font sizes through their browser settings. It’s amazing to us how many real estate web sites have backgrounds that are green or red (or some other inappropriate color) and black or blue, 10 point Times New Roman fonts that are nearly impossible to read.

Another common faux pas is long pages with limitless graphics and links thrown randomly about the page with no consistent layout or form. There are thousands of these types of sites on the web right now. You should consider every link and image and banner and sentence very carefully when constructing a page. Think about how it will impact your end user, who may be a twenty-something looking for their first home or a baby-boomer who’s retiring to your area. What benefit does each item on your home page offer? None? Then don’t put it there! It’s like a flowerbed that’s overgrown with weeds. The junk chokes out the valuable parts of your site and visitors accelerate past your site without a second glance.

The bottom line when creating a web site is to focus on your visitors.

• Who is your site for? You or your clients?
• Does it provide useful information?
• Can they find the information?
• Is the site designed to compliment your core message to your potential clients?
• What will visitors think of you when they visit your site? Will they perceive you as outstanding or below average?

I can’t stress how important these things are. Your web site is an investment. It should bring you a return. How does your site measure up?

Contact Your Realty Geek today for a free evaluation of your current web site and to see how we can make a difference in your bottom line.