8 Factors For Assessing Real Estate Web Designs

The Web Marketing Association (WMA) assesses real estate web designs as one of the many business web design categories in their annual competition. The WMA’s seven judging criteria parallel the foundational elements IMCD Web Design uses in creating custom real estate websites as well as integrated into their affordable semi-custom real estate web designs. However, IMC adds an eighth criteria to the list: efficacy in generating sales leads and bringing real estate agents and brokers a return on their online marketing investment.

When creating a real estate web design for real estate companies’ sales window on the Internet marketing world, IMC uses the following seven WMA criteria to fashion a website’s marketing appeal:

1. Design;
2. Innovation;
3. Content;
4. Technology;
5. Interactivity;
6. Copywriting; and
7. Ease of use.

Design covers the graphic design, the ability of a website to please the eye and draw the visitor in. Good design creates web pages that “have a sense of balance that blends type, graphics, and rich media with the site’s architecture to create an enjoyable user experience.” The average real estate website entered into the WMA contest scored a 7.4 out of a possible 10 points. Once a real estate websites successfully gains high visibility on the search engines, the design is the next big hurdle in moving visitors to contacts.

As a major item used by visitors to judge your website, poor design lowers credibility and drives potential business away from a website. Interestingly, home builder websites averaged 8 out of 10 scores, higher than real estate agent websites, most likely because the graphic images of their homes and developments are central to the effectiveness of their website’s ability to convert curious web visitors to interested home buyers.

Innovation is adding a “wow” factor to the design, content or use of technology. Industries that ranked lower in innovation were business websites that derived greater return on investment from conservatively meeting customers expectations.

Content and Copywriting are closely allied. Content is the information provided and copywriting is way the information is crafted. The best copywriting contains elements of search engine optimization, originality, readability as well as the basic spelling and grammar. IMC knows how busy real estate agents are in their businesses and has found that offering our agent and broker clients the benefit of professional copywriting services often boosts the effectiveness of their websites content management.

Use of Technology and Interactivity are also closely allied in that as technology advances, real estate websites get more interactive. Basic interactivity would be the mortgage and financial calculators that are standard issue on Realtor websites now. Use of Technology, like graphic design, is a question of balance. As Paul K Kennedy used to say, “Just because you can do a thing, doesn’t mean you necessarily should do it.” Technology that helps web visitors is helpful, but technology that bewilders and confuses tends to drive hard won visitors away.

Ease of use follows on the coattails of graphic design since navigation is a key element of design and moving web visitors quickly to find both the information they are searching for and to the call to action. Graphic design and navigation are two deal makers or deal breaker elements to real estate web design. Done well, visitors stay. Done poorly, visitors go away. In this category also, home builders websites have slightly better ease of use than real estate websites.

When it comes to attracting web visitors, gaining visibility in search engine results, and generating sales leads, IMC has a long track record of positioning real estate agents and brokers for getting a return on their online investment. To improve your Internet marketing campaign, contact IMC’s real estate web design pros. We know how to attract more potential clients to your real estate company.

About IMCD Website Design

IMCD’s website designs readily assists clients to gain footage in the race to the top of search engine marketing. Since 1996, IMCD has been creating award-winning, successful websites for professionals from many business fields.

Our award-winning web designer brings a 30-year background in photography and design to our clients. His resume includes work with Fortune 100 & 500 companies in Los Angeles and New York.

For more information about how our web design and development company can help your business, call IMCD at 1-877-999-4623.