Retail businesses shifted to online sales after the pandemic forced people to stay home. The real estate industry soon followed as people opted to go online for their needs. And going online allowed real estate companies to connect with buyers who took advantage of lower interest rates on home purchases.
While many real estate companies already have an online presence, those who are still working on their websites should avoid making some mistakes to increase the user-friendliness of their websites. Here are the mistakes that they should avoid.
Ignoring Mobile Device Users
The first mistake that real estate stakeholders should avoid is ignoring mobile device users. In the past, people used mobile phones to make calls or send and receive text messages. But technological advancements resulted in the addition of more features on mobile devices. People are now using these devices for online transactions.
When people buy and sell property online, they use different devices to view available properties on different websites. Due to this, it’s important to make sure that the website is mobile-friendly. With around 85 percent of American adults using a smartphone, it’s a good idea to tap this market when selling real estate.
Ensuring the website’s responsiveness encourages potential buyers to explore it when they are in the market for real estate. It also increases the possibility of closing a deal with these buyers. So, real estate professionals should not ignore mobile device users when they work on their websites.
Creating an Unappealing Web Design
Real estate professionals should also use an appealing design for their websites. A website that does not have an appealing design will discourage visitors from exploring it. The website should look appealing and should catch the attention of potential buyers.
The colors should complement each other, and the branding should be consistent. The website should also use appealing font types and sizes since they can play a factor in the website’s overall appeal.
Classic designs are also advisable for real estate professionals who have no idea what they want for their website. Classic designs have a unique appeal that allows them to stand out on the internet. They also use a few colors, which means they will not clash with each other. Additionally, the fonts used on these designs are consistent, which makes the text easy to read.
Using Text-Heavy Pages
Since the website offers real estate in the market, it should feature images of the different properties available for potential buyers. Therefore, real estate professionals should avoid putting a lot of text on the website. If necessary, they should create a blog on the website where they can post articles about the properties they are offering.
Even though they should include a property description, real estate professionals should break the text into shorter paragraphs. They should also use bulleted and numbered lists to enhance the readability of the text. But they should not overuse it, especially when there are posting long lists on their websites.
They should use many images to entice visitors to consider buying the properties they are offering in the market.
Using Copyrighted Images
Another thing that real estate professionals should remember when they work on their websites is that they should not use copyrighted images. When they use copyrighted images, potential buyers will question their credibility. And in this situation, the buyers will go to another website for their real estate needs.
They should take their pictures of the properties they are offering. Or they can get written permission from the owner of the images to use them on the website. Suppose they plan to use images to enhance the appearance of their websites. In that case, real estate professionals should search for images on websites that offer free images that people can use for commercial and non-commercial purposes.
Overlooking the About Us Page
The About Us page is an important page on a website. It allows visitors to know more about the company. Knowing more about the company behind the website increases the trust level of the company in the eyes of potential buyers.
When people intend to buy from a website, they want to ensure that it’s legitimate and trustworthy. And one of the ways for real estate professionals to show potential buyers their legitimacy is by providing information about the company on the About Us page.
The page should be easy to find and use clear language when providing information about the company. It should also not use jargon that ordinary users cannot understand.
Setting up a website is a good way for real estate professionals to reach their clients. It also allows them to encourage potential buyers to check the properties they are offering in the market.
