Websites are a major marketing and selling point for most businesses in the current digital age. Like other businesses, your real estate company should have a solid online presence for increased awareness and a better competitive edge. However, creating a basic website isn’t enough. You should consider various crucial design features and usability for utmost effectiveness.
For a better home-buying experience, your website should be intuitive, user-friendly, fast, and reliable. It should generate attractive leads and increase conversions. Below are crucial features an effective real estate company website should have.
1. User-Friendly Navigation
You should make it simple for property sellers, potential homebuyers, and cash homebuyers, such as Problem Property Pals, to find anything they are searching for. Proper navigation is crucial for real-estate websites as they make it easy for clients to find the specific information they need.
Website navigation includes links on various web pages, CTAs, menus, and other options. For instance, you should have a “Homebuying” page on the website’s home page for visitors who want to purchase properties. Leaving web visitors to explore your site can push them into competitors’ websites that are easily navigable.
2. Map Feature
While a map feature is important to all websites, it is crucial for real estate websites. Sitemaps help website visitors identify the exact location of their intended purchases and nearby social amenities, such as local towns, transport options, grocery stores, and other important location features. To make your sitemap beneficial, consider integrating satellite, aerial, street, topography, or all the four views. Including a Google sitemap on your real estate website also improves your website’s performance on search engine results.
3. Search Filters
The search filter or search bar feature is a must-have for impactful real estate websites. Real estate websites should have an advanced search feature that allows visitors to sort property listings using different criteria, such as key features, price, type, age, latest, and location. The search filter feature is important for real estate websites and should be visibly positioned.
You can take advantage of third-party integrations and other data collection systems to gather more details about the property, such as:
- The general state of the community – school, infrastructure, and maintenance
- Crime rates in the neighborhood
- Likelihood of natural disasters
- Family status, education level, and the average age of locals
An advanced search feature makes it easy for visitors to find their desired properties. They are excellent conversion tools.
4. Quality Images and Videos
The real estate industry is highly visual. According to the National Association of Realtors, detailed property descriptions and photographs are important for property buyers and sellers. Selling a home goes beyond signing the relevant documents. You should also sell the perceived lifestyle. Photographs and videos of the property and the surrounding amenities capture potential buyers’ attention and allow them to envisage themselves in the property. You should include several high-definition photos of the best features to pique buyer interest.
Endnote
Real estate websites should also include a clear contacts section as it simplifies communication and helps real estate businesses build a solid email marketing list. They should also be mobile-friendly to accommodate the increasing number of mobile searches. You should develop or redesign your website based on these parameters to increase traffic, user experience, conversion, and site rankings.