Do These Web Design Elements Help Or Harm You?

When it comes to web design, trends come and go. New shiny features come along that estate agents want to immediately implement on their website but just because these new features are new and shiny it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be beneficial or even good for your website.

Most of the time, these new features actually hurt the user experience so here’s a list of common website elements to determine whether they are actually helping or harming your website:

1) Gimmick Features – Harming!

A gimmick feature can be anything from autoplay introductory videos to twitter widgets. These features are often developed and implemented for the sole purpose of looking cool.

These features tend to have little to no benefit for the user, add clutter and will likely slow down your website.

If the feature doesn’t serve a clear and beneficial purpose, then it’s just a pointless distraction from the main reason why the user is on your website.

2) Content Blocks – Harming!

Content is king and well-written, relevant and useful content is crucial for your website. However, content can be dull and hard to read which is why you need to make it as appealing as possible.

You don’t want to overwhelm users with content, so you want to avoid using large chunks of content in long paragraphs.

People online tend to skim read content so make sure you break up your content using bullet points, numbered lists, paragraphs and images.

3) Generic/Confusing Call-To-Actions – Harming!

Almost every page on your website should have a clear call-to-action, but users commonly find themselves faced with vague, irrelevant or non-existent call-to-actions.

If you want your users to complete an action, it is your job to guide them there. You must have prominent call-to-actions with strong, clear messages.

4) Property Search – Helping!

One of the main reasons people come to an estate agency website is to view the property stock. Property search functions help users find exactly what they are looking for quickly and easily.

It is crucial that your property search function is prominently displayed on the homepage of your website.

5) Prominent Contact Info – Helping!

Another main reason people will be coming to your website is to get in touch with you.

If the customer or worse potential customer struggles to find your contact information, then that will most likely result in a lost lead or an unhappy customer.

Displaying your contact information prominently also promotes trust and credibility. If your website is missing your contact info such as your phone number and office address, it is likely to make the user question your credentials.