Top 5 Principles for Estate Agent web design

Web design and website design for Estate Agents can be simply broken down into 9 different concepts or principles. Following these clear guidelines ensure that Estate Agents will not make any major design errors on their website.

1. Press me! Press me!

'Call to Action' is where the website literally calls to the user to act. All retail websites that have a shopping cart will have an 'Add to shopping cart' button. A good design will clearly call to each person to be clicked, whether they know it or not.

Estate Agents have only one call to action on their homepage - property search. Since 98% of people accessing an estate agent website will go straight to property search, it is up to the web designer to ensure that the property search button is in clear view of every person that uses the Estate Agent website.

2. The final frontier

Everyone has accessed a website and felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information in front of them. Not knowing where to look or what to do, you press the Back button and try another website. Therefore every website needs its space. Spacing not only makes things clearer but if used well, it can be used to highlight calls to action such as property search or even contact details on individual property details.

3. Running aground

By definition, navigation is the process of moving a ship. Imagine that instead of a captain's wheel steering the rudder, you have two pieces of rope at other ends of the room moving the boat left and right. It’s still possible to navigate, but you’ll have to keep running back and forth just to change direction.

The same idea applies to website design. Simple, easy to use navigation means that property searchers will not 'run aground' from a poorly constructed Estate Agent website.

4. A letter to your customers

Many Estate Agents will not release that fonts can play an important part on the overall image of your website design. Similar to web design, each individual font will give the property searcher an indication of the brand image.

The problem with fonts is that not everyone has the same list of fonts on their computer. Therefore Web designers can only chose from a list of fonts that are called 'web safe'. Estate Agents, keep a look out for web safe fonts, even on the Resource Techniques website!

5. Use it or lose it

Estate Agents, do you find some websites easier to use than others? A good Estate Agent website designer will have the knowledge and experience to ensure that your website design has the best usability possible.

Thinking about having a new website but unsure that the web designers make easy to use websites? Go to their portfolio page and try it out for yourself!