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Real Estate Websites: 21 Ways to Turn Away Visitors

Have you surfed real estate sites lately?
Many still make some fundamental mistakes10. Hmm, the middle of the page is moving,
that tend to drive visitors away, rather thanbut the sides are just hanging there. This
offering a rich experience that people willdoes not seem quite right... (Children,
return  to.don't ask why, but a long time ago, people
used  a  thing  called  frames.)
A visitor who has come back to your site
several times is well on his way toward11. So, what's the main course on this site?
picking up the phone or sending an email, andWell, tonight we're having some canned
beginning  a  business  friendship  with you.content: Seven Deadly Mistakes Sellers Make.
(Who  cooks  up  this  stuff,  anyway?)
The primary goal of a website should be to
establish your message quickly and simply.12. Excuse me, folks, this text is for
Visitors scan sites rapidly, and want to moveGoogle! (Repeat after me...home for sale, for
immediately to information that benefitssale home, sale home, home sale, for home,
them. Here are some ways to stop them fromhome  for...)
doing  just  that!
13. Pop ups! (Back button, please! I'm out
1. Force visitors to sit through your flashof  here.)
introduction. (It's a bird, it's a
plane...no, it's the title to this website.14. Have we got a ton of photos for you!
If you need a Skip Intro button, you're offJust sit back and relax. They may take a
on  the  wrong  foot.)while to load. (Oh, here they are on their
trip  to  Vegas.)
2. Impress your visitors with some cool text
on top of background graphics, or, even15. And speaking of myself, there is sooo
better, some cool text on top of backgroundmuch more to say! (And, in 1982 I received
text. (Honey,  where  are  my  3-D glasses?)several  awards  for...)
3. Shake things up with a blast of your16. And now you can read my new syndicated
favorite music. (It's midnight, and I thinkreal estate blog! (The other day I was
I'll  do  a little house hunting before bed.)chatting with an agent who sits in the
cubicle next to me at the office about the
4. What is this? Blue text over blackuse  of  open  house  signs...)
background. (I thought this was a website,
not  a  cave. Honey, where's my flashlight?)17. I'm game! Let's see how long can we make
this page? (It's three feet long! Oh wait,
5. Come up with a spiffy new layout for eachthere's  more.)
page. (Let's see, which site was this
anyway?)18. Cram your hundreds of reciprocal links
on the main page. (What is all this stuff at
6. OK, folks, let's see how well you canthe bottom? Aah, helpful links. Car repair
find your way around! Notice we have dozensin  Bulgaria?)
of links scattered around the page. (Honey,
get out the ball of string and bread crumbs.)19. OK, people, let's cut to the chase: You
either fill out this questionnaire, or
7. Here are some fun link puzzles! You'llnothing doing! (Oh, well, I didn't really
find that some links duplicate other links,need  to  be  doing  this  right  now.)
but with different names. Try to guess which!
(Oh-oh,  I  opened  this  one  already.)20. Wait, don't leave! Here's some
interesting real estate trivia! (Why is the
8. Oh boy, it's one of those ads that flashTerra  Amata  site  famous?)
at lightning speed. (May cause nausea,
headaches,  blurred  vision...)21. Not so fast, folks! Welcome to Hotel
California. Your fancy back button has been
9. If one font does not make your sitedisabled! (Relax, said the night man, we are
interesting, try six or seven, plus someprogrammed to receive. You can check out
bold, and a SMATTERING OF ALL CAPS. (Aanytime you like... but you can never leave.
little  subtlety,  please!)



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