Real Estate Websites: 21 Ways to Turn Away Visitors

Have you surfed real estate sites lately? Many stillsix or seven, plus some bold, and a SMATTERING OF
make some fundamental mistakes that tend to driveALL CAPS. (A little subtlety, please!)
visitors away, rather than offering a rich experience10. Hmm, the middle of the page is moving, but the
that people will return to.sides are just hanging there. This does not seem quite
A visitor who has come back to your site severalright... (Children, don't ask why, but a long time ago,
times is well on his way toward picking up the phonepeople used a thing called frames.)
or sending an email, and beginning a business friendship11. So, what's the main course on this site? Well, tonight
with you.we're having some canned content: Seven Deadly
The primary goal of a website should be to establishMistakes Sellers Make. (Who cooks up this stuff,
your message quickly and simply. Visitors scan sitesanyway?)
rapidly, and want to move immediately to information12. Excuse me, folks, this text is for Google! (Repeat
that benefits them. Here are some ways to stop themafter me...home for sale, for sale home, sale home,
from doing just that!home sale, for home, home for...)
1. Force visitors to sit through your flash introduction. (It's13. Pop ups! (Back button, please! I'm out of here.)
a bird, it's a plane...no, it's the title to this website. If you14. Have we got a ton of photos for you! Just sit back
need a Skip Intro button, you're off on the wrong foot.)and relax. They may take a while to load. (Oh, here
2. Impress your visitors with some cool text on top ofthey are on their trip to Vegas.)
background graphics, or, even better, some cool text15. And speaking of myself, there is sooo much more
on top of background text. (Honey, where are my 3-Dto say! (And, in 1982 I received several awards for...)
glasses?)16. And now you can read my new syndicated real
3. Shake things up with a blast of your favorite music.estate blog! (The other day I was chatting with an
(It's midnight, and I think I'll do a little house huntingagent who sits in the cubicle next to me at the office
before bed.)about the use of open house signs...)
4. What is this? Blue text over black background. (I17. I'm game! Let's see how long can we make this
thought this was a website, not a cave. Honey,page? (It's three feet long! Oh wait, there's more.)
where's my flashlight?)18. Cram your hundreds of reciprocal links on the main
5. Come up with a spiffy new layout for each page.page. (What is all this stuff at the bottom? Aah, helpful
(Let's see, which site was this anyway?)links. Car repair in Bulgaria?)
6. OK, folks, let's see how well you can find your way19. OK, people, let's cut to the chase: You either fill out
around! Notice we have dozens of links scatteredthis questionnaire, or nothing doing! (Oh, well, I didn't
around the page. (Honey, get out the ball of string andreally need to be doing this right now.)
bread crumbs.)20. Wait, don't leave! Here's some interesting real
7. Here are some fun link puzzles! You'll find that someestate trivia! (Why is the Terra Amata site famous?)
links duplicate other links, but with different names. Try21. Not so fast, folks! Welcome to Hotel California. Your
to guess which! (Oh-oh, I opened this one already.)fancy back button has been disabled! (Relax, said the
8. Oh boy, it's one of those ads that flash at lightningnight man, we are programmed to receive. You can
speed. (May cause nausea, headaches, blurred vision...)check out anytime you like... but you can never leave.
9. If one font does not make your site interesting, try