| Have you surfed real estate sites | | | | bold, and a SMATTERING OF ALL CAPS. (A |
| lately? Many still make some | | | | little subtlety, please!) |
| fundamental mistakes that tend to drive | | | | 10. Hmm, the middle of the page is |
| visitors away, rather than offering a | | | | moving, but the sides are just hanging |
| rich experience that people will return | | | | there. This does not seem quite |
| to. | | | | right... (Children, don't ask why, but |
| A visitor who has come back to your site | | | | a long time ago, people used a thing |
| several times is well on his way toward | | | | called frames.) |
| picking up the phone or sending an | | | | 11. So, what's the main course on this |
| email, and beginning a business | | | | site? Well, tonight we're having some |
| friendship with you. | | | | canned content: Seven Deadly Mistakes |
| The primary goal of a website should be | | | | Sellers Make. (Who cooks up this stuff, |
| to establish your message quickly and | | | | anyway?) |
| simply. Visitors scan sites rapidly, and | | | | 12. Excuse me, folks, this text is for |
| want to move immediately to information | | | | Google! (Repeat after me...home for |
| that benefits them. Here are some ways | | | | sale, for sale home, sale home, home |
| to stop them from doing just that! | | | | sale, for home, home for...) |
| 1. Force visitors to sit through your | | | | 13. Pop ups! (Back button, please! I'm |
| flash introduction. (It's a bird, it's | | | | out of here.) |
| a plane...no, it's the title to this | | | | 14. Have we got a ton of photos for |
| website. If you need a Skip Intro | | | | you! Just sit back and relax. They may |
| button, you're off on the wrong foot.) | | | | take a while to load. (Oh, here they are |
| 2. Impress your visitors with some cool | | | | on their trip to Vegas.) |
| text on top of background graphics, or, | | | | 15. And speaking of myself, there is |
| even better, some cool text on top of | | | | sooo much more to say! (And, in 1982 I |
| background text. (Honey, where are my | | | | received several awards for...) |
| 3-D glasses?) | | | | 16. And now you can read my new |
| 3. Shake things up with a blast of your | | | | syndicated real estate blog! (The other |
| favorite music. (It's midnight, and I | | | | day I was chatting with an agent who |
| think I'll do a little house hunting | | | | sits in the cubicle next to me at the |
| before bed.) | | | | office about the use of open house |
| 4. What is this? Blue text over black | | | | signs...) |
| background. (I thought this was a | | | | 17. I'm game! Let's see how long can we |
| website, not a cave. Honey, where's my | | | | make this page? (It's three feet long! |
| flashlight?) | | | | Oh wait, there's more.) |
| 5. Come up with a spiffy new layout for | | | | 18. Cram your hundreds of reciprocal |
| each page. (Let's see, which site was | | | | links on the main page. (What is all |
| this anyway?) | | | | this stuff at the bottom? Aah, helpful |
| 6. OK, folks, let's see how well you | | | | links. Car repair in Bulgaria?) |
| can find your way around! Notice we | | | | 19. OK, people, let's cut to the chase: |
| have dozens of links scattered around | | | | You either fill out this questionnaire, |
| the page. (Honey, get out the ball of | | | | or nothing doing! (Oh, well, I didn't |
| string and bread crumbs.) | | | | really need to be doing this right now.) |
| 7. Here are some fun link puzzles! | | | | 20. Wait, don't leave! Here's some |
| You'll find that some links duplicate | | | | interesting real estate trivia! (Why is |
| other links, but with different names. | | | | the Terra Amata site famous?) |
| Try to guess which! (Oh-oh, I opened | | | | 21. Not so fast, folks! Welcome to |
| this one already.) | | | | Hotel California. Your fancy back button |
| 8. Oh boy, it's one of those ads that | | | | has been disabled! (Relax, said the |
| flash at lightning speed. (May cause | | | | night man, we are programmed to receive. |
| nausea, headaches, blurred vision...) | | | | You can check out anytime you like... |
| 9. If one font does not make your site | | | | but you can never leave. |
| interesting, try six or seven, plus some | | | | |