Whether you’re launching a new real estate company or want to revamp the website for an existing one, it makes sense to check out a real estate website template or two and see what you think. There are some excellent templates that provide the flexibility you need to make the site truly your own. Along the way, ask a few questions about the template and listen closely to the answers. Doing so will tell you if the search is over or if you need to keep looking.
How Does the Template Display on Different Devices?
There was a time when templates only needed to display properly on desktop screens. Things are much different today. Visitors to the site may be using laptops, tablets, or smartphones instead. In fact, smartphone are used more each passing year to conduct online searches.
With that in mind, how does the template look on different screens? Will it still be attractive and easy to read on a smaller screen? If not, you’ll need to look for one that works better on a wider range of screen types and sizes.
Is the Navigation Easy?
Visitor patience is limited; keep that in mind as you consider how your pages must engage them. One point to keep in mind is that the navigation should be as simple as possible. No matter what page the visitor is on at present, getting back to the home page or even visiting the previous page should require nothing more than a single click.
The same is true for your company’s contact information. If a visitor sees a property listing and wants to talk about it now, it should take no more than one click to get to the agent’s information. Anything more complicated could motivate the visitor to see what a different agency has to offer.
How Quickly Will the Pages Load?
How pages are assembled makes a big difference in how quickly they load. Given the short attention spans of users and the desire for instant gratification, you want a real estate website template that will load quickly on any type of device.
Consider what’s sometimes called the three-second rule. Simply put, a page should load in three seconds or less. If it takes longer than that, the visitor is likely to lose interest and try a different site. When the page loads quickly, the user is more likely to stick around and possibly decide to ask for more information.
Are Updates Simple to Perform?
Unlike some other sites, there will be the need to update your pages from time to time. As agents come and go, there’s the need to update biographical information. When a property is sold, it needs to be removed from the list of available properties. Newly-listed properties also must be added and you need pages for photos and other data that people can look at with ease.
You want making these types of changes to be easy. To that end, make sure updating or even adding pages to the site will be an easy process. Along with saving time, you’re also less likely to delay performing these important tasks.
Include these questions in a list of any other queries you want to make before selecting a template. Doing so will make it easier to find one that provides the look and function that you want while ensuring that adding data will be a snap.
