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Things were all too quiet around Brenda Pettit's office In Marietta, Georgia. Instead of the constant stream of emails and phone calls she expected after launching her new web site a year ago, she hadn't received a single lead.

She knew she had to do something to protect her investment, even if it meant starting over. She asked her associates if they could recommend a web design company and, since many of them were working with our company, she contacted us. Our company, Realty By Design, specializes in web design, hosting, and Internet marketing services for the real estate professional.

When Brenda called us, we took a look at her site and explained how we help in web "redesigns." Here are some of the design errors on her site that should be avoided:

1. SCROLLING FOR SITE NAVIGATION

   The viewer had to scroll left to right to see the site. One should never have to scroll horizontally and vertical scrolling should be kept to a minimum. Another thing to keep in mind is to put the most important information on the page at the eye level of the viewers so that they see that information FIRST.

2. FONT SIZE FOR READABILITY

   The font (typeface) was too small, inconsistent across the site and very difficult to read. (Your designer should only use 8-point type for photo captions). The standard reading size for most web pages is 10- or 12-point type. Stick with the same size throughout with the exception of slogans or titles.

   Also consider that the easiest pages to read on the Internet use black typeface on a white background. Brenda's old site had a rust color background with black type. For viewers with vision problems, reading the site was a nightmare.

3. THE USE OF FLASH FOR SITE NAVIGATION

   The Flash navigation on Brenda's old site was a waste of the viewer's time, in our opinion. It didn't enhance the page and, instead, became a detriment because the viewer had to wait for it to load and the navigation was unclear.

   A well-designed web site should always offer visitors text links somewhere on the site that go to every page. We recommend the bottom and sides or top of the page. Good navigation is crucial to a successful web site and can also be used to lead your viewers to where you want them to go.

4. TOO MUCH CONTENT ON THE HOME PAGE

   Brenda's old site had too much content on the home page -- yes, too much. Let's face it - your viewer has decided to use the Internet as a resource because it is a time-saver. They don't want to read paragraph after paragraph of "filler" so get to the point quickly or they will find what they're looking for on another site.

5. POOR GRAPHICS

   The old site was 'graphically challenged.' The pictures and artwork were not crisp and looked unprofessional. Your designer should have experience in working with computer graphics and photographs such as those available through RandomEye's "image grabber" or a team of graphic designers. The best thing to do is to look at the designer's portfolio of past projects to determine their skills. Take a look at their use of color, style and the graphics themselves. Are they visually pleasing?

6. SEARCH ENGINE PROMOTION

   The old site didn't appear to have any consistent search engine submission being done. The key to success on the Web is to submit your site on a regular basis to the search engines that receive the most traffic. You may have the best-looking site around, but you won't get the traffic you're looking for if this isn't being done for you by someone who knows the ins and outs of search engine submission. It's like putting up a beautiful billboard on a dead-end street--NO TRAFFIC, NO LEADS!

SUMMARY OF IMPROVEMENTS:

Brenda's new site has eliminated these common bad design problems. It loads quickly, is easy to Navigate, and the design is visually stimulating to the viewer.

Although we used elements from the old site, which Brenda liked, we improved them by enhancing their look with changed colors, resolution, and fonts. We also added photographs that portray the type of people Brenda has worked with in the past. People like to see photographs of other families on REALTOR web sites because it gives them something to relate to and make them more comfortable in their choice of a real estate agent.

So, does Brenda like her new site? The nicest compliment Realty By Design has received from her was in the form of a complaint a week after the new site was launched. She called to tell us that she wasn't able to keep up with all of the emails she was receiving--at least 5 to 10 leads per day! Her assistant was going crazy responding to the leads. This kind of complaint gets filed under "another success story" to share around the office.

by Desiree C. Scales, CEO
Realty By Design,
a division of Bella Web Design, Inc.