Web design can be a complicated beast, but all real estate agents should cut through the fat and ensure that these three features are on their sites.

Web design, next to fascism and peas, is one of those eternally frightful terms, the kind that can turn even the most rigid, determined individual into mush; and admittedly, as a company that manages its own website, we do not entirely disagree with Web design’s reputation! Web design is complicated, frustrating and ridiculously nuanced, with a new scare always waiting around the corner.

However, the complexities of Web design often overwhelm what should be the main objective of any great website – delivering a service to a specific group of people in as simple and pleasurable a manner as possible. Therefore, for this story, we’re going to highlight three straightforward features that all agents sites should have – and no, a plug-in featuring funny cat videos is not one of them.

Real Estate Agent Websites – The 3 Must-Haves

1. Make your Site Image-Based – Nobody loves data more than us, but text- and number-heavy websites are disastrous for attracting customers; after all, who wants to visit a site where the information they are looking for is akin to a needle in a haystack? Therefore, make sure that your website is primarily image-based, where the photos of your listings take the center stage; of course, we’re not saying to completely eliminate words and numbers from your site (at least mention the address and price of the listings!). But still, real estate is a visual business, and your site should reflect that fact.

2. Provide Your Visitors with a Map – We’ve all been on the unfortunate real estate websites that offer no map, and every single time it’s infuriating! Why, as the visitor to your site, should we have to open Google Maps in a separate browser window to see where your listing is located in its particular neighborhood? See to it that your site features a map with your listings, or even better, that the specific pages for your listings feature their own map with the listing pinpointed (think of what Zillow/Trulia do in that regard).

3. Relevant Real Estate Statistics – Yes, this is the part where you get to incorporate data! Though we did mention earlier that your site should be a mainly pictorial entity, you should also reserve a page (or, again, a section of the listing’s page) for key market stats, such as mortgage interest rates, average for-sale price in the area, nearby schools, etc. Not only is that information helpful, but it will show you off as an expert of your area, something that, as we’ve covered before, cannot be understated.

Twitter incorporation, videos, news feeds from awesome sites like Chicago Agent – we feel ya, those are all great things to have in a website; save those things, though, for when you have an established online presence and a site that works by using the three aforementioned features.