Starting the design of a website for a housing investment

Website Service – Main Specialist in Sales Department Support

When starting the design of a website for a housing investment, we should already have all the data and assumptions developed at the strategic stage. We should know the nature of the brand we’ve just created, and how and to whom we should direct our communication. Relying on actual data, rather than assumptions, helps increase the effectiveness of our actions, especially when it comes to one of the key tools supporting sales, like the housing investment website. So, where should we start?

For a website, the brand communicates with its audience through impressions and feelings (UX/UI), published content (copywriting), and aesthetics (design/visualizations/photos). Internet users are paying increasing attention to the performance and security of websites. Thus, during the design of an online service, all these aforementioned aspects should be considered.

Importantly, an investment service is more than just a website. It is an online tool oriented towards achieving goals and supporting sales. Apart from the crucial aesthetic layer, which needs to be secured given the necessity to achieve branding objectives, we should focus on implementing mechanisms that facilitate familiarizing oneself with the investment (an overview and list of premises, information cards), as well as functionalities aiming to increase conversions (lead forms for each premise or optional integration with the CRM system of the sales office, so no lead is missed).

Budget – Let’s Talk Money

Questions about the budget allocated for the project sometimes raise suspicion and reluctance to disclose it. However, an agency should be informed of it to select the most suitable technological solution (the programming part constitutes a significant portion of the implementation budget). The aim of knowing the budget by the agency shouldn’t be to exhaust it, but to allocate it to the most effective actions tailored to the budget. Experienced teams, familiar with serving developers, often have established implementation processes. This allows them to prepare cooperation proposals, even when the budget is unknown – in which case at least two solutions are usually presented: a budget one and a recommended one.

Advanced Communication

Who we should address has already been established during strategic actions – now, the previously gathered knowledge needs to be transferred to the website.
It is crucial to communicate with clients using a benefit-driven language. Therefore, an essential part of project work is the proper preparation of content. We should emphasize clear communication of hard data, such as: technical details, the investment’s strengths, advantages related to the location, or, for example, the possibility of using available green areas. The content should be clear, understandable, and must provide substantial value to the user. This doesn’t mean that it should be just dry, emotionless data. Well-prepared content for an investment website should provide a balance between a captivating story (vision) and hard facts that further rationalize the impressions evoked by a thoughtful story.

Remember, communication should often be at least dual-tracked.

The most obvious (and general) target group are people interested in buying an apartment to meet housing needs. Usually, all communication is focused on them. Developers or their supporting agencies often overlook the group of investors who purchase with the intent to profit from rent, as it requires planning a separate communication pathway.

An example of catering to both these target groups is the communication on the KW51 investment website in Krakow. The website addresses people looking for housing, but for those aiming to earn from rent, a dedicated subpage has been created, which attracts traffic from a lead campaign directed specifically to this target group. The subpage presents valuable, specific data concerning the local real estate market, trends, and forecasts related to the investment, all intended to convince the client that this project is worth investing in. This data is complemented by a touch of soft data, ensuring that a potential investor on this single subpage can find all the necessary information to decide on contacting the sales office.

Website Map, i.e., Essential Sales Items

Below is a list of tabs that should be found on the website of every housing investment:

1. About the investment – from enchanting home-focused storytelling to hard data on the high-quality materials used for construction.
2. Location – communication advantages, attractions, useful places in the area.
3. About the developer – building investment credibility.
4. Apartments – a list of units and a search engine based on visualizations.
5. Gallery – visualizations that will spark the imagination of buyers.
6. Construction diary – it’s essential to be regularly updated, so users see that the investment is efficiently executed.
7. Contact – contact details for specific sales office personnel.
8. For the investor – benefits of the investment from the perspective of those wishing to buy an apartment for rental income (assuming communication to this group of buyers).

Ergonomics, i.e., Feel at Home

Users expect comfort. To provide them with the best experiences, we need to prepare the service in such a way that it is intuitive and comfortable to use. Starting with prototyping is essential. This phase will allow us to develop a functional model of the service, ensuring users can navigate the site comfortably and easily find relevant information. This is especially important as the site is to be a tool to support sales by collecting leads from clients interested in purchasing apartments. A thoughtful structure should be complemented by clear calls to action we expect from the user (e.g., simple call to actions like “View apartments,” “Download apartment card,” or “Calculate loan installment”).

The thoughtful site structure and effective path planning for users can genuinely impact conversion. It’s surprising how often this stage is overlooked.

Functionalities

The investment site is to achieve specific goals; therefore, it is essential to equip it with mechanisms that will support this process. The elements presented below are not always fully implemented on investment websites, but each of them is undoubtedly worth considering when designing an online housing investment service.

1. Graphic search engine

Let the user familiarize themselves with the investment by showing its visualization. The user should be able to choose a building, floor, and specific unit from an impressive, realistic visualization, immersing them in the role of the future apartment owner while getting acquainted with the chosen apartment data.

2. Apartment list

Importantly – with sorting capability. Essential data for the apartment table include: level, area, number of rooms, and amenities (balcony, terrace, garden). Show the price where it’s favorable or obviously justified. Remembering the target group of investors looking for rental apartments, it’s worth adding, for example, information on whether a specific unit can be divided. Each apartment should also have the option for quick contact regarding that particular apartment – if someone is interested in a specific unit, we shouldn’t force them to go to the contact tab and send an inquiry from an entirely different place.

3. Apartment cards

This seems obvious, but two things are worth considering:

• Firstly, is it worth attaching separately prepared apartment cards (usually PDF)?

In my opinion, no. There have been multiple instances when changes in these cards were necessary, involving editing many files and subsequently updating them on the website.

• The site can be designed so that apartment cards are dynamically generated when a user clicks “Download apartment card.” A graphic designer doesn’t need to make any changes. Quick edits to the apartment cards can easily be done from the website’s administrative panel.
• The second issue to consider (and ideally, test and observe user behavior) is providing apartment cards only after a user has provided their email address. I’m not in favor of making life difficult for users, but where there’s a business justification, consider conditioning access based on leaving contact details.

4. Price promotions

If we show apartment prices in a particular investment, it’s worth introducing a promotion mechanism so users can see the previous price and that it’s currently lower.

5. Loan installment calculator

This is especially useful when a specific financial partner is chosen to assist interested individuals in financing their apartment purchase in the investment.

6. Interactive neighborhood map

Currently, an absolute must on investment sites. This allows clients to see that all places of interest and necessity are located around the investment. Popular points on such maps include kindergartens, schools, shopping centers, restaurants, churches, public transport stops, or parks and bike paths.

7. Unliked pop-ups

No one likes them, but if our site isn’t overloaded with additions like cookie acceptance windows, chat widgets, telephony, or social media ones, consider implementing non-invasive pop-ups. However, ensure there’s a significant reason to attract the user’s attention in this way, such as a price promotion. Note that the correct implementation is crucial.

8. Adding apartments to favorites

Users often consider multiple options and gladly view several different apartments in a particular investment. Allow them to save a few chosen units for quick access.

9. Comparing apartments

This function is familiar from e-commerce systems. Since we know clients often compare several apartments from a given investment, why not make it easier for them? Although an apartment isn’t a mobile phone, given the emotions and a much more complex decision-making process, shouldn’t we enable them to make the best decision?

Aesthetics: The Art of Adequacy

Design should primarily be… adequate. Not every website needs to blaze new trails in design – remember that the entire communication is directed (or at least should be) to a specific target group or groups.

A website must be clear and transparent but should also reflect the character of the place it refers to. This isn’t the place for gimmicks since content is key. However, by working with form, color, and unique materials (visualizations, photos, videos), we can create a consistent image of the site with the place where clients will eventually reside.

The brand’s character, developed at the strategic stage, should be reflected in the design, and the overall experience should be consistent with how the investment will appear once completed.

Technology

An intuitive mockup and adequate design need to be programmed in a way that ensures the website loads quickly (users hate waiting), regardless of the device it’s displayed on (currently over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices). The website should also be secure and ensure quick recovery of services and data in case of a hacker attack or virus infection.
The technology used for the website matters for several reasons, affecting:

• speed of its operation,
• security and resistance to attacks,
• the necessity of updates,
• the budget required for implementation,
• the duration of the provided warranty for the site.

Accessibility: Devices, Languages, People

Comfortable browsing of a website on devices other than a desktop computer screen has been the standard for years. What’s important is not just that the website opens on a phone, but that it achieves the same goals as on a desktop version: browsing properties, viewing apartment cards, or contacting should be just as accessible as on the desktop version.

While the fact that we live in a globalized world is often seen as a slogan, the practice shows that foreigners buying real estate is a significant trend. If our investment meets the criteria for being marketed as an investment product, we should consider implementing at least an English version. In cities like Warsaw, Krakow, or Wrocław, considering the number of Russian-speaking residents (and sales statistics), a Russian language version might be worth considering.

A group often overlooked in terms of accessibility to information about investments are the blind and visually impaired. As new investments often incorporate features like ramps or large elevators, we should also think about adapting the site for the disabled.

Safety First

Websites are increasingly becoming victims of attacks or being infected with viruses. While 15 or more years ago it seemed that mainly big corporations, institutions, or government websites were targeted, nowadays every website, regardless of size or industry, is at risk. Unsolicited ads or obscene content on a site can cause reputational damage. However, for an online-based business, the primary concern is that the site is down and cannot operate – in the case of investments, cannot collect leads. Many factors influence a website’s safety: the technology behind it (a popular, free system will be more susceptible), additional protections before launch, keeping plugins updated, and choosing the right hosting.

Sales Office Support

Beyond tools for dynamically generating property cards, consider automating and organizing lead management. Effective marketing campaigns will generate numerous leads, which the sales department should handle. Data from website forms used to be manually transferred to Excel for sales teams to use, but today, such a practice seems outdated, especially since leads come not only from the website but also directly from channels like Facebook.

Choosing a CRM system tailored to the real estate industry is vital. It should aggregate leads from various sources (website, social media) and tag their origin, crucial for analyzing the effectiveness of campaigns.

The chosen CRM should easily integrate with the investment website to ensure no lead is left unanswered and allow the sales office to analyze collected data.

Administration

When designing a website, post-sales service offered by the agency is also important. Consider how changes in prices and property statuses will be managed. Whether it’s done via a management panel by the sales office, integrated with a CRM system to automatically update, or even handled by the agency, relieving the sales team.

Conclusion

A website supporting sales activities is more than just an online page. It’s mainly an effective tool fulfilling its objectives, not just a flashy-looking site.

Experienced agencies know what to focus on, which mechanisms work, and how to boost conversions. They know how to create an attractive yet effective site that’s user-friendly, convenient across devices, and secure. A knowledgeable agency understands that a property website caters not only to potential buyers but also to the sales office and lead-generating agencies, and it should satisfy everyone’s needs.