My dad's home page is offering information such as to area of expertise, sales area, achievements and educational background. The home page also functions as a search engine for all listed homes in the MLS and his personally listed and sold properties in the area. The column page design, generally one word profile headings and simple links makes the page easy to navigate.
Using columns to divide the information on the page makes finding answers easy. The left side of the page contains the largest page picture and the only four links above the fold. The picture is simple and professional and describes the homepage well. Below the picture are four links all used as a search function for total area listings, dad's listings and a "link to additional website." The first three are directive and don't require changes. The last goes to his LinkedIn profile and should simply be titled "LinkedIn." Since his home page is intended for home buyers and other realtors, visibly seeing LinkedIn would direct visitors to a more in-depth profile where they can see his affiliations, contacts and personal interests and hobbies. Many business professionals and individuals are beginning to use LinkedIn. If I were a first time user, I may not even follow the "Link to additional website" because it's not descriptive and I'm searching for specific information.
The center of the page uses headings to separate text and information. Doing this makes scanning easy but also more readable at the same time. It gives a personable overview of my dad and his business. As mentioned in my Jing video, the organization of the headings should be changed, putting the most important factors such as : specialties, designations and executive profile, as the first three headings on the page. It would also be useful to link the icons used under designations to a single page with short descriptions of each skill or achievement.
The right side of the page contains a search bar and linked photographs to "featured properties." The search tool is easy to use and easy to find. The pictures are alternating at a three second interval, pausing long enough to view each, but not too long where you get bored. There are four pictures in view at any one time. My only complaint was that many of the pictured homes were marked as "sold." This seems like a waste of time for people looking to buy homes. There is already a link on the page for sold homes, so only show "featured homes" in this section.
The home page has good design and functions well for the information given and purpose of the site. Almost all of the text is above the fold and information is separated by simple links, headings and search functions. The adjustments I would make are minimal but would be useful for the site and help the visitor learn more about their realtor in a professional but personal way.
Hi Raleigh,
You are right that there are a lot of good things about your dad's site already. It has a clean, simple structure. The text is already divided into headings and that is good. As you mentioned in your video, I think it would be a good idea to reorder the headings. But, more than that, I think it might be a good idea for the home page to have other content rather than your dad's profile. Think about the questions people would have coming to the site--and you mentioned them in your video analysis. You might organize the home page around those questions, and then move your dad's profile to a second web page.
I wanted to comment on the pictures of the homes on your dad's web page. I think these work just fine, and it makes sense for them to switch to different images. However, you might think about some text you could include that tells readers what the flashing images are. For example "These are homes that are on the market" or "These are homes that I have recently sold". Some kind of caption might be helpful for readers. As is, there is very little text to let users know what the pictures are.