Your website is your biggest marketing tool, which is why it's important to maintain the highest standards when it comes to the design appeal. Photos, layout, and even colors all come together to create a lasting impression that sells (or doesn't sell) your stunning homes. Design has the power to make homebuyers stay or drive them away. In this blog post, one of our designers, Katie, gives her tips for website design do's and don'ts as you continue to manage the content of your website:

DO invest in good photography.

Most people now have short attention spans for websites, so you want to grab them quickly--photos do that. Eye-catching photographs will add a "wow" factor to your site and draw users in. You may need to invest in a professional photographer, but we promise it will be worth every penny.

DON'T use your slideshow for promotional banners.

Most slideshows are designed to fit only the space allotted, which means your promotional banner design is going to be cut off in some areas. The slideshow is your entry image to your site. Just like a front foyer in a house, you want it to be clean and inviting. Adding advertisements to this space is like having all your shoes, coats and bags at your front door and making your guests stumble over them to get inside. If you need a section for promotional items, speak to a design professional for ideas. They will be able to point you in the right direction with an idea that you might not have considered. For example, what about having an entry photograph that's really amazing and then a smaller slideshow for just your events/specials.

DO accurately represent your company style on the website

This goes along with branding, but if you're a clean, minimalist type of company, your website should reflect that style. If you're ornate and traditional, you should have a website that has that style. Basically, don't try to be something you're not...own it!

DON'T overload your menu options.

Organizing your website in a way that gets your users where they need to be quickly means everyone wins. They get to where they want to go and you'll have a stronger lead. The menu organization might not be what your office thinks it should be, either. Make sure you are putting yourself in the homebuyer's shoes. Avoid using phrases that are used mostly by industry professionals and think about phrases that everyone would know and recognize. Don't over-complicate.

DO format your copy.

They say it takes people about 9 seconds to make a decision about a website. If they see a block of text, they're going to leave your site. If they see formatted headings and quick bullet points, they're more apt to hang out and skim your content. You will have some users that will want all the information in the world, but the majority wants their information quick and concise. Think microwave generation.

DON'T have pages with 5 lines of text.

I know I just said to keep things concise, but sometimes you can be TOO concise. A page with limited content looks like a mistake--to the user AND to Google. There's a fine line between too much and not enough. If you cannot fill it with any more text, try adding a nice photo floated to the right or left.

DO keep your branding consistent.

Keep your colors and fonts the same! Inconsistencies with your content displays to the user that you're not sure what you're doing. Most people say they want a bright yellow starburst to really draw attention to something, but in reality its going to look cheesy and too much like a "used-car salesperson" gimic.

DO make sure your website uses a responsive design.

Mobile traffic is going to continue to grow, but also think about large monitors. How would your website look on a 50-inch smart TV? Or a 27-inch computer monitor? Responsive doesn't always mean cell-phone size.   BONUS Insider tip: If the bill for a full website redesign gives you nightmares, try to have your photography or graphics professionally done. It might not cost as much as you'd think to have a designer or photographer work with you to create elements for your website.