A real estate website’s sidebar can serve a variety of functions. From aiding in navigation to displaying content, the opportunities are endless. That being said, it’s important to think about what’s relevant to your audience before you start filling your sidebar with widgets and images. As a general rule, if an element doesn’t add value to your site or help engage visitors, it shouldn’t be in your sidebar.
Without further ado, here are our seven sidebar elements that serve a purpose:
1. Quick search widget: A very functional feature that makes it easy for visitors to dive right into a search.
2. Recent listings: Did somebody say eye candy? Highlighting recent listings in your sidebar can help entice your visitors to engage.
3. Featured blog posts: Putting your best blog posts on display in your sidebar can help you position yourself as a trusted resource.
4. Contact form: Never miss an opportunity to have your site’s visitors reach out. Put a simple contact form in your sidebar and prompt visitors to send you a message if they have any questions.
5. Testimonials: By including testimonials from satisfied customers in your sidebar, you’re letting visitors know that you have experience. This social proof can go a long way in developing trust amongst your visitors.
6. Contact info: Your contact info should always be easy to find, regardless of where your visitors are on your site. Put it at the top of the page (in your header), at the bottom of your page (in your footer), and in the middle of the page (in your sidebar).
7. Social media widgets: Displaying the number of Facebook “likes” you have and/or recent tweets from your Twitter stream in your sidebar shows your visitors that you have an active presence on social media. Like testimonials, these widgets can help instill trust.
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