A recent post suggested “7 Things That Annoy Website Visitors.” Experience has taught us that, “one size does not fit all.”  Neither does one set of guidelines. As a leading sales and marketing agency, providing services to developers of luxury real estate since 1983, Cotton & Company takes pride in the quality and performance of the custom websites created for its clients. Focusing upon lifestyle, each website is an attempt to create a vivid representation of the personal comfort and joy to be found as a resident of that particular community.

The buyer of a one-of-a-kind, $17 million, oceanfront penthouse does not share the same perspective as the individual who is trying to find the best price for Duracell® Batteries. Commodity buyers have a choice of dozens of websites for purchasing the identical product at virtually the same price. They can and frequently will make their buying decision on the basis of website background colors, font size, or some other equally obscure standard. Most often, their primary goal is to complete the transaction as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Slow loading times, music, videos, cluttered layouts, scattered navigation, required registration, the absence of contact information, and too much Flash are roadblocks on their way to Happy Hour. Picture yourself waiting in line at the Speedy Mart to pay for that package of Altoids® while the customer in front of you labors over his decision to box his lottery numbers or play them straight. You sense the ice melting in your Mai Tai, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Few people choose the minute before the airline begins boarding first class passengers to explore the opportunity to purchase a luxury penthouse overlooking Petco Park in downtown San Diego or a getaway home in La Paz. Those pursuits are typically reserved for more leisurely moments.

A recent review of twelve client websites that collectively enjoyed 266,000+ visits over the past year revealed that visitors spent an average of 52 seconds on home pages that were accompanied by music, video, and various forms of Flash animation. Two thirds of them went on to visit additional pages of the websites, using unique navigation layouts that successfully guide the visitor down a predetermined path to registration pages seeking detailed personal information.

The clients are pleased with the consistent flow of data from a globally diverse yet extremely narrow market segment that is attuned to the finer things in life.

Rather than simply accept the status quo, one must rely upon the knowledge gained from years of experience. Accepting vague guidelines unsupported by hard data frequently leads to unsatisfactory results. It has often been said, “There is an exception to every rule.” Those who blindly accept the ruminations of “experts” are destined to be shortchanged.