Most real estate websites in Saudi Arabia are built the same way: a slider of renders, a grid of projects, a price range and a contact form. They answer the question "what is for sale?" and stop there.

When I designed the website for Aknan Real Estate, a modern Saudi property brand, the brief pointed somewhere else. Aknan's line is "We design the feeling of you." The website had to answer a different question first: how will it feel to live here?

Here is how that idea shaped the Aknan Real Estate website design, page by page. The full project is in the Aknan case study.

Lead With the Feeling, Not the Floor Plan

The home page opens on the brand line in large, quiet type over a single architectural photograph, followed by one sentence about who Aknan is for: those who value quality, style and long-term living solutions. There is no slider fighting for attention and no price on the first screen.

That restraint is deliberate. Buyers and investors meet dozens of developers; what they remember is how a brand made them feel. A calm palette of deep burgundy and soft sand, generous space and an elegant wordmark do that work before a single project is listed.

Real Photography Over Decoration

Images carry most of the Aknan story, so every one has to earn its place. Nielsen Norman Group's eye-tracking research on photos as web content shows why: people study images that carry real information, like products or actual staff, and ignore decorative stock photos. In one test, a user spent 10% more time on staff portraits than on the written bios beside them, even though the bios took up far more space.

So the website uses Aknan's architecture and warm desert landscapes, not generic skylines. Each principle in the "Aknan Principles" section, such as "Creativity without limits", pairs one strong image with one short statement about how the company works.

Trust Is Built by People

Real estate is a trust business, and the About Us page carries much of that trust. NN/g's research on About Us information found that visitors respond to authenticity: realistic photos of real people, plain language, a clear statement of what the company does and several ways to get in touch.

Aknan's About Us page follows that advice. It opens with "Aknan builds communities where people connect, families grow and life flourishes", then sets out the mission, culture and values, introduces the board members by name and role, and shows the partners behind the brand. Contact details, including the location, phone, email and social channels, sit on one simple screen.

It also covers the four credibility factors NN/g describes in Trustworthiness in Web Design: design quality, up-front disclosure, comprehensive content and connection to the rest of the web, through real social channels and market insights.

Expertise as Content

A developer that wants to be trusted with a life-changing purchase should sound like an expert. The Aknan website includes a news and insights section with articles such as an overview of the residential real estate market in Saudi Arabia. Those pages do two jobs: they show that Aknan understands the market, and they bring new visitors from search.

Careers pages with a detail page for every role, and a registration page for interested clients, complete the picture of a company that is growing and easy to reach.

Arabic and English, Designed Together

Aknan speaks to Saudi and international clients, so every page exists in Arabic and English with a language switch always in reach. The Arabic version is designed right-to-left from the start, not mirrored at the end, and every layout works on desktop, tablet and mobile.

Selling a feeling sounds abstract, but on screen it comes down to concrete choices: one message per screen, real photography, real people and clear words in both languages.

Sources

• Photos as Web Content, Nielsen Norman Group
• "About Us" Information on Websites, Nielsen Norman Group
• Trustworthiness in Web Design: 4 Credibility Factors, Nielsen Norman Group