Is Your Website Attracting Renters? A Quick Optimization Checklist
Your property management website is one of the most important tools in this digital age for bringing in prospective residents. But is it doing its job? Here is a quick checklist to help assess if your website is working as hard as it should be.
Is your website fast? Research shows that consumers will abandon a website if it takes more than four seconds to load. And, some studies show that consumer patience is shrinking. According to stats reported by search experts at Moz, 50% of Internet websites load in less than 3 seconds (2.9) and 6% load almost instantly (.8 seconds). Where does your website’s speed land?
Are you providing valuable, shareable content? Creating high-quality, unique website and blog content builds rapport. Promoting your blog posts via multiple social networks, email campaigns, paid online ads, and word of mouth builds awareness. Are you writing a mix of property-specific and location-based content and encouraging your current residents to share it?
Are you highlighting your reviews? Reputation, values, and authenticity matter. If people are saying good things, be sure to showcase them. Do you have a page dedicated to happy renters, or are you sprinkling the positive comments throughout the website? A second important piece to this is social media; are your social profiles integrated so people can share these reviews?
Can someone quickly apply for a vacancy? Having online applications is essential to capturing interested residents and turning them into paying residents. Some people might be in a hurry to find a place to live and want to apply right then and there. It’s really beneficial when the online applications are integrated with your property management software, so when they are ready to sign a lease the renter’s information is already stored in the system and available. How long does it currently take you to turn around a unit?
Is your website mobile-friendly? This concept isn’t going away anytime soon; in fact, the demand for mobile and responsive websites is growing. With Google favoring mobile-optimized sites and mobile search overtaking desktop in 2014, it’s imperative that your site works on phones and tablets. Visit your own site on your phone—what’s the experience like? If you’re frustrated, you can bet your prospects are, too.
Can people find your website? There are thousands of professionals who make a living at search engine optimization (SEO). It’s a complex subject, with both technical and content considerations. One of the easiest ways for anyone to check if a website is optimized is searching for it in Google. On what page does your site show up? If you can’t find it, there are a lot of reasons it could be low down in the rankings and you might need to have a professional perform a deep dive.
If you’re generating sufficient interest from your website, but conversion rates are still low, it could mean a much larger process inefficiency. If your website isn’t bringing in the number of prospective renters you expect or need to meet your business goals, consider having someone help with your website. It might be missing some key elements to be a successful lead generation engine for your company, anything from design to SEO optimization.
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AppFolio, Inc. develops Property Management Software that helps businesses improve their workflow so they save time and make more money. Appfolio submits articles & blogs including topics of Resident Retention, Improved Owner Communication, Time Management, and more. |