"Developing An Effective Apartment Community Web Site"
Positioning your web site as a knowledge source for tenants will increase the
value of your rental community, long-term.
Beyond the goal of realizing 100% occupancy is a responsibility of ensuring
tenant satisfaction. Your apartment community’s web site may be able to
inform or attract new tenants, while serving as a tenant retention vehicle.
An effective apartment community web site prequalifies new tenants and offers
existing tenants communication, information, and payment options on-line. As
the Internet increasingly integrates on-line functionality into the daily lives
of participants nationwide, web-based interaction between the marketplace and
businesses, property managers, and even between neighbors will increase proportionately.
Each component of your web site – style, content, and searchability –
must strategically address your target market and make the biggest impact possible,
on the greatest number of potential clients.
Style and Navigation
The web site’s style should be kept simple, avoiding use of Flash to ensure
compatibility and easy to browse. Style may be enhanced by the use of custom
graphics or stock photography, illustrating the unique features or ambiance
of a particular apartment community.
The navigation menu should be clearly defined and make use of simple terms
to accurately identify menu options. Sub-navigation menus and hyperlinks should
be clearly identified by color or hyperlink underlines. Hyperlink special effects,
such as mouse rollovers, are acceptable.
Regardless of the value of your content, if your web site’s style and
navigation make browsing difficult, the site’s productivity and recurring
user base will suffer.
Content Development
Site content should be divided into two areas: new tenant information and services
for existing tenants.
In general, text content must be relevant, as well as optimized for search
engine review. Providing thorough, effective information for both new and current
residents will ensure your web site experiences a steady flow of new and returning
visitors regularly.
Content geared toward new tenants should include:
On-line and PDF-download residence application form(s)
Apartment tours, including photos, floor plans, room dimensions, pricing, and
optional 360-degree room tours
Community amenity descriptions, such as on-site laundry facilities or swimming
pools
Office hours, name-specific contacts and complete office contact information,
as well as an on-line information request form.
Community contacts for municipal services such as electric and telephone companies
At minimum, content for existing tenants should include:
On-line debit/credit card rent payment options
Monthly newsletter
Community discussion forum
Live chat features
Community event photo album
Monthly or seasonal activity or announcement calendar
Premier sites may also offer user registration, allowing tenants to keep contact
information up-to-date, as well as live support chat features during office
hours.
Search Engine Optimization
As you develop your own web site content, it is important to ensure text blocks
are "optimized" for cataloging by major search engines such as Google,
Yahoo!, and MSN. Many of today’s major search engines determine a web site’s
placement by key terms found in a web site’s text.
Because content for each page of your web site is unique, search engines treat
each page as an individual web site. To maximize results, optimize each page
using specific key terms, phrases, and descriptions that relate to the individual
page’s content. This will ensure each page of your web site is indexed
independently, resulting in greater visibility to a much wider number of prospective
visitors.
Also,.it is important to ensure a web site’s META key word and description
tags are properly configured. For example, repeating key terms in META tags
may be considered spam by some search engines. Be sure to review the site submission
rules for each search engine.
For faster results, you may consider hiring a competent search optimization
specialist who will be able to provide knowledge, guidance, and services to
ensure your site is correctly submitted to each search engine.
An effective web site can promote tenant retention, serve as an informational
reception area for prospective tenants, and increase occupancy. Positioning
your web site as a knowledge source for tenants will increase the value of your
community, long-term.
About the Author:
Jim Ray is a seasoned web developer and president of Web Presence, a national
web design firm serving the small business market sector. To learn more, or
for a free quote for your own web site, visit the Web Presence web site at:
http://www.web-presence.net. |
