Property management websites play a crucial role in growing the occupancy rate of any apartment. Apartment websites are brand platforms, sources of messaging, and ultimately the bridge that transforms prospects into residents.
There are five tools we can take advantage of to optimize the success of an apartment website.
1.) Navigation
A user-friendly interface will promote high levels of engagement across your apartment website. Tactful navigation provides users with feelings of control by doing the hard work for them. In fact, the most effective navigation makes users’ lives easier while directing them through the ideal path you want them to take across your web pages. Every action and essential piece of information should be no more than three clicks away, including applications, contact information, amenities, and floorplans with images. If that sounds like an intimidating amount of organizing, planning, and site mapping, to implement successfully, then you can take advantage of a CMS (Content Management System) that builds out the navigation and foundational map for you. Quext Websites are constructed to produce profoundly effective and compelling websites with a CMS tailored specifically for apartments.
Website design tip: A CMS makes it easy to update the layout, photos, and copy of your website regularly without starting from scratch or relying on a developer. Use the freedom of your CMS to upload your most recent leasing specials. In a market with quick moves, you want to proactively update your offers and increase your property’s demand before competitors.
2.) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO sounds like an overused buzzword, but it’s hyped because it’s worth the hype! Think of SEO as VIP access to your prospects. SEO optimizes your pages’ content to ensure that users searching for relevant terms find your apartment website at the top of their internet search results. SEO is essential to increasing your authority ranking amongst search engines as search engines crawl and index your web pages. With the right website SEO tools, it can be easy to create compelling SEO page titles and page descriptions for your website. If updating your apartment website’s SEO doesn’t leave you feeling like an internet wizard casting indexing spells, then my friend, you are doing it wrong.
Website Design Tip: When writing an SEO page description in your CMS, create a “call to action” using active voice and strategic keywords. In 160 characters or less, you should match your page’s content while targeting your searchers’ emotions.
3.) AI Chatbot
Chatbots generate positive impressions on your prospects due to the personalized one-on-one interactions they provide. You know what feels even more personal than a chatbot? A CGI digital human that can deliver premium customer service in real-time and face-to-face with your prospects. Conversational and convenient, Quext Digital Human can interact with countless prospects at once and after business hours. Questions, virtual tours, and lead optimization around the clock not only to support your property staff but convey to prospects the value you place on meeting the needs of your prospects and residents alike.
Website Design Tip: Quext Digital Human can walk users through the digital application and leasing process. Talk about optimization!
4.) Purposeful Visuals
Images are worth 1,000 words in this industry, making it tempting to upload every photo taken of your property like it’s your aunt’s Facebook post from her 2006 Disney World vacation. However, the keyword here is “strategic.” Visuals don’t distract; they direct. Stylistic elements can include but aren’t limited to images, infographics, social media icons, fonts, and colors. Visuals on your apartment website create a narrative prospects use to visuals themselves living at the property. Add enough visuals to entice prospects to schedule a tour to see more, but not too much that your best features get buried in clutter. Your aunt’s photo of the crowded bus ride on the way to Magic Kingdom probably doesn’t tempt you to look at the next picture in her post, even if the following image is a jaw-dropping point and shoot camera photo of Magic Kingdom itself.
If your property images aren’t top-notch, don’t worry! Artistic details such as leading lines, balanced white space, and shadows around content blocks can complement the photos you do have. Detailed touches like linked social media icons in footers create the impression that your apartment community is transparent, while amenity icons and floor plan cards establish credibility amongst prospects. Even if you have gorgeous photos, it’s always best practice to include these stylistic elements. Generic layouts can make your beautiful images less effective. Suddenly, your once-glamorous pool shot looks bare next to plain copy on a computer or phone screen.
Website Design Tip: Create a side-by-side gallery on your amenities page. Label one of the galleries, “Community Amenities,” and the other “Apartment Amenities.” This gallery structure organizes a larger quantity of photos in a digestible way while creating the impression of extensive amenities. Label each gallery with the same primary font you use for your headers throughout your website to create a cohesive look.
5.) Calls to Action (CTAs)
Someone wise once said, “If you liked it, then you should’ve put a ring on it.” Which, in this case, roughly translates to “If you liked it, then you should’ve signed a lease for it.” CTAs on your website, also known as “Calls to Action,” encourage prospects to commit or at least respond to your offers. Yes, apartment websites are excellent tools for brand establishment and communication, but they are so much more. Your website ultimately becomes the pathway in which prospects become residents. CTA buttons such as “Apply Here” or “Schedule a Tour” make it easy and tangible for prospects to take their relationship with your property to the next level.
Website Design Tip: Link a “Schedule a Tour” CTA button to a tour scheduler form or calendar that requires contact information upon scheduling. A leasing agent should follow up with the prospect to begin developing rapport. Preparing for a successful property tour starts with an optimized CTA button on your apartment website!
Building an effective apartment website doesn’t have to be complicated. High occupancy rates can be right around the corner with the utilization of powerful website building tools that do the hard work for you. Implementing strategic optimization will open the door to measurable results in page views, scheduled tours, and occupancy rates.
