Our Web Equation For Success
2010-08-31 12:00am
Author: David Watson
Topic: Web Engagement
When Rentping works with clients to maximize the effectiveness of their web strategy, we utilize the following equation:
Web Traffic x Web Engagement = Cost Effective Leads
Most companies work on Web Traffic, but they fail to utilize all strategies to drive traffic and usually have just minimal results. Furthermore, most companies overlook web engagement all together. Web engagement generally garners immediate and guaranteed results. At Rentping, we are consistently shocked by how well this works.
Our equation above customized for your company will garner the most cost effective leads. We have cost effective tools designed to enhance both web traffic and engagement. Below are a few main areas we recommend that you evaluate in your own web strategy.
Web Traffic
- Links - What websites can you get a link to your web page on? Further, what websites can you get your property listings on? It is important to utilize as many free websites out there like Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, etc. while also putting links back to your website on any paid internet listing services you use. The more individuals that can click through to your website from another, the more successful your website will be. These links also help with search engine optimization (SEO). Links are the most overlooked and underutilized way of driving traffic.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - SEO is the process of getting your website to rise in the search engine rankings. Rentping believes in one strategy for your corporate website and another for community websites. Company size and presence in a city will also affect where SEO can be most effective. SEO is often the most looked at approach for driving traffic, yet most companies do a poor job of optimizing their websites for keywords they can "win" on.
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Marketing - Your website should be listed on signs, brochures, internet listing sites, magazines, banners, etc. Everywhere you advertise your apartments, you should advertise your website. Also, you must find ways to give people a compelling reason to leave the website they are on and visit your website. Rentping's walkthrough video tours are usually the most compelling reason.
Web Engagement
Your apartment website could have 10,000 visitors a month, but if nobody contacts you to show or lease an apartment then you have failed to achieve anything. Unfortunately, most companies fail to understand engagement. The best illustration of this is that you will see many companies invest thousands of dollars in creating a website and spend very little creating effective content. Here are just a few things (there are many) that you can do to increase engagement:
- Show Vacant Units Only: We are all proud of the buildings we manage, but prospective tenants only care about what they can actually rent. Make their search easier and show what is available.
- Good Media: Rentping walk through video tours are the best media that exists today. Tenants are not as interested in community overview videos which show little more than pictures, but love walking through an actual floor plan. Further, high quality, professional photographs enhance a user's interest too.
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Call to Action Buttons: Every website needs to have prominent action buttons. These buttons should prompt the prospective tenant to contact you so that you can secure a showing and your leasing agent can take over.
Cost Effective Leads
Leads should be cost effective. Never should you spend more than $100 to garner one lead. In fact, we believe you will spend much less utilizing Rentping content, tools, and websites to gain leads. On average, we estimate that our clients spend around $10 to gain one lead - either an e-mail inquiry or phone call. These leads are highly qualified if you use Rentping Walkthrough Video technology too.