All posts by Jonsette Calloway

Survive Facebook’s recent news feed update

Analytics, Apartment website, Customer Experience, Engagement, Good to Know, Metrics, Online Marketing, property managers, Social Media

Recently, Facebook announced that it would alter its news feed algorithm in efforts to create a more personal experience. Users will soon begin to see more content from friends, family and groups and less public content, like posts from businesses, brands and media. And if that wasn’t enough to rock your marketing strategy, the popular site will also be prioritizing posts that spark conversations and create meaningful interactions. So, what exactly does this mean for property owners or managers? Continue reading Survive Facebook’s recent news feed update →

Boost your SEO and reputation with online reviews

Apartment website, Customer Experience, Good to Know, Happy Renter, Marketing tips, Online Marketing, Property Reviews, SEO, SERP, What Renters Want

Reviews have become an extremely popular tool for consumers to utilize in their daily purchasing habits—apartments included.  They have become so important that an Apartments.com survey recently uncovered that 80 percent of renters actually use these reviews during their apartment search process, and more than three quarters of renters consider reviews and recommendations to be “extremely” or “very helpful” when scoping for new multifamily residences.  Continue reading Boost your SEO and reputation with online reviews →

4 Signs your Apartment SEO isn’t Working

Analytics, Apartment website, Good to Know, Leasing, Marketing tips, Metrics, Online Marketing, SEO, SERP, Web Design

So, you have made the investment in search engine optimization, but has it worked? Your walk-in traffic may have increased, and your inbox may be more full than usual. But, is your SEO the culprit, or your normal marketing strategy?

Not sure? Check out the four signs below:

1.Your organic search traffic isn’t increasing.

You should be performing monthly comparisons between your Google Analytics numbers prior to and after taking part in SEO. You’ll need to pay special attention to your organic search numbers, which are those viewers who land on your site from other search engines like Google or Bing.  If these numbers are lower or even the same, then your SEO may not be working.

To fix this, you may want to increase the quality of your current content. If your content is not up to par, then you are likely to rank lower in the search engine result pages. Another tactic could also help with increasing your organic traffic is re-evaluating your keywords. You want to ensure that your keywords are both targeted and specific. This not only decreases your competition, but increases the chances of your customers locating you first.

2. When you Google your property, you’re not #1, #2 or #3.

The simplest way to determine if your SEO strategy is effective is by performing a simple Google search for your property. If you’re not on the first page, then you have work to do.

Again, analyzing your keywords can help with this. Emphasize location to capture area traffic while improving your chances at a higher ranking. Use keywords in your title tags, meta content, alt tags and URL links. Increase your backlinks through a linkbuilding tool that analyzes the competition so that you can determine their existing backlinks and link to the same.

3. You’re traffic isn’t converting.

Perhaps your walk-in and online traffic is increasing, but your leases are still the same. If this is the case, you’ll need to review your Google Analytics information to determine how your existing search traffic is locating you. Your website content and layout could also be to blame. You’ll need to ensure that your site organization provides all the necessary information up front, like pictures, pricing, amenities, contact information, etc. Are your pages visually appealing and easy to navigate? Review your keywords to ensure they connect with your content and that your search traffic is responding to these keywords. The last element you’ll want to check is your call-to-action message(s).Are they clear throughout your site? If you want viewers to apply online, make sure your site supports it.

4. You’re not getting any traffic.

The main principle behind SEO is to increase the targeted traffic to your website. If you’re not seeing the increase in visitors at all, then you’ll need to double-check all of the tactics listed above: keywords, content and backlinks. By making these few alterations, you’ll be well on your way to increased traffic in no time!

Rentbot can help.

If you’re SEO isn’t working, then your website could be the culprit. Rentbot carefully optimizes each property’s website so that it’s highly searchable and will rank well in organic search engine results.  By partnering with us, you’ll not only gain an SEO expert, but a beautifully designed website that is optimized for most any device and guaranteed to raise renter attention and retention.

Leave some of the SEO worries to us, and you’ll be glad that you did.

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.

Open your Communication Streams, Sign More Leases

Analytics, Apartment website, Engagement, Good to Know, Leasing, Marketing tips, Online Marketing, SERP, Single-family Property Manager

We all know the apartment leasing industry can get pretty hectic sometimes—and this may even be an understatement. Between the callbacks, fulfilling maintenance requests and marketing, the communication loop has a tendency to rupture at certain points every now and again, leaving some tasks to unfortunately fall by the wayside. 

Considering that communication is critical to success in apartment leasing, property managers must find that perfect solution to ensure that all the proper interactions are being made to the right people at exactly the right time. Well, understanding how important good communication is to business, Google decided to launch a chat messaging feature as part of the Google My Business platform. The new feature allows businesses the opportunity to chat directly with customers who stumble across their business listing on Google Search. 

This chatting feature is pretty revolutionary for the apartment leasing industry. It has the potential to permanently alter the way communication occurs between prospective residents and leasing agents online.

How it works:

Any apartment community with a Google My Business page can take advantage of the chat feature. Simply look for the “Messaging” card in the home menu and include a phone number that can receive SMS messages. This number should be available to agents who can handle high volumes of customer communication throughout the day. Also, similar to the Facebook messaging chat feature, the Google My Business chat function will allow customers to see your average response time when they message you, which means that it is important for you to ensure that you have the adequate resources in place to handle large volumes of responses daily.

Particularly during your posted business hours, you’ll want to guarantee that your replies are always prompt and responsive, as you will be setting the tone for your entire community. Used appropriately, this chat feature can not only help to answer questions about your property, but create a memorable first impression and/or connection with these prospective residents who may have never interacted with your property prior, right from your SERP.

Ensure your communication is up-to-par.

If you choose to take advantage of the Google My Business chat feature, you will also want to ensure that your prospective and current residents have alternate ways to reach you. Supplement your communications efforts with an effective, responsive website that supports the information your customers receive through the chat. A thorough website can be easily referenced in the Google conversations your leasing agents are having with customers. Not to mention, you will need a supportive medium for your prospects outside of the posted business hours.

Track your results.

Once your website is up-to-par and the Google My Business chat feature has been initiated, you can begin tracking your results. Leverage Google Analytics to determine where the bulk of your online traffic is deriving. This will provide you with greater direction when it comes to investing your marketing dollars.

Rentbot can help.

Given Google’s new chat feature for businesses, it becomes even more important for your website to stand out above the rest. That’s where Rentbot comes in. In a matter of days, our dedicated and experienced account specialists will work with you to design and develop a unique and responsive website that tells the story of your property to current and future prospects in a way that will drive them to want to learn more. You’ll enjoy online maintenance request features, online rent payment and gorgeous page layouts that are guaranteed to work on any device. Paired with Google My Business chat, you will be well on your way to more conversations, better tenants, and increased leases in no time.

Open up your streams of communication with Rentbot, and take the apartment industry by storm!

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.

Mobile on the Mind

Analytics, Apartment website, Customer Experience, Engagement, Good to Know, Marketing tips, Mobile-friendly, Online Marketing, Responsive, SEO, What Renters Want

The smart phone and tablet have forever altered the consumer buying process. Now a days, when consumers want information, they turn to their mobile device first. So, it may not be surprising to know that mobile searching has surpassed the classic desktop search. Continue reading Mobile on the Mind →

New Google changes, big property impacts

Apartment website, Customer Experience, Free Marketing, Good to Know, Leasing, Marketing tips, Online Marketing, SEO, SERP, Web Design

Google has been pretty busy over the past two months working on SEO site improvements for businesses and searchers alike. Though some of these updates were minor in nature, others will certainly have a major impact on your property and website.

Take a look at how these new improvements will impact you and your SEO efforts:

Ad blocking

Have you ever landed on a website and in .5 seconds been bombarded by an annoying and intrusive advertisement that you have little to no interest in? Well, this may be good news for you! Google has now dedicated their efforts towards putting a halt to these types of website ads which interfere with the user’s site experience. This particular crackdown may be beneficial for the end user, but not too great for the marketer behind the ad. So, if your property just happens to be leveraging these types of advertisements online, it may be time to review other options, as these old ads will no longer meet Google’s ad standards, and you could face consequences in the near future.

Google My Business – Posts

Another big update has recently occurred within Google’s popular Google My Business feature. Google My Business are the business-specific information panels that show up to the right of the search results. This is where you have your property’s name, address, phone number, photos, etc.  With this latest update, now you too can post social updates right to the search results pages. Properties can take advantage of this new feature to really give their prospects what they want—specialized content! By publishing upcoming resident events or property photos and tours through this tool, you’ll be able to better capture and hook those prospects who may already be searching for you anyway, but want to know more about what your property has to offer. Give it a shot!

Google My Business – Website Builder

Also new for Google is the worldwide launch of the “Google My Business” website builder. Now, this little gem, clearly catered towards small businesses, offers a single page web design that can be created in a matter of minutes. The true beauty, though, lies in its price tag—free! This tool is not actually a replacement for a complete business website with multiple pages and links, as it lacks sharing features, meta-tags, analytics, call-to-actions, etc. However, it may be very useful for those small operations who are just entering the online world and would like to get their feet wet first prior to investing in a larger site or those who do not have the time to build one.

 From websites, to SEO services to setting up Google My Business – Rentbot can help.

Google hasn’t been the only one hard at work these past few months. Over here at Rentbot, we’ve been just as busy designing new sites for new properties nationwide. Rentbot will help you fill in the gaps where Google cannot. Take the plunge to invest in a new website, and in just a matter of days, we’ll build you a fully customized, multi-page site with high-definition photos, a simple-to-use design and online functionalities like rent payments and maintenance requests. And that’s not even the best part!

Each Rentbot site is also designed with SEO in mind. So, while your Google My Business listing is helpful, your new Rentbot site will be carefully optimized so that it is completely searchable and ranks in the upper tier of organic search engine results. Throw in our mobile and responsive design, and you’ll be well on your way to securing more leases while increasing your online traffic.

Attract the attention that you deserve with a Rentbot site, and let the search engines handle the rest.

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.

Stay ahead of your competitors with SEO

Analytics, Apartment website, Good to Know, Marketing tips, Online ads, Online Marketing, Responsive, SEO, SERP

 

No matter what business you’re in, it’s always important for you to keep one eye on your competitors at all times. Keeping tabs on the competition allows you gain a deeper understanding of some of their best practices and marketing strategies so that you can adopt when necessary. The same principle holds true for search engine optimization (SEO). SEO can be quite complicated at times, and those who make it to the top have likely done their due diligence to secure that spot; oftentimes, leaving competitors wondering how they too can get a piece of the pie.

SEO may have its share of challenges, but, trust me, the code can be deciphered and properties who take the time to understand how it works can certainly manipulate their own strategy to gain one leg up above the competition. Continue reading Stay ahead of your competitors with SEO →

It’s Time to Refocus your Priorities

Analytics, Apartment website, Customer Experience, Engagement, Good to Know, Marketing tips, Mobile-friendly, Online Marketing, Responsive, What Renters Want

Digital marketing has long evolved from your simple online ads and incentivized product offers. Consumers are changing the way that they interact and engage with brands today. With the customer experience at the center of most every marketing strategy, marketers are now re-adjusting their priorities to become more customer centric organizations.

According to a March 2017 Adobe/Econsultancy survey which analyzed the top digital-related priorities for brands this year, content marketing, social media engagement and targeting and personalization ranked the top three on the list. Though these three tactics may not be your specific targets this coming year, knowing these trends can help you better allocate your marketing budget for your property.

Content Marketing

Content marketing includes any marketing effort that involves creating and sharing media and content publication for the purpose of acquiring customers. This can be done through social media, a website blog, video, etc. With 29% of marketers enhancing their content marketing strategies this year, multifamily properties will have to get more creative to capture their renters’ attention.

Video content is steadily gaining in popularity and is expected to continue rising. Properties that put an emphasis on video marketing through tools like Facebook, Snapchat or YouTube will begin to notice a pretty good return on their investment. A HubSpot research study indicated that a good majority of consumers not only watch at least one hour or more of video content a week, but actually pay more attention to videos over written content; so, it’s time to jump on board.

In addition to video content, properties will find that focusing on purpose-driven content will also produce greater success. Posting new content that addresses resident comments or complaints, featuring events and activities, or highlighting the unique features of the community and life at your property will go a long way. Remember, quality over quantity is key.

When creating online content, it is always important to remember that your audience is already pretty defined: residents and prospects. You’ll need to ensure that your content is always designed with these two segments in mind and is redirecting your visitors back to your website. Most importantly, your content should show your brand’s personality.

Social Media Engagement

Coming in as number two on the priority list for marketers is social media engagement. Social media has transformed into one of the most lucrative and successful tools for consumer engagement, and the multifamily industry is taking heed. Property managers should make it a point to increase their social engagement efforts this year, as 71% of consumers who have a positive social media experience with a brand are likely to recommend that brand to others. Not only can social media be used as a tool to enhance your customer service, but it can improve your engagement with both new and prospective residents as well. To achieve the most benefit from these platforms, it is important for you to post relevant content regularly, to include engaging content from third parties, and to respond to customer issues posted online.

Targeting and Personalization

Targeting and personalization involve delivering relevant content and messaging to a specific audience. Ultimately, this comes down to knowing your customer. Remember, the customer is key. Use the mounds of data you are already collecting to create unique customer profiles. Evaluate your website analytics to determine how your residents are connecting with you and use this information to develop your marketing strategy. Segment and tailor your messaging to your customers in the various stages of the rental process or those that fit certain qualities. For instance, you’ll want to include information on your pet amenities for those who are looking to bring their furry friends. Email marketing platforms can help you with this.

A responsive website can also help with personalization, as you’ll be able to determine what medium your visitors are using to connect with you—be it mobile or desktop. You can then create targeted pages with unique features like click-to-calls, swipes, etc. based on these results.

Rentbot can help.

Before you begin to refocus your marketing priorities, you’ll first need to make sure your website is up to par. Through an effective website, you can not only dig deeper into your customer’s online behavior, but reach new customers as well. Because every Rentbot site is built with a responsive design, you can target your prospects no matter what device they’re using. And with fast, friendly support and a 90-day money-back guarantee, you’ll be able to fulfill your new priorities and attract your ideal tenants with greater ease.

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.

Simplify your rental process

Apartment website, Customer Experience, Engagement, Good to Know, Happy Renter, Leasing, Marketing tips, Online Payments, property managers, Resident Retention, What Renters Want

Make it easy for someone to do a task, and more will do it—yes? This simple theory definitely holds true for the leasing world. If you make it easier for prospects to rent from you, then more renters are likely to cling towards you, and, soon, others will follow suit.

It isn’t rocket science, yet it’s a notion many rental properties tend to miss.

It’s time to put those ancient “my way or the highway” mindsets to rest, as we must all come to the realization that we have now officially entered into the age of the customer.

So, what does that mean exactly?

It means that as a property manager or owner, you’ll have to offer more for your renters than just a warm, clean place to lay their heads. Rather, you’ll need to leverage technology, data, and a little innovation to stay one step ahead of your competition at all times.

First, though, you’ll need take a step back, review your operations, and ask yourself, “How easy is it for my customers to do business with me?” If there’s an issue, can residents contact you without hassle? Can your maintenance request process use a few enhancements? What about your marketing strategy—can prospects easily find you online?

Given the booming rental market, residents now have more options at their fingertips than ever before.  Throw their busy lifestyles into the mix, and you will quickly find that residents of today will certainly pass on a property if they find their basic expectations are not being met—and that’s a lose-lose for everyone.

Not only will making life easier for your renters boost retention rates, but it will trickle down to impact other facets within your operations as well, like ratings and reviews, employee morale and even referrals.

Not sure how you can make it easier for your residents to do business with you? Keep reading.

Find out who they are.

Before you can appease your residents, you first need to know who they are and what they want. Big Data has taken the marketing world by storm and is being used by both companies and properties alike to gain insights into their customer base, predict behaviors and improve engagement. Apartment communities are already collecting a ton of data on residents—many from the second a prospect connects with a property, be it in person, online or over the phone.  Why not put it to good use? Those properties who leverage Big Data well are able to filter through the mounds of information to uncover solutions to improve their customer experience, making it easier for residents to do what they do best.

Use technology to your advantage.

Now is not the time to shy away from technology. As a property on the rise, you will need to become well versed in the online tools and services available that will make the most positive impact on your property. Leverage online chat tools to easily and quickly communicate with prospects who have questions or current residents with issues. Make those tedious functions like paying rent and submitting maintenance requests available through your website or online portal. You can also take advantage of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools and automated marketing software to handle your email marketing and agent responses. This will help in streamlining your communication strategy while ensuring your property remains top-of-mind. When it comes to the world of technology, the possibilities are endless. It is up to you to determine which channels will simplify the rental process the most for your customer base.

Don’t get discouraged.

Even after you perform the necessary research and incorporate the various technology tools into your business strategy, you may still face some bumps in the road. It will take some time for you to tweak your tactics and strategies to reveal that winning combination. And, even when you do get there, you can’t rest for long, as your renters’ expectations, wants and desires are constantly changing. But, as long as you keep them at the center of all of your efforts, you’ll win every time.

 

Rentbot can help.

At Rentbot, we’re all about simplifying the apartment rental process for residents—and it starts and ends with a good property website. We can help you streamline many of your daily resident functions online to make it easier for both you and your residents.

They will appreciate the seamless communication made possible through Rentbot’s virtual chat capabilities and all of the time saved from the online maintenance requests and rental payments. And because each site is designed with SEO in mind, your prospects will have no problems finding you online.

Life is hard enough already; don’t make leasing difficult too. Let Rentbot be the “woosah” your renters are looking for, and you’ll both be happy that you did.

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.

Get Big Results with Big Data

Analytics, Apartment website, Call marketing, Engagement, Good to Know, Leasing, Marketing tips, Metrics, Online Applications, Online Marketing, property managers, Social Media

You may have heard this word being thrown around in a marketing meeting or two, but weren’t quite sure of its impact to your property–Big Data. Netflix, Amazon, and credit card companies all use it. It’s been a hot buzzword for quite some time, especially within the marketing realm, and it’s being used by companies all over the world to reel their customers in. And now, the apartment industry is taking heed.

Continue reading Get Big Results with Big Data →