Apartment Websites 101: How To Grow Your Traffic
March 11, 2020 12:00 pm 2 CommentsIt’s no secret that the world of apartment marketing is centered around apartment websites. Whether you’re talking about your own website or a large ILS page, nearly every apartment marketing strategy is centered around a website. So how do you create the best apartment website? How do you compete with thousands of competitors on large ILS pages? What can you do to bring more traffic to your website?
How To Grow Your Apartment Website Traffic
Multifamily marketing truly begins and ends at your website. It is where prospects learn the most about your community, and where they can directly apply for a lease. Creating a website that gives prospects everything that they’re looking for is extremely important.
Once your website is developed, you can then focus on maximizing the amount of traffic that you’re getting. There are a variety of ways to increase your website traffic, and each unique way can transform your online presence. Use these tips to grow your organic website traffic and boost your apartment website conversion rate today and as your multifamily business grows.
1. Audit Your Current Website
The best place to start is by reviewing your website. This will give you the right idea of what you need to change to make a more high-quality website. Start by considering how recent your pictures and floor plans are. Analyze if your website is easy to use, and take note if it loads quickly.
Decide which elements you could improve on, and double-check that all of your information is updated, and current. Think about the changes that you will want to make moving forward to improve your website in every area.
2. Choose The Best Website Structure
So if having a well-designed apartment website is crucial for gaining high-quality leads, and high search engine rankings, then it’s definitely valuable to make improvements. It’s important to find a website design that works best for your community.
When it comes time to design or re-design your apartment website, you will want to consider how your site architecture will affect Google. The right site design can help Google’s algorithms to better understand what your website is all about.
On the website above, you will notice how the pictures, branding, and website layout all coordinate together to represent Hayden Commons and Florida State University. The design is trendy and modern, and it has been developed for it’s intended audience, FSU students. It includes elements that are enticing to students, as well as keywords that will allow it to rank on the SERPs (search engine results pages).
As you look further through the website, you will find that everything is centered on showcasing the local Tallahasee lifestyle. It gives you the power to dive into amenities, and features, that make this a thriving community. The layout is mobile-friendly and completely easy to navigate. This detailed design is crucial for growing your website traffic.
3. Create a Mobile-Friendly Website
It’s common knowledge that most web users are relying on mobile devices to search the internet. So it’s evident that having a website that is fully, and completely mobile-optimized is extremely important. A website can be more efficient for mobile devices through AMP (accelerated mobile pages). The more mobile-friendly your site is the more time that people will spend on it.
The more time that people spend on your site, the better. Google’s algorithms take website quality into consideration when determining where your apartment should fall on the SERP (search engine results page.) The better your website ranking, the more traffic you will gain.
4. Optimize Your Local Listings
Your apartment local listings play such a large role in directing traffic to your website. Google is designed in a way that your local listings appear as the most noticeable result on the SERP (search engine result pages). Optimizing your Google My Business allows prospective residents to be drawn to click on your site. Improving your photos, reviews, and information increases your website traffic.
Don’t forget that you can also include your apartment layout maps, floor plans, Q&A’s, and a short romance paragraph directly on your GMB. Although these features might change for Bing, Yelp, or Apple Maps, the overarching focus is still the same. This has to be one of your top priorities as it is how many, if not most, prospects will find your community.
5. Use Social Media Ads
The reality is that millions of people are using social media on an everyday basis. There are a lot of pros to using social media in any way for apartment digital marketing, as it brings you to a hub of different people. It helps to diversify your audience and allows your property to be placed in front of a variety of prospective residents. In the long run, the more inbound traffic that you have, the more leads that you will generate.
Although there are many ways that you can utilize social media for your marketing strategy, it’s important to know the difference between ads, and regular posting. Social media ads use the PPC (pay-per-click) model which allows you to interact with your target audience for a better price. Competing for the #1 spot on the search engines, might not always be quickly achievable. For this reason, it is a good idea to use social media ads to place your property in front of your niche audience. Through social media ads, you can adapt your budget, and intensify your targeting.
6. Post Regularly on Social Media
It’s important to also consider how even small actions can lead to more website traffic. Staying up to date on social media can be a great way to drive traffic to your website for your apartment marketing. Utilizing Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites can increase the number of users that are directed to your site. The more visibility your website has, the more leads that you will be able to receive. Posting on social media gives you the opportunity to also interact with prospective residents, and answer their questions. It can be a great method of communication, and it is one that many people rely on regularly.
Social media allows your property to become more visible in a variety of ways. It can give your property a voice and allow your content to become more personalized. Another incredible pro to using social media posting as one of your creative marketing ideas is that it is completely free. There are very few content marketing methods that have no cost, and so you definitely want to take advantage of this one. What is better than growing your website traffic for free?
7. Implement Multifamily SEO
It is no secret that appearing at the #1 spot on the first page of a Google search is every apartment marketers’ goal. However, it takes more than just having a website. Multifamily SEO is the process of using keyword research, and specialized web pages to create a site that ranks higher. SEO strategies range from localized keywords to schema mark-up, meta descriptions, and overall website health.
At the center of this process is the renter’s search. SEO content can be found on page titles and the paragraphs directly on each page. It’s extremely important to make sure that the content on your page directly correlates with the keywords that you need to, and are striving to rank for. Google’s algorithms are programmed to sift through websites to find content that is fully comprehensible. Without SEO content on your website, it is very difficult to rank above large ILS websites. We also wrote an article on providing more information on how to avoid competing on ILS pages.
8. Check Your Meta Descriptions
If you’re unfamiliar with the world of search engines and HTML, the term “meta description” might be completely new to you. A meta description is a short snippet of information that appears on the SERP (search engine results page). It is usually located underneath the SEO title, and it provides an overview of what the website is essentially about.
Within a meta description, certain keywords will be highlighted if it matches what the renter is searching for. This is where localized keywords play a big role in drawing people to your website. The bold keywords in the meta description can stand out to your future prospects.
The truth is that meta descriptions don’t directly influence your Google ranking, however, they affect your CTR (click-through rate), which in turn can affect a website’s chances of ranking. So in the end, it is important to use meta descriptions as an advertising summary that can encourage prospective residents to click on your website.
9. Page Speed
Page Speed is a huge determining factor in the quality of your website. When the page speed of your website is slow, it will be evident because your floor plans, images, and essentially everything on your page will not load. This makes prospective residents extremely frustrated as they can’t do anything without the information on the page. It’s a very simple website factor to check, and it is evident on every page. Take note of which pages are loading slowly, and make sure that the page speed is accommodating for both desktop and mobile devices.
Regardless of what type of apartment website you use, page speed is a universal concept that needs to be on point in order to attract traffic. Page speed should be one of your first priorities and an essential part of growing your website traffic.
10. PPC – Google Ads
Pay-per-click is a method that allows you to advertise online, but you will only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. This is an extremely effective way to drive website traffic to your site. There are a variety of ways that you can maximize your ad, and refine it. By designating target phrases, and keywords, your ad can reach the right audience.
In the midst of a chaotic internet world, this is a crucial aspect of bringing traffic to your website. It is a win-win way of advertising because you can both keep costs down, while also increasing your clicks. The PPC method is also used through many social media ads. It is truly one of the smartest ways to do advertising.
11. Engaging Content
Simply getting a click on your website, is not enough. If the content and images on your website are not engaging, then prospects will leave unfulfilled. There are several key spots of your website where you can host powerful paragraphs. These content paragraphs can be extremely useful as an SEO tactic, but also as information. Truly, there are so many benefits to having enhanced content on each page of your website.
Page paragraphs that include your localized keywords, along with words that are powerful and connective will make your content unique. You can also include virtual tours, 3D renderings, or anything to give prospects a full experience. Especially for a lease-up, 3D virtual tours are immensely helpful content.
Things like high-quality photos and apartment interior renderings not only give potential renters a clearer idea of what you have to offer, but they break up your written content and make it more visually appealing. This way it is easier to read, more modern, and more informative and skimmable over all.
If you’re having trouble gaining more website traffic or having prospects stay on your website then it is definitely time to revamp your content. Content can transform your apartment website advertising in many ways.
12. Utilize Videos
Perhaps your site has been implementing features such as 3D renderings, and virtual tours for a while now, but have you considered videos? Video has been developing as one of the greatest ways to direct traffic to your website. Videos can showcase a more accurate representation of your community, which helps to give prospects the confidence they need to move forward with a lease.
The more that prospects are allured by the content that is on your website, the more frequently they will return to your site. This extra traffic will continue to build up, and will, in the end, help you to rank better. There are a few downsides to including videos on your website. They can build trust and form higher-quality leads. Marketing your apartment website through videos is a great way to increase traffic. (Contact us to get started on your first apartment marketing video.)
13. Page Titles
When you hear the word page-title you automatically think of the header at the top of each page. While this is true, a web page title isn’t just something that you can easily type in. Page titles are found within the <title> tag through HTML. While more difficult to understand, page titles are an absolutely pivotal aspect of bringing more traffic to your website. The titles of the pages on your website ultimately tell the search engines what your website is.
They also tell the SERPs (search engine result pages) how relevant your page is. This means that the page titles on your website need to be regularly optimized in order to meet their maximum function. Many websites resort to using a default title, which is a mistake. Page titles should be deliberately strategized, as they let Google know what your page is about.
14. Send An Email Newsletter
An email newsletter is an incredible way to draw more traffic to your website. You can send a digital newsletter to your current, or future residents that is complete with everything they need to know about your property. A newsletter is also a great way to keep your residents updated on resident events. You can also use automated email marketing for prospective residents. Regardless of what you use it for, it can help to grow your website traffic.
Through email, you can offer snippets of your website that will help get others interested. These emails could also be potentially forwarded to other people. Newsletters also help you to keep in touch and maintain relationships. It can be a great way to stay connected to your residents and to increase resident retention. In the end, an email can increase your visibility to your future, and current residents!
15. Start A Blog
Have you ever noticed that most websites, regardless of what they’re about, have a blog? This commonality occurs for a specific reason. Blogs can change the amount of traffic that comes to your website. They have the power to unlock an audience that wouldn’t normally come to your site.
Blogs can also answer prospects’ questions, show them more about your community, and increase their confidence. It can help your website to build a lot of credibility, and trust. It shows that whoever is working on this website cares about starting a conversation.
Through blogging, your apartment website marketing can become more creative, and unique. This process doesn’t have to be anything difficult but it can help you to reach a new audience.
16. Update Your Website Regularly
Many people make the mistake of not regularly updating their website. One of the main aspects of Google’s algorithms is always checking for the most relevant information. This means that websites need to be updated regularly with relevant content, along with maintenance changes. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as just updating once, and then being done.
Keeping a website relevant requires that it is habitually being renovated to meet the needs of future prospects. These updates will attract the search engines to your site, as well as help your prospects to see that your community is relevant.
Apartment Website Marketing
Growing your website traffic is ultimately one of the most important elements of apartment website marketing. From multifamily SEO to choosing the right website content, there are many things to continually be aware of. Apartment digital marketing truly begins and ends at your website. There are small, and big changes you can make on a regular basis that will help direct more prospective residents to your website.
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Categorised in: Apartment Marketing
This post was written by Isabella Housel
Isabella Housel is a passionate and versatile professional writer with a deep love for words and a commitment to crafting compelling content that engages, informs, and inspires. With many years of experience in the industry, she has honed her skills across various genres, from creative storytelling to informative articles and technical documentation.
2 Comments
This is actually a great read. I am sure this will be helpful with other niche marketing efforts too with little tweaks in the process. Excellent!
Thanks, Aaron, I am glad that you enjoyed the article. Yes, this could definitely apply to other markets as well!