Banner

Training Trivia

It is wise and acceptable to use a criminal background check to eliminate any candidates with a criminal record prior to getting to final interviews when hiring.
Powered by Grace Hill
 
 
Total votes: 15
Home Insider Blogs Lisa Trosien's Blog Eight Simple Ways to Increase Your Online Ad Conversion
Enter your email address for weekly access to top multifamily blogs!

Apartment Blogs


Jan 22
2009

Eight Simple Ways to Increase Your Online Ad Conversion

 Print

Posted by: Lisa Trosien on Jan 22, 2009 01:00

1. List prices in your online ads. Properties that list their pricing get 192% more traffic than properties that do not. You will also end up pretty much dead last in the search results.

2. Put your floor plans in your online ads. Showing your floor plans can increase your traffic results by as much as 68%. And if you haven't bothered to get your floor plans digitized and colorized, there's no time like the present.

3. Interior photos are one of the most requested items on internet listing service  (ILS) sites. Check to make sure you're not heavy on amenities and exteriors and neglecting your interior photos. And hey, spend some money on a good photographer too. It can make a huge difference in your photo quality.

4. Make sure you are using every available feature on the ILS sites. Can you bold your ad? Do it. Do they allow unlimited photos? Then get as many on there as you can. Call your ILS reps and ask them what you can do that you aren't currently doing with your ad. They are happy to help you.

5. Make sure you check ALL amenities that apply to you. Don't take it for granted that people know you have air conditiong or an outdoor pool. If people knew exactly what you had, they would probably skip the online search and just come straight to your leasing office.

6. Make sure you're not using your brochure copy for your ads. These ads are all crawled by the search engines, so use ‘SEO' friendly copy. This would be copy such as this: "One bedroom apartments for rent with washers and dryers in all homes. Garages with remotes are available. We are close to Route 59, I88 and the Metra Train to downtown Chicago. Nope, it's not pretty but it gets the point across and it's SEO friendly.

7. Something as simple as offering to waive the application and/or admin fee if your prospect applies/reserves online can actually DOUBLE your results.

8. Video, video, video. Did I mention video?


Comments (9)Add Comment
62
written by InsiderBrent, January 22, 2009
Great comments, Lisa. Some interesting points in there, such as the floor plans - I'm still amazed when I see floor plans that are crooked and blurry because they have been copied 5 times over!

And I want to second your comment about utilizing every available feature, which should be applied to all web utilities. If it's free, use it! (Hint, hint - free supplier listing - hint, hint) smilies/smiley.gif

And for those who are still unsure of what "SEO" means, it means "Search Engine Optimization". In other words, she's talking about getting good rankings in Google and other search engines. Since people search based upon major keywords, you need to always keep those in mind when setting up an ad or doing anything online that relates to marketing.
256
written by LisaT., January 23, 2009
Wow, and I was so proud of myself that I defined "ILS" and I forgot to explain "SEO". Thanks for the comment. And I'm sure everyone will pick up your hints!
85
written by CharityHisle, January 27, 2009
A reminder to property managers: ILS and craigslist are NOT the same thing.

When posting a listing on a more 'social' platform (craigslist.org, backpage.com), it is wise to list a specific unit rather than a "starting at" price for a group of units. This will help prevent your listing from being flagged and removed by users or website staff.

Alternate your postings regularly. I recommend vFlyer.com for free HTML.

256
written by LisaT., January 27, 2009
Great point on Craigslist, Charity. And thanks for the CList tips, too!
566
written by Tammy Elam, February 24, 2009
Great information Lisa and Charity - have either of you written a "best practices" when it comes to ILS advertising i.e. how to state concessions, how to list pricing (ranges vs. starting points)... I know you mention a few like video, shorter SEO friendly intro paragraphs, but I'm looking for more of a guide to help my sites when they review their media online.
256
written by Lisa Trosien, February 24, 2009
Tammy! Thank you so much for replying here. Your wish is my command. I'll start working on that this week, okay?
And great to hear from you!
566
written by Tammy Elam, February 24, 2009
Thank you Lisa - I know when I audit and compare online ads for each of our sites, it's amazing to me to find so much inconsistency with even just how they state pricing...some have ranges, some just starting points, and then others list market rates instead of effective rates. I will be rolling out EREI soon to the sites which should help with some of the consistency issues, so that's exciting! Although images won't transfer, and that seems to be the biggest of ours - we have such a lack of good photography and no budget...so we are working with the site team to take their own images.
85
written by Charity Hisle, February 24, 2009
Tammy,

Regarding photography, maybe you could create a property manager's guide to taking property photos? You could create a discussion here asking people for advice on what to include. I would say "No fence photos" and "Choose floor plans that are furnished."

I think it's hard, when you're a property manager, to know what is best. That's where your guide would help. And with those good photos will come nice ILS listings and TRAFFIC! And if they really turn out you can have the properties send the images to us too!

Lisa,

I'd be interested in seeing that ILS "best practices" as well!
566
written by Tammy Elam, February 24, 2009
Yes, no pictures of the sign (still remember this advice from Lisa years ago)...because people don't live at your sign. More interiors, all amenities, how to get the right shots, camera settings for resolution, etc. But, when you don't have a way to edit photos, this can become challenging if a few touch ups are needed.
feedSubscribe to this comment's feed
What Do You Think?


security code
Write the displayed characters


busy

Insider Blogs

Lawrence Berry, CPM Resident Retention and Activities written by Lawrence Berry, CPM
Many communities struggle with new ideas for resident activities as a method for increasing resident retention.  While resident retention should be approached from many different angles (the least of which is excellent service), we also need ...   (Read More)

Mindy Sharp Using Trespass Notices to Your Advantage written by Mindy Sharp
Managing any property requires a true commitment from the on-site team. There are so many responsibilities involved that many Managers simply burn out and try to ride it out with their heads buried in so-called busy work each day without any regard f ...   (Read More)

Kerry Sugrue April Showers Bring May Flowers: Container Gardening Tips written by Kerry Sugrue
May is the perfect time to start thinking about container gardening at your apartment community, so I asked my friends at Gethsemane Garden Center for some advice.  Check out these five tips for keeping your property blooming this seas ...   (Read More)

Ellen Thompson Google Places Debuts New Features written by Ellen Thompson
If your business has multiple locations, some new Google Places features will be music to your ears. The changes are designed to simplify the upload and management processes. With the new tools, you can: - Edit several listings at once - Search your ...   (Read More)

Jeffrey Spanke "Vaulted Ceilings and Cucumbers" written by Jeffrey Spanke
A story. I’m at Subway. The restaurant. I’ve been there before. Lots. I know what I’m doing. This should be easy… ”What can I get started for you, Sir?” (Love it…) “Foot long-honey oat-cold cut-provo ...   (Read More)

Read More Blog Posts