I’m going to let you in on a little secret. 

Yes, a multifamily website can be expensive, but you don't always need to break the bank to have a beautiful and responsive web design.

Since a website is a service rather than a product, it can be difficult to put a price on it. What is the price you are willing to pay for something that will help you attract new leads, retain current residents, and ultimately add to your bottom line? 

Priceless, right? But no one really wants to give their first-born child just to have a great website.

Also, just because something has a high price tag doesn’t mean that it’s better either. Does a name brand watch tell time better than a $10 one from Wal-Mart? While one may look nicer than the other (and will not turn your wrist green), it still functions the same as the other.

Of course, I am not saying you need to only buy off-brand products or that you can find a Rolex watch for $10. What I am saying is that you need to do your research when looking for a web design firm or developer to work with, because some companies will promise you the world (but will turn your wrist green) while others promise too little and charge too much.

Here are some of the questions you need to ask yourself when researching a new web design for your property:

Is the site fast-loading and effective?

While high-quality images are important, having a fast-loading page is more important when it comes to attracting residents and landing new leads. In fact, 47% of people expect a web page to load in two seconds or less. The web design firm should perform multiple speed tests to ensure your multifamily website operates at the highest efficiency. 

Is the design responsive?

Did you know that more than half of all web traffic comes from mobile? Essentially, half of your renters are coming to your site in a non-traditional browser. And just because your website is “mobile-friendly” doesn’t mean it is responsive. Oftentimes, mobile-friendly websites are a smaller version of your website that is separate from your main site. This approach has significant disadvantages when it comes to SEO, maintenance, and compatibility.

At the very least, your web design should be adaptive, but a great web design firm will ensure the layout, images, and details are all responsive on any device and load extremely quickly.

Is the layout optimized to rank higher in search?

Did you know that unresponsive design can push you further down in rankings? Google ensures that the top search results on the page are all responsive and mobile-friendly because it wants to only promote businesses with websites that convert more searchers into customers. A great web design agency will make all the necessary provisions and adjustments to your website to better position you in Google search results.

How accessible and user-friendly is the website layout?

When renters visit a multifamily website, they likely are looking for specifics on the property. At this point, residents need to be able to find the information quickly and easily or you risk them losing interest. More than half of your renters will abandon your website if they cannot find what they are looking for or if the page does not load quickly enough.

If the apartment does not have an automated system for pricing and floorplans, residents will wonder how archaic the rest of their systems may be. Look into the apartment web design’s layout and where information is located. How adjustable is it for your property? Does the layout have everything you need? Can more pages be added? 

Choosing the Right Web Design Agency for Your Needs

These are all things you need to consider when looking into a web design agency to ensure you are getting the most bang for your buck. The bottom line? If your pricing and available units are hidden, your website loads slowly, or the site is unresponsive, your renters will move on — and you should move on from that web design agency as well. A great web development or design firm like Swifty will ensure all your needs are met, and then some.