10 Trends for Apartment Websites You Need to Know

In a world of seemingly endless apartment communities within inches of each other – an engaging website can set you apart from the pack almost instantly. But creating an eye-catching website that drives leads isn’t an easy feat. Not only should your website provide valuable information to potential and current residents, but it should also be unique and engaging while simultaneously satisfying the needs of both your users and Google. 

Now that you’re ready to set your apartment website apart from the rest, you’ve come to the right place for assistance. We will cover 10 trends for apartment websites that you need to know in 2020. These tips and tricks will revolutionize your marketing strategy – which will effortlessly take you from first lead to fully leased. 

10 Trends for Apartment Websites You Need to Try 

Hook ‘Em with Picture Perfect Communities

Beautiful, well-lit photography is the fastest and easiest way for your future residents to experience the community without physically being there. 

Today, visual content is everything. Not only does it help consumers make better decisions, but it will also increase their chances of moving down the funnel. When it comes to apartment websites, stunning photos will allure and pique the interest of your potential leads. 

As an added bonus, optimized photos can improve your search engine rankings and boost your SEO efforts. 

Offer Instant, Online Tours with Interactive 3D

Scheduling apartment tours with new leads can be difficult to manage. With interactive 3D or 360-degree tours, leads will be more qualified because they have unprecedented access to the property – before even submitting a form. 

Make Life Easy with a Resident Portal

Who even has a checkbook anymore? Resident portals are a must-have in a world where banking, communication, and nearly all aspects of life happen online. In fact, more than 80% of renters believe that an online portal isn’t a luxury, but a standard. 

Your current residents need the ability to pay rent, renew their lease, or request maintenance all from the comfort of their own bed 24/7. Not only will this keep your resident happy, but it will also automate a lot of tasks so your leasing staff can focus on what matters most – keeping your occupancy high. 

Respond Instantly Chatbots

Renters want answers – instantly. In fact, Gen Z renters are 60% more likely to hang up the phone if a call isn’t answered within 45 seconds – meaning they will move onto the next candidate. Unless you offer a 24-hour hotline, then chatbots are the perfect solution. 

Set yourself apart by being the only property on the block to respond and engage immediately. Chatbots can provide instant information in regards to pricing, availability, amenities, contact information, and more. Providing renters with real-time information and instant responses will set you apart from the competition. 

Connect with Them on Social

Younger renters, like Gen Z and millennials, are far more likely to find you on social media than your website. Ensuring your social media lists your website – and vice versa – will lead prospects down the funnel by enabling a cohesive online presence. 

It doesn’t just stop there. Engaging with your current and potential renters on social is crucial to your success. Responding to questions, posting relevant content or resident events, and creating an online community for your brand will drive traffic to your website and ultimately lead to more leases. 

Get Leases on Every Device with Mobile-Friendly Websites

Does your website look just as good on mobile as it does on desktop? With more than 50% of search queries coming from mobile devices, you can’t afford to ignore the mobile version of your website. 

By ensuring your website loads quickly and correctly on all devices is crucial for driving leases. If potential leads can’t load your website or if they are sent to a broken page, they will just move onto the next community. It’s such an easy way to lose a lot of leads! 

You will also want to keep voice search in mind as an estimated 42.7% of people in the US will use their mobile device to conduct voice searches, such as “Hey Siri, what apartments are near me?” Mobile-friendly websites are essential when ranking for voice search. 

Make It Easy to Tour

Make it easy for leads to schedule a tour by either offering online scheduling or promoting self-guided tours on your website. The faster your leads can tour your community, the less likely they will be exposed to your competition. Get their attention quickly on the website, then keep it with easy tour options. 

Show Off the Neighborhood

With some generations, like millennials , valuing the neighborhood just as much as their apartment, you must advertise your local area. Add a neighborhood page to show-off local businesses, restaurants, shopping, schools, and entertainment to provide additional value to your residents. If they fall in love with your apartment community and the neighborhood – they won’t go anywhere else. 

Capture Their Attention with Video Content

Video is hands-down the best storytelling tool. And is a highly desirable trend for apartment websites. With a well-crafted video, you can show off your community’s unique personality and best features within seconds. Get creative with apartment tours, drone footage, staff introductions, and real resident reviews. Add videos to your home page, amenities, or floor plan pages to tell a story about your community. 

Build Trust with Customer Reviews

There is no better advertisement for your apartment community than the positive word-of-mouth promotion from your own residents. 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Add customer reviews to your website to prove just how fantastic your community is. 

Your apartment website should not be on the back burner this year. You need to prioritize your website by incorporating these trends for apartment websites to match the behaviors and needs of your potential and current residents. That is the only way to increase leads, improve occupancy, and build your apartment community’s brand. 

Don’t forget – we’re always here to help. Our best-in-class websites are prospective-centric for a fully integrated lead to lease experience. Schedule your demo or learn about our REPLI Sites packages today!