The CoPilot™ Mobile platform snaps on to your CoPilot™ website and makes web access on a mobile device as simple as from a desktop device. LeaseLabs’ mobile add-on also offers consistent branding and online identity from desktop to mobile device with rapid and painless implementation.

CoPilot™ Mobile works seamlessly with your CoPilot™ website and content management system and is compatible with all smart phone devices, ie: iPhone®, Blackberry®, Android®, etc.

CHALLENGE AND SOLUTION

The usual approach to mobile web browsing of multifamily websites relies on the standard site rendering well in mobile browsers.  Good W3C-compliant markup ensures a fairly good experience on most platforms.  However, as mobile users grow in number and sophistication, so do their expectations of how they want to interact with properties on their mobile phones.

Users want the same functionality, features and access on their phone that is available on the desktop web, but optimized for the small browser.  This means providing easy access to key information and features (while stripping non-essential graphics and layout options) in order to ensure prospects and residents have a satisfying mobile browsing experience.

TOP-LEVEL FEATURES

• Works seamlessly with your existing website and content management system
• Manage content for desktop and mobile sites from one place
• Mobile users are automatically redirected to mobile pages within your existing domain
• Consistent branding and online identity from desktop to mobile device
• Compatible with all mobile Smartphone devices and platforms
• Integrate with Vaultware’s mobile Pricing & Availability Solution.
• Touch screen version along with Link-Based version ensure no user is left out.

DETAILED FEATURES

Prioritizing content over graphics, optimized for the mobile environment, the mobile site structure offers access to the following information.

• Compatible with all major mobile phones
• Easy-to-Use Property Site Pages
• Quickly Access Regional Pages
• Corporate Site Pages
• Resident Access
• Photo Gallery
• Click-to-Call Contact Information
• Click-to-Map Information
• "Current Location” Apartment Search
• Social Media Integration (Twitter®, Facebook®, etc.)
• Lead & Contact Us Forms
• Service Request Form
• Mobile Pricing and Availability Feed Integration
• Embedded Mobile Search Engine Optimization Code
• On-Demand Mobile Reporting and Analytics
• Free Support and Training

With many options on the table, who do you consider, and why?

A good apartment website design company should be able to show you an impressive portfolio.

If a company can't dazzle you with a portfolio of WOW-looking websites they have developed, run the other way, and fast! A living portfolio (live sites) is the best way to introduce prospective clients to the kind of work the company does and is therefore a necessity that any design company worth considering should have.

Aside from checking out the visual quality of the sites displayed in the company's portfolio, you should also make sure it includes designs similar to what you want to be built. If most of the company's websites have the same basic layout, and that's not what you desire, chances are you should go elsewhere. Also, if you are looking for something fairly complex such as a content management system, SEO upgrades, Social Media Integrations, Online Applications, etc. ensure that they have other examples of that in their portfolio.

Know what you are willing to spend.

Before you begin your process, decide on a budget. Even if it's a range. Website Design should be treated no differently then any other expense. You need to decide how important this project is for your management company/property, and how much you're willing to spend. Once you do this, make sure to let each prospective web designer know how much you've budgeted. It will make the process that much easier for you and your designer in the long run.

With websites acting as the new "Curb Appeal" you might want to consider investing a little more this time around and enhancing your site with emerging technologies. One option to consider is contracting a provider that offers a monthly fee rather than one big charge upfront. Ask about building in future upgrades and features into the monthly cost. This way you won't need a new website every 2-3 years. After all, what was hot 2 years ago is barely functional today. Look at Flash.

Find out EXACTLY what you are paying for.

It's always sad to hear a client tell me about their horror stories on being nickled and dimed for everything under the sun, rain or shine by previous website companies.

Since this may be an expensive initiative for your property management company/property, make sure you know EXACTLY what you're paying for. What's included? Does the price include copy writing? How about the web hosting? Does the fee include annual updates to enhance the SEO? How much will any edits to the layout be in the future? The more you find out prior to signing the contract, the more trouble you save yourself down the road.

A good industry website design company should have a proven track record.

This means not only having a great portfolio but also a track record that proves they deliver what they say they do. Similar to other aspects of online marketing, property website design is to a certain degree results-based. This means that you will not only want the website you paid them to create, you will also want to be sure it works correctly and helps to promote your properties better than before in generating new leases, retaining current residents and subsequently resulting in a high ROI and essential paying for itself.

A couple things to consider on this topic:

• Has the company won any awards for websites they have designed in the past?
• Does the company employ apartment industry experience?
• How easy to use is the company-to-be's own website?

Ask to take a look at current client testimonials and industry references.

A trusted apartment website design company that is good at what it does will be confident in its track record, and will therefore not be afraid to provide current client testimonials and industry references who will vouch for them. Also, a common practice for high quality website design companies is to post current testimonials on their websites.

Everyone's situation is different, so let's examine some of the pros and cons of handling search internally versus tasking an outside expert to handle the duties.

In-House: Pros

SEO is an ongoing process, and regularly updated content goes hand-in-hand with SEO efforts. There can be good reasons to keep all aspects of site management in-house, particularly in industries (such as pharmaceutical) that are strongly regulated, or subject to legal and compliance concerns when it comes to website copy and other site content.
Many organizations need internal support and champions to get projects off the ground. If marketing, content, and IT are truly in sync and have clearly defined goals, SEO can be effectively managed in-house.

In-House: Cons

Unless yours is a very small business or site, consider the many duties inherent in SEO. Will one individual (or a small team) be able to optimize multiple pages, write content and tags, build links, and run reports, quickly enough to stay competitive? Ongoing training is practically mandatory to do the job well since the search engine landscape changes so frequently.

One current and very real drawback is that once trained, SEOs can be extremely difficult to retain. Even in a down economy, demand is high for almost anyone with demonstrated SEO skills in this very nascent marketing discipline. As I once said to a headhunter who called to see if he could pry open my Rolodex, "How many SEO majors did you know in college?"

SEO isn't purely an IT function, nor does it reside squarely within marketing. As with other digital marketing initiatives, a solid SEO strategy requires the knowledge, skills, and input of both camps. Ask yourself if your organization is up to that task, and if you can identify an individual who spans these two often-disparate worlds.

Finally, although costs will be lower than hiring an outside consultant or agency, the burden is high. Assess whether you can support the internal resources.

Outsource: Pros

An outside agency will have a specialized staff with expertise in the myriad aspects of SEO: strategic planning, copywriting, link building, site architecture, and technical issues. Moreover, SEO is its core competency. It will stay on top of new technology and trends in the business.

An outside agency or consultant can become a trusted partner that helps keep even the in-house slice of the initiative on track, while offering a fresh, outside perspective on the business.

Even when in-house personnel are highly competent, driven, and well-compensated marketers, an agency usually brings consistency, continuity, and strategic planning to the table.

Outsource: Cons

Costs can be considerably higher than running a program in-house.

Success metrics can result in murkiness and data overload. Even if you outsource, monitoring the success of that effort should be kept in-house, which is still an extra burden of responsibility.

Splitting the balance

Finally, there is one last alternative: Compromise and split the balance. Many companies don't outsource the entirety of their SEO or SEM efforts, but rather those pieces of it they cannot, or don't want to, handle internally. It may be beneficial to work with an agency to develop a long-term organic optimization strategy, but execute most of that plan internally. Alternately, an in-house marketing staff may find that it needs support with only one or two SEO-related issues, which can then be outsourced to an independent consultant. You might, therefore, want to keep the bulk of SEO in-house, but outsource certain specialized tasks, such as overall strategy, site architecture, or link-building.
Obviously, there's never a black and white, right or wrong answer when it comes to hiring any kind of outside business consultant or service. Search engine optimization is certainly no exception. And as search grows, agencies are becoming more specialized. There are now disciplines within search that specialize on local businesses, public relations, multimedia search for audio and video, global and multicultural search, social media search optimization...the list goes on and on.

Let’s face it, the world runs on lattes and 5-hour energy these days. People constantly en route from one destination to another, and during these transits they are going ... mobile.

This article was printed in the Multihousing News: http://www.multihousingnews.com/2010/05/17/going-mobile/

What once was a sedentary task, web browsing has evolved: users are accessing the internet via phones and mobile devices from the convenience of wherever they happen to be. Statistics show that mobile Internet search is more than a trend:

• Based on a study, mobile users are 3x’s more likely to convert to a Lease than from a traditional website. Based upon their own analytics of mobile-access users versus network-access users. (Rent.com)
• Mobile Users clearly want to be able to do more with their mobile devices and while commercial transactions are not the primary stated reason for so much usage, consumers want to transact in cyberspace when they need it. Desired services include, among other items, the ability to pay bills, purchase tickets and financial services. (BuzzCity 2009 Study)
• A January 2009 study indicates that more than 80 million Americans use their mobile devices to access or browse the internet for news and information. 35 percent those users are doing so every day, more than double the comparable 2008 numbers. (comScore)
• Statistics show just about all US “general internet users” (96%) goes online at least once a day. Sixty-one percent (61%) say they access the mobile Internet six or more times a day, well above the 50% network-access average. (BuzzCity 2009 Study)
• Connecting to the web via a mobile device is outpacing PC’s by 2.5x (Juniper Research Study)

Are your property websites putting their best face on to meet the current mobile market demand?

:: LETS GET MOBILE

As mobile users grow in number and sophistication, so do their expectations of how they want to interact with properties on their mobile phones. Users want the same functionality, features and access on their phone that is available on the desktop web browser, but optimized for a limited space. This means providing easy access to key information and features (while stripping non-essential graphics and layout options) in order to ensure prospects and residents have a satisfying mobile browsing experience.

Many mobile providers have entered the market: UDR has created its own mobile program; many industry vendors are now offering mobile service add-ons. With a growing variety of options in the market, clients can find the best fit for their needs.

Gone are the days when you had to advertise a different URL for your mobile site (no more “wap.bravotv.com,” Tim Gunn). The best mobile sites have code that detects when visitors are using a mobile device and redirects them to the appropriate format for that phone, whether it’s the IPhone, Andriod or BlackBerry. So all you have to do is navigate to the primary website and the technology does the rest and gives users a satisfying browsing experience.

:: TO MOBILE OR NOT?

Is it worth the added expense to meet this growing market trend? You bet.

“Based on where technology is going, mobile websites are truly a no-brainer"

Drake Powell, Principal of Echelon Property, LLC

Whether your goals are simply to provide a satisfying experience for mobile visitors, to avoid frustration, to attract new prospect demographics, or to give yourself the edge in closing leases, mobile options are an affordable way to stay out in front.

:: MARKETING MOBILE

Although redirection to your mobile site should just happen “automagically” behind the scenes, don’t let that keep you from patting yourself on the back … and do it publicly and often! It will benefit you to let your prospects and residents know you are an early adapter with a leg up on the competition, and that you are committed to keeping up with technology to meet consumer needs. If you integrate a service request form, contact form, mobile rent payment, or specialized mobile GPS-enabled features, those are substantive features you can advertise. Mobile conveniences are valuable amenities to prospects and residents on-the-go.

UDR is forecasting over $750K in incremental revenue originating from mobile in 2009. Total mobile investment is less than $100K. - source: UDR Twitter Post, 5:49 AM Dec 6th, 2009.  UDR mobile leads-to-appointment convert at a 38% rate in 2009. ILS appointment conversion average is 17%. source: Level One

What the experts are saying:

"The prospective resident of 2010 wants to select their future home online, your website is the new "curb appeal" and is vital to the success of your marketing efforts. Your website has become your most important marketing tool. Your site needs to be easily navigated; both on a computer and on a mobile device," says 20 year apartment industry veteran, and Senior VP of DZAP/LeaseLabs™ Maria Pietroforte CPM®

"We are thrilled about the launch of the all new IsYourHome.com, scheduled to hit the web on Feb 15th. Our new site features just about every bell and whistle a prospect and current resident could dream of. This effort truly is taking our web presence to the next level and beyond!" - Says Kitty Callaghan, CPM®, VP of Marketing & Training, Wasatch Property Management.

If you're not able to make a significant upfront investment, LeaseLabs CoPilot™ technology offers cutting edge, SEO-optimized and content managed websites that look like they were designed by an ad agency.  Contact me or check out www.LeaseLabs.com for more info.  I am interested in hearing how you are planning to make the most of your marketing budget! Also please post any questions and concerns about both old and new marketing tools, and your successes and challenges in marketing!

Talk soon!
Steven Ozbun | Steven@LeaseLabs.com
Direct: 619.233.4700 ext 101

Carmel Partners, Denver’s largest property management company, has signed on to use the LeaseLabs™ EZPublish™ program as its brand management and collateral ordering tool for 58 communities in Arizona, Colorado, California, Hawaii, Texas, and Virginia. EZPublish™ allows Carmel’s Community Managers to easily customize and order branded marketing collateral online.

LeaseLabs™ has partnered with Carmel Partners to provide its EZPublish™ program to 58 of Carmel’s properties nationally. LeaseLabs™ EZPublish™ allows Carmel Partners to offer customizable templates and finished marketing pieces to their Community Managers while maintaining control over key branding elements. Carmel Partners decides which elements are fixed and which are variable. Items like business cards, banners, flyers, direct mail pieces, stationery, inventory items, and promotional items are available to be customized and ordered 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

LeaseLabs™ EZPublish™ simplifies the flow of information and overcomes logistical challenges by integrating the marketing and printing processes. It also allows Community Managers to work more efficiently by viewing and managing all their marketing orders in one location. LeaseLabs™ EZPublish™ is providing Carmel Partners with access to a branded catalog of static and customizable print products, as well as inventoried items, that can be created and ordered with a few mouse-clicks.

“EZPublish™ is a long-overdue entry into the multifamily marketing toolbox. Allowing customization and ordering of standardized, branded marketing at the property level will save money and resources for Carmel Partners” says Fredda Steinberg, Vice President of National Marketing for Carmel Partners. “We also appreciate that the variety of materials available on EZPublish™ is tailored to our business needs – from marketing collateral and signage, to corporate materials and pre-printed inventoried items like forms and guest cards.”

LeaseLabs™ suite of web–based tools affordably and effectively promotes apartment communities and vacancies online, and offline using the latest technology at a price that makes sense in the current economic conditions.

Carmel Partners (www.carmelapartments.com) is a premier national full-service real estate company based in Denver, Colorado. They specialize in acquisition, development, renovation, management and forging value-adding relationships with their customers.

LeaseLabs™ (www.leaselabs.com), based in San Diego, CA, is a small and agile company filling a much-needed niche in the multi-family housing industry: providing inexpensive and effective marketing tools that don’t look cheap.