From LinkedIn LeaseLabs Consumer Guide.

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.