Best Practices to Build an Effective Website Aimee Miller, VP Marketing AppFolio www.AppFolio.com

It is a Great Time to be a Property Manager Great opportunity to acquire more properties and grow your portfolio, but… … it’s hard to do without growing your staff Confidential ©2008 Q: Are you expecting to add properties to your portfolio in the next 12 months?

Great opportunity to acquire more properties and grow your portfolio, but…

… it’s hard to do without growing your staff

Today’s Focus: Build the Right Foundation So you can use the Internet to Expand your Reach 1. Highlights from recent survey of Property Managers How they value and use the Internet for marketing 2. Internet marketing makes you more money Best Practices to make your website more effective 3. Build it and they will come? Not really… How to get started so that your website / business will be found Confidential ©2008

1. Highlights from recent survey of Property Managers

How they value and use the Internet for marketing

2. Internet marketing makes you more money

Best Practices to make your website more effective

3. Build it and they will come? Not really…

How to get started so that your website / business will be found

Business is Growing Confidential ©2008 Q: How is the economy affecting your business?

Are Rent Reductions Enough? Simple answer…no. Confidential ©2008 Q: Describe your approach to using the Internet for marketing.

Simple answer…no.

72% Property Managers Rely on the Internet for Marketing Q: How important is a professionally designed website for acquiring more tenants ? Confidential ©2008 Your website really does matter. When was the last time you spent time to update it? Q: How important is a professionally designed website for acquiring more owners ?

Polling Question #1 How do you feel about your website? Confidential ©2008

How do you feel about your website?

Building the Right Foundation starts with your customers Owners Confidential ©2008 Tenants

Build the Right Foundation Design for your customers Simpler is always better Don’t stop at your website- keep on marketing Confidential ©2008

Design for your customers

Simpler is always better

Don’t stop at your website- keep on marketing

A Few Things About Websites People are impatient Want to find the information quickly Scan the page looking for clues Website must be useful and usable Your customers need to first find the useful information Design for the Brain's strengths: High speed problem solving Clear headings and labels Clear hyperlinks Clearly differentiating form controls, such as buttons and input fields Highlighting key words or phrases in text Confidential ©2008

People are impatient

Want to find the information quickly

Scan the page looking for clues

Website must be useful and usable

Your customers need to first find the useful information

Design for the Brain's strengths: High speed problem solving

Clear headings and labels

Clear hyperlinks

Clearly differentiating form controls, such as buttons and input fields

Highlighting key words or phrases in text

Best Practice #1: Design and write for your customers Structure of Site – Speak to each customer individually. Simple navigation: Section for owners and tenants Know what they care about and write about it Every element in your site has a purpose Confidential ©2008 OWNERS TENANTS

Structure of Site – Speak to each customer individually.

Simple navigation: Section for owners and tenants

Know what they care about and write about it

Every element in your site has a purpose

Best Practice #1: Design and write for your customers (contd) OWNERS… Trust you with their investments  Include testimonials, Associations Want regular updates  You deliver consistent, clear communications Want units filled  Show how you aggressively market properties TENANTS… Want to quickly find properties  Make the postings easy to find Want to easily contact you  Put it on the Home Page Want You to be easy to work with  Include testimonials Confidential ©2008 Tip: Be specific on geographic regions served and specialties: "We specialize in renting single family homes in Northwest Portland”

OWNERS…

Trust you with their investments  Include testimonials, Associations

Want regular updates  You deliver consistent, clear communications

Want units filled  Show how you aggressively market properties

TENANTS…

Want to quickly find properties  Make the postings easy to find

Want to easily contact you  Put it on the Home Page

Want You to be easy to work with  Include testimonials

Best Practice #2: Less is More – 2 Things to Keep it Simple Bold Logos + Few Choices Simple navigation – offer only a few choices Brand your company with your logo Simple Text + Cohesive Color Scheme Get to the point in as few words as possible Use a simple color scheme consistently that will make a lasting impression ( www.colourlovers.com ) Confidential ©2008

Bold Logos + Few Choices

Simple navigation – offer only a few choices

Brand your company with your logo

Simple Text + Cohesive Color Scheme

Get to the point in as few words as possible

Use a simple color scheme consistently that will make a lasting impression ( www.colourlovers.com )

Best Practice #2: What does it look like in action? Confidential ©2008

Best Practice #2: What does it look like in action? Confidential ©2008 Logo and branding is clear Clear Offerings: speaks to both owners and tenants Simple navigation Starting point to find vacancies easily Client testimonial and affiliations to build trust Phone number clearly displayed Contact information is accessible

Polling Question #2 Do you continue to market to your owners? Confidential ©2008

Do you continue to market to your owners?

Best Practice #3: Continue Your Marketing – Be Useful and Informative Marketing To Owners Market Trends – Rental Rates, Sales Trends Examples of how aggressively you’re marketing properties Update on new technology you’re using to save money, get more efficient, etc How you’re providing outstanding service retain tenants Confidential ©2008

Marketing To Owners

Market Trends – Rental Rates, Sales Trends

Examples of how aggressively you’re marketing properties

Update on new technology you’re using to save money, get more efficient, etc

How you’re providing outstanding service retain tenants

Best Practice #3: Continue Your Marketing – Be Useful and Informative Continue Marketing To Tenants Offer coupons: Bulk rates for house cleaning services Bulk rates for landscaping services Local restaurant offers with coupons – charge the restaurants to advertise Create a map with suggested hikes / walks in the area Remind them of upcoming events Confidential ©2008

Continue Marketing To Tenants

Offer coupons:

Bulk rates for house cleaning services

Bulk rates for landscaping services

Local restaurant offers with coupons – charge the restaurants to advertise

Create a map with suggested hikes / walks in the area

Remind them of upcoming events

Now You Have a Great Website! Kick Back and Relax….Right? Sadly No. Confidential ©2008

Kick Back and Relax….Right?

Sadly No.

You Need To Help Your Website Get Found 1 – Local Search 2 – Get Your Feet Wet with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 3 – Start Listening…. 4 – Network Online (Another webinar!) Confidential ©2008

1 – Local Search

2 – Get Your Feet Wet with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

3 – Start Listening….

4 – Network Online (Another webinar!)

Start with Local Search Confidential ©2008 1) List on Google Local Great way to get your business to show up on Google searches ( http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter ) 2) List on Windows Live Search Local Local listings, categorized by business type ( maps.live.com/localsearch ) 3) Yahoo Local Business listings & community review site ( local.yahoo.com ) 4) Yellowpages.com (Free?) Great brand recognition ( YellowPages.com ) 5) Craigslist Promote your services when you post your vacancies ( Craigslist.com )

1) List on Google Local

Great way to get your business to show up on Google searches

( http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter )

2) List on Windows Live Search Local

Local listings, categorized by business type ( maps.live.com/localsearch )

3) Yahoo Local

Business listings & community review site ( local.yahoo.com )

4) Yellowpages.com (Free?)

Great brand recognition ( YellowPages.com )

5) Craigslist

Promote your services when you post your vacancies ( Craigslist.com )

Do a Little Bit of SEO – Get Your Feet Wet 1) Define Search Words Your Audience Uses What will Owners look for? ” Portland Property Management” “ Lake Oswego Property Management” What will Tenants look for? “ Portland houses for rent” “ Beaverton rentals” “ School District XYZ + rentals” 2) Make sure Your Website Uses Keywords Focus: Use only 1 or 2 keyword groups per page and write naturally –Rental Property Marketing Best Places: Headers, meta description, page title, url, etc. Confidential ©2008

1) Define Search Words Your Audience Uses

What will Owners look for?

” Portland Property Management”

“ Lake Oswego Property Management”

What will Tenants look for?

“ Portland houses for rent”

“ Beaverton rentals”

“ School District XYZ + rentals”

2) Make sure Your Website Uses Keywords

Focus: Use only 1 or 2 keyword groups per page and write naturally –Rental Property Marketing

Best Places: Headers, meta description, page title, url, etc.

Start Listening ! Confidential ©2008 Who is talking about you, your competition, what’s happening in your neighborhood? Your Company Your staff names Local Realtors Local competition Neighborhood/town Local events Local retailers Start here:

Who is talking about you, your competition, what’s happening in your neighborhood?

Your Company

Your staff names

Local Realtors

Local competition

Neighborhood/town

Local events

Local retailers

How Do You Listen? Set up Google Alerts - www.google.com/alerts Your Company Name Competitor Names Pay Attention to Online Reviews Yelp.com Yahoo Local InsiderPages.com MerchantCircle.com Listen on Twitter TweetDeck – Set up multiple searches Twilert – Set up searches to come to your email Confidential ©2008

Set up Google Alerts - www.google.com/alerts

Your Company Name

Competitor Names

Pay Attention to Online Reviews

Yelp.com

Yahoo Local

InsiderPages.com

MerchantCircle.com

Listen on Twitter

TweetDeck – Set up multiple searches

Twilert – Set up searches to come to your email

We Covered: Build the Right Foundation So you can use the Internet to Expand your Reach 1. Highlights from recent survey of Property Managers How they value and use the Internet for marketing 2. Internet marketing makes you more money Best Practices to make your website more effective 3. Build it and they will come? Not really… How to get started so that your website / business will be found Confidential ©2008

1. Highlights from recent survey of Property Managers

How they value and use the Internet for marketing

2. Internet marketing makes you more money

Best Practices to make your website more effective

3. Build it and they will come? Not really…

How to get started so that your website / business will be found

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Confidential ©2008 Get Started with Local Search: http://www.propertymanager.com/2009/07/use-local-search-to-increase-traffic-to-your-property-management-website/ www.GetListed.Org - Another Resource for Local Search Listing Ideas on How Property Managers Can Prosper in Today’s Economy, by Jennifer Newton - http://www.propertymanager.com/2009/08/2-ideas-property-managers-prosper-todays-economy/ Interview with Nick Scarabosio – Some Marketing Ideas: www.PropertyManager.com

Get Started with Local Search: http://www.propertymanager.com/2009/07/use-local-search-to-increase-traffic-to-your-property-management-website/

www.GetListed.Org - Another Resource for Local Search Listing

Ideas on How Property Managers Can Prosper in Today’s Economy, by Jennifer Newton - http://www.propertymanager.com/2009/08/2-ideas-property-managers-prosper-todays-economy/

Interview with Nick Scarabosio – Some Marketing Ideas: www.PropertyManager.com