Location – visible from the highway, possibility to pick up traffic from 355. But once there, it seems pretty far removed from everything except the Home Depot Critical Path – directions not clear, and you need to enter Home Depot area to get there. Signage leads the way, but it blends with its surroundings so you have to be looking for it. Price point – one par but for smaller spaces. However, the property is new, and as the consultant kept saying, no one has lived there before. Amenity offerings – very high end. Offers luxury amenites Experience The overall experience at the property is one of top-of-the-line luxury and the sense of living an elevated lifestyle. Greeted by the agent as I walked through a clubhouse a bit. We moved into a private area to talk about my needs. I was not offered a refreshment, but was provided one upon inquiry. When asked about any companies I might be working with, she suggested that I might be able to get an additional rent discount by being associated with certain ones. She was also willing to waive fees relating to my pets, application fee and admin fee – noted on the handout. I felt that I was in a very upscale place, and would have a very upscale lifestyle. Clubhouse/leasing center was French-inspired, with black and white pictures of Paris. Consultant drove me to the building in a golf cart, again making me feel like this place was very luxurious. I was provided all of the information necessary that would put the property in the most positive light (show packet)
Location – decent location, near shopping centers and transportation Critical path – we didn’t see the Leasing Center door walking into the property, and the callbox didn’t work, so we got through when someone came out. We walked through the property to try to find the leasing center, and finally had to stop someone to ask because we couldn’t find it. Price point – on par with Wheaton Center Amenity offerings – great amenities, again on par with Wheaton Experience – The overall experience at the property was enjoyable, with an appealing leasing consultant who seemed genuinely engaged with the residents of the property. - leasing consultant was great. Enthusiast, engaging and clearly enjoys what he does and is selling. He offered us refreshments, chatted with us and felt like he got to know us. - He brought us to a unit he wanted us to see, showed us all the great aspects of it, and smoothly talked to us about prices, fees, and offered to waive things for us. He did an excellent job, and made me interested in the unit and the community.
Location – decent location – within short driving distance to many shopping locations. Unsure about proximity to transportation options. Critical Path - we missed it coming down the main road – the only sign we saw was coming the other way. I wouldn’t have bothered backtracking if I were really looking. - Once we turned into the property, we followed the signs to the leasing center, which were misleading and took us all the way around the property, rather than the shortest way to the center. Price point – much higher. Amenity offerings – couldn’t tell you. She didn’t tell me anything. Experience – unimpressed and uncomfortable When we walked into the building, it was impressive with the two floors, looking down, and the circular cut-out. But upon entering the leasing office, all good impressions were gone. Consultant led off by saying she wasn’t showing apartments, as if daring us to stay. Then she seemed uninterested in talking to me about any units, and left me a few times to talk to other people who came in to ask questions. -She didn’t tell me anything about the property, tried to sell me handicapped units, and handed me a packet to look at when I left. I felt like she really didn’t want me to bother her. I would have thought she was getting ready to leave, except I came back looking for Renee, and she was helping someone else, so her day clearly wasn’t over yet.
First impressions – by nature, people make immediate judgments based on appearances. Therefore, you want to give your website the edge against competitors by making it as appealing visually and organizationally as possible. It’s all about instant gratification User-centric design –users have become more savvy, so it is important to organize the site to allow them to find the information faster. Use the design to make their life more enjoyable and allow them to get to the information easier. Focus attention – when users arrive at websites, they automatically tend to look for focal points. It is easy to confuse or frustrate a user by offering too many visuals to look at. Make it easy for them, and simplify the design to focus their attention on the important points. Orient them – by helping to make the path from Point A to Point B easy, users will have less question marks along the way. The less thinking you make them do, the better the user experience, and the easier for them to travel the path you want them to. SEO – over 50% of prospects start their apartment search online. SEO tactics are vital to the success of any website. Not including these tactics greatly reduces the amount of potential traffic a property could receive. Flexibility – allow for expansion of design, content and navigation so you aren’t gridlocked as your marketing campaign develops
First impressions – by nature, people make immediate judgments based on appearances. Therefore, you want to give your website the edge against competitors by making it as appealing visually and organizationally as possible. It’s all about instant gratification User-centric design –users have become more savvy, so it is important to organize the site to allow them to find the information faster. Use the design to make their life more enjoyable and allow them to get to the information easier. Focus attention – when users arrive at websites, they automatically tend to look for focal points. It is easy to confuse or frustrate a user by offering too many visuals to look at. Make it easy for them, and simplify the design to focus their attention on the important points. Orient them – by helping to make the path from Point A to Point B easy, users will have less question marks along the way. The less thinking you make them do, the better the user experience, and the easier for them to travel the path you want them to. SEO – over 50% of prospects start their apartment search online. SEO tactics are vital to the success of any website. Not including these tactics greatly reduces the amount of potential traffic a property could receive. Flexibility – allow for expansion of design, content and navigation so you aren’t gridlocked as your marketing campaign develops
So taking what we know about how a website should be, we analyzed the Wheaton Center website. Regarding design, several key things are impeding its success. (screen grab of homepage) It is so bright in so many places, that it is difficult for a user to get their bearings and know where to look first Concession is currently not editable by anyone except developer. We could create something Contribute friendly to allow for on-site updating Background is one image, both the picture and the solid orange block. Additional copy to the page will result in copy feeding over the design into the white space below. Also, if you want to add another button to the site, for an event or whatever, there is no space for it. Even the Photo Gallery navigation looks like an after-thought
(interior web page screen grab) The long and short of it is that this website is not optimized. Which greatly reduces the number of prospects you are reaching. There are certain things search engines cannot read. Most notably, images and Flash. - WheatonCenterApartments.com freely uses both of these, both as navigation buttons and entire page formats. - This greatly hinders what search engines can pull from your site, basically making your site invisible to them.. In addition, there are no meta-tags, meta-descriptions, keywords, and basic SEO back-end coding to help the engines along. A practice that is considered advanced, but is quickly becoming mainstream, is the use of SEO-copy, which is user-end copy infused with keywords that search engines can pull from. All of these will help track who is coming to your site and where, allowing you to make more informed decisions regarding your audience and use of dollars. Pay-per-click is another successful tool in building an online presence with search engines. More immediate response than SEO tactics, it allows a property to bridge the gap until SEO takes hold, and can then be reduced in budget to play a supplemental role. Currently, Wheaton Center does not employ PPC tactics.
We understand that the website is relatively new, so there are a few options that we could follow. First, we could optimize the current site, updating the content and code to incorporate keywords and other SEO tactics, and set up Google Analytics. We could track the results over 6 months, and revisit redesign based on what we have learned regarding the stickiness of the site. Our second option is to create a new website, one that better reflects what the property is about, and achieves all of the key points previously discussed. Update design to reflect high-end features and community sense Use advanced SEO to maximize search engine usage Use content and interactivity to engage users Track and measure traffic Email campaign will keep you connected with your audience through the sometimes lengthy buyer’s cycle, and will keep your property top-of-mind. Automated campaigns are a great support tool for hard working consultants, knowing that even if they get busy, prospects are still hearing from the property. One-off emails are inexpensive and quick ways to communicate with your prospect list
Great example of targeting both the user and the search engine. Great functionality and use of design to focus the user and enhance the content Results: - March 2009 – overall search traffic made up 25.76% of all visitors – 1,246 visits July 2009 – over 43% of site visitors – 3,269 visits 67% increase! - March 2009 – Google organic traffic made up 22.95% of overall site traffic - 286 July – 39.89% of overall site traffic – 1,305 - SEO produced 355.94% increase in search engine visits - 73.79% increase in overall site traffic -
Zenith, located in downtown Baltimore, targeted an audience with very high-end tastes and discerning attitudes. To reach them, we needed to integrate high style with serious information. We created a site that enticed the user with its flashy appearance, but then sold them with the content. Result: Website is property’s #1 source Generates 60% of leads 80% of leases Won 2008 Pillar Award for best website
Targeting a socially-connected audience and using a club-marketing strategy, the website needed to be stylish yet interactive to reach the user. We used a lot of social media and PR to build a buzz around this property, so the website needed to complete the circle. Great example of creating action on the concession – clicking on it takes you to the Contact Us form. Results from overall awareness campaign: - Traffic to apartment website increased by 78% - timeframe of 3 weeks - Coaster distribution resulted in over 350 website visitors (over 10% conversion) - PR coverage in over 200 media outlets, community bloggers and industry greats such as NBC drove 35% of web traffic - PR outreach led to increased search rankings on Google – over 1,500 listings - Website peaked at 1,400 unique visitors per week, then stabilized at a constant 1,000 Currently Allegro Apartments is 44% leased after being open just four months.
We understand that exterior construction is scheduled to be completed in December. However, as we all know, construction schedules can slip, especially if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Here are some things to keep in mind regarding the critical path. The critical path creates a barrier to visitors. Construction debris discourages visitors. (Picture of fences and entryway)
Current signage design does not capture attention like it should, both in directing prospects where to go and calling them into the property to check it out. (Picture of current signage) But there is opportunity to increase traffic by capturing passers-by.
Bold designs and visual images can grab the attention of people in the area. (new sign design) (Picture of pool) Use bright, contrasting colors. Connect the message of the sign with the destination – where it wants you to go. Visualize yourself at this property. Tell you what it has to offer.
Compare the difference with the current designs and potential designs.
Compare the difference with the current designs and potential designs.
(banner, Kettler girl by pool, dog on couch, people entertaining) Stronger signage can lead to increased traffic. At The Monterey, 40% of phone calls come from signage. 41% of visits are from signage. 35% of their leases come from signage. Currently at Wheaton, 22% of calls come from signage. 2 nd strongest source. 17% of visits come from signage. 2 nd strongest source. 10% of leases come from signage. 3 rd strongest source. Which tells us that potential is there to capture more.
There are a lot of different things you can do. You can keep it simple and just convey the information
If you’re concerned about too much signage getting you noticed by the city, you could do flags on the weekends. These are bright signs that offer movement to capture attention, and also convey the information you want. (pricing) But you would put them out Friday night and pull them in Sunday night, much like bandit signs, and shouldn’t attract the ire of the city.
Current brochure package is all right, but it doesn’t really capture the essence of the community. (picture of interior) The interior of the piece is good, incorporating the colors of the logo and showing good photography. It is bright and cheerful.
The exterior of the brochure doesn’t really reflect what the property is about. It is important to keep in mind that not only is the cover the first impression of the piece, but the entire brochure packet is a reminder of the property once the prospect leaves, and represents the community. (picture of cover) It must present the community in its best light and accurately reflect the experience and expectations of the prospect.
Printing off individual floor plan inserts is great. Keeps it more personal and provides place for leasing consultant to write in necessary information. For finishes, because they are standard, imagery on them would help perk them up, transform them from mere lists and bring them to life. They should be pre-printed for good quality. The same would be done for the features insert as well.
We aren’t sure what your inventory is with your current packet, but when you are ready for a reprint or want to advance the design, we should create something that truly reflects the community, and all of its attributes. Wheaton Center is a property that has a rich history, has been a part of the Wheaton community for decades, with top-of-the-line offerings and is truly a place to call home. This is not a 2 nd choice property – this is a place people want to be. Your collateral package should reflect all of that.
There are a lot of different ways to do your collateral package. You could do a more sophisticated style brochure, with design and imagery elements that convey how upscale it is (Monterey) You could do something more fun and different, using its functionality to represent the energy and fun of the community (City Vista) Or you do something very simple, allowing the consultants to put together the package to represent that each resident is unique (???)
Best practice related to lease-up media: Focus on sources targeting active audiences Apartment guide books Internet listing sites Newspaper rental classified sections Keep the listing as up-to-date and appealing as possible – give them enough info to properly evaluate your community Use imagery, floorplans and rent information Increase your visibility where possible - Take advantage of “Featured Property” or “Spotlight” features where available Secure cover positions in Guidebooks Measure effectiveness of campaign Use tracking numbers and URLs where possible Enlist happy residents as advocates - Word of mouth is one of the leading sources for renters
Drive-by’s resulted in 40 leases and resident referrals (including current & previous residents) 52 leases
Based on the information available to us at the time, following are some observations regarding the current campaign efforts Lack of consistency in media scheduling This diminishes awareness among the audience No ability to build upon message – have to start from scratch each time Basic listings on ILS sites decreases visibility No activity in local newspapers, print or online, which is a major resource for searches
Anchor the campaign with traditional rental resources, including print and online media - Reach the audience in the right place at the right time Layer in lifestyle media vehicles -Provide a relevant environment for delivering the message to prospects Utilize transit advertising -Reinforce the message and direct prospects to the community Schedule media to maintain consistency and coverage during the campaign
Monterey Craigslist.com example: Enhanced listing results (monthly averages): - Website referrals increased from 16 to 112 Calls/emails from 1 or 2 to 56 Visits to property increased from 1 or 2 to 15 # of leases increased from 0 to 4
Facebook can be hi-jacked by unhappy residents, with negative comments living in cyberspace forever, and making a negative first impression on viewers that is nearly impossible to overcome. Knowing that the construction has been lingering, and ApartmentRatings.com has some recent posts from unhappy residents, we recommend removing your Facebook account until everything calms down and residents are appeased. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything we can do for social media. We’ll talk in a bit about another social networking tool you can use. But you can also get Wheaton Center out there in places such as Wikipedia. Tell the Wheaton Center story. It has a rich history and is part of the Wheaton community. Talk about it. Wikipedia also is great for SEO results
Happy residents are the best advertisements. Retaining them also closes the back door. And keeping them happy is a campaign all unto itself. And because of this, it should have its own look and feel, consistent with the overall brand, but unique to the residents. There are three parts to this campaign: Benefits program Events Communication
Create a benefits program to encourage people to renew their lease. Here is an example of one we developed for The Bennington Apartments The BBB was a program where a list of items were developed as incentives, and if the resident renewed their lease, they could pick two items. These items ranged from carpet cleaning to metro cards to spa services. There were several pieces to it. Notice letters - Boutique-style and friendly, these letters reflected community atmosphere and suggested personalized service while still discussing technical aspects of the lease (letters) Bi-fold brochures were created that outlined the program, and were sized to fit within the same envelope as the notice letters. (brochures) Door hangers were placed at those apartments receiving the letters to attract not only the target resident, but other residents walking past. A web page was created on the site for residents to learn more, and also show prospects how dedicated they are to their residents. And an introductory email was created and sent to all of the residents.
Currently Wheaton Center is doing events and they seem to be successful. This helps to build that sense of community that makes it so special. There are a lot of fun things you can do. Food and clothing drives Cooking classes in the model Football watching parties/tailgates Dancing with the Stars or American Idol viewing parties Community days
Most important to making residents happy is to keeping them informed and giving them an opportunity to convey their feelings. You already have a newsletter, which is great and should not done away with. We would tighten the design to match the resident brand look. But you can create a central hub of information through social media. This shouldn’t be in an open forum such as Facebook – this offers too high of a risk for unhappy residents to hijack the tool and negatively sway potential residents. The best open is to use a closed forum such as Ning.com. (picture of screen grab) Ning offers a place to post all community events and news, and really treat as any other social media networking tool, but contains the information. (link to http://washingtonmystics.ning.com/), kprantil@merricktowle.com, sammy) As you can see, it can be customized to the brand. Property managers can be the administrators, approving all photos prior to posting. Allows place to address any concerns raised. If is anything inappropriate posted, you can delete it, although we recommend not deleting negative comments/concerns raised as that will only appear as if you are avoiding them. Rather, handle things head on.
In addition to the main categories, there are other areas to consider.
With such a large property, Wheaton Center will experience a longer than usual lease-up time. The leasing center will be used constantly, so it is important to make it as comfortable and inviting to prospects as possible. A larger space would help achieve that Offer a waiting area for prospects to make them comfortable Have more private areas to fill out applications and sign leases to make them feel more secure Refreshments, such as water and cookies in addition to the Starbucks machine, would make them feel welcomed and relaxed As would an enthusiastic and professional greeting It would also help prospects waiting to have some visuals to look at, that will help them understand the community better. They can be property pictures, - lifestyle images representing various features and amenities at the property, or something different, (picture of Met Lorton displays) historical pictures of the area (picture of Met Reston displays )
Offering pets is a great feature, and taps into an entire group in and of itself. We can create an entire campaign to capture these people, and also create some PR for the property. Pet adoption fair – work with a local rescue organization to host an adoption fair. Offer a supplemental donation for each adoption that takes place at the event. Again it strengthens ties with the community by using a local organization and offering a way to give back to the community It taps into the audience of the rescue organization It offers an event the entire Wheaton community can support Outreach Create some property-branded pet items such as leashes, frisbees, dog/cat bowls, and give them as promotional items to interested prospects. Can also hand these out at local dog parks, along with outreach cards talking about the property Pet Services Develop relationships with independent contractors in the area and promote their services at the property Contractors will recommend Wheaton Center to their clients, distribute the outreach cards, and possibly send an email to their list This will position Wheaton as a property that truly cares about its residents needs and makes every effort to meet them.
(Monterey event image) Wheaton Center has so much to offer its residents, but some prospects don’t make it far enough in the process to see that. Therefore, it is important to drive people directly to the property, because you noted, if we can them in the door, you can do the rest. A great way to do this is through events. Potential prospects feel less pressure that they’ll be pitched to, and can relax and enjoy the event, and before they know it, they can see themselves living at the property. It is important also to involve residents in events, because not only will residents help make positive connections with guests and be the best advertisement, but they will also bring their friends. At The Monterey, we did a series of karaoke happy hour events throughout the summer, twice a month. Our prospect guests increased from 23% of the total to 41% of the total Our visits from resident referrals increased 50% each month during the event timeframe. Our average monthly leases from referrals doubled from these events, compared to the monthly average prior to the events. These events can range in scale from large events Like a grand re-opening, with booths and stations from local businesses in a sort of street fair fashion Pool party with a bathing suit competition or a pig roast Or smaller gatherings Superbowl party in the Social Lounge Series of cooking classes by a local chef in the models. These give attendees the thought of what it would be like to live in a unit, having friends over or throwing a cocktail party.
(Monterey event image) Wheaton Center has so much to offer its residents, but some prospects don’t make it far enough in the process to see that. Therefore, it is important to drive people directly to the property, because you noted, if we can them in the door, you can do the rest. A great way to do this is through events. Potential prospects feel less pressure that they’ll be pitched to, and can relax and enjoy the event, and before they know it, they can see themselves living at the property. It is important also to involve residents in events, because not only will residents help make positive connections with guests and be the best advertisement, but they will also bring their friends. At The Monterey, we did a series of karaoke happy hour events throughout the summer, twice a month. Our prospect guests increased from 23% of the total to 41% of the total Our visits from resident referrals increased 50% each month during the event timeframe. Our average monthly leases from referrals doubled from these events, compared to the monthly average prior to the events. These events can range in scale from large events Like a grand re-opening, with booths and stations from local businesses in a sort of street fair fashion Pool party with a bathing suit competition or a pig roast Or smaller gatherings Superbowl party in the Social Lounge Series of cooking classes by a local chef in the models. These give attendees the thought of what it would be like to live in a unit, having friends over or throwing a cocktail party.
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