3 Things to Look Out for on Your New Website Template

So you’ve tediously planned and perfected a new website and finally the day has come to go live. You selected a snazzy new template, populated content and images and it looks awesome. What’s next? While the look of your site is important, so is the overall experience you’ve created when a prospect lands on your site. Don’t forget to check these few simple things to ensure a good user experience and a website that is set up for success.

Prominent Phone Number

Seems obvious, right? Exactly. A key to a website that performs well and drives conversions is to be sure visitors can quickly and easily find a way to contact you. Most prospects will choose to make a phone call over filling out a contact form. Although forms are helpful to have as an alternate method of contact, focus on where to best place a phone number.

Make sure your phone number is always visible on your site – and not just in one location. Include it in your header and footer so it stays prominent as someone navigates from page to page. Consider also including it on content pages were a prospect has found enough information to inquire about a lease like your pricing and availability pages.

Menu That Makes Sense

Here’s where it’s best to get inside the mind of your prospect. Make sure that your menu is 1), visible and easy to access and 2), includes only the most important pages. Include only items that can lead someone to the most relevant information in their apartment search in a logical way.

Once a prospect has found your website by searching for an apartment in a certain area, they’ll want a simple way to select and view floor plans. From there, information about pricing and availability is important. If price and availability match their needs, a prospect will likely want to explore more about the amenities your building has to offer as well as what the community is like. If everything lines up with their budget and needs, they’ll want to get in touch with a leasing agent – most often by phone. (See previous tip.)

Balance of Content & Imagery

While a beautiful image gallery and perfectly designed site looks great, don’t lose sight of the value of local content. Push past the expected building location, floor plans or amenities list and find ways to include unique information about your city and community as well as your property. Create a list or map with local attractions and expand on each location. Include information about city parks, popular locations or businesses nearby to compliment images.