Category: All Articles - Page 26

What Makes the Perfect Apartment Website Design?

Written by Stacey Feeney on September 1, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Graphic Design.

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In the digital age, having a website is integral to succeeding in any business—and multifamily housing is no different. Creating a unique digital footprint online for your community is the perfect way to increase your reach and pique prospective residents’ interest. Whether you’re looking to revamp your existing website or are starting from scratch, there are a few must-have elements you should consider for your apartment website design to create the best possible user experience. From site navigation to design elements like photos and videos, be sure to take these six things into consideration before you get started.

1. Website Structure

Having a clear website structure ensures that your site is intuitive and easy to navigate. When prospects arrive on the site, they should be able to instantly find whatever information they are looking for without digging through pages and clicking on multiple links.

At the top of the apartment website design, create a clear main navigation bar with large, easy-to-read buttons that link to other pages within the site. There are a few important pages that every community’s site should include:

Homepage
About
Gallery
Amenities
Floor plans
Neighborhood
Contact

In addition to these pages, many sites also have an online application and a resident portal available, making it a one-stop shop for both prospective and existing residents to find everything they may need.

2. Photography

There’s a reason they say that a picture is worth a thousand words. When prospective residents are evaluating your community, using professional photography is the best way to show off every detail. From the interior of your units to your industry-leading amenity spaces, high-quality photos allow potential residents to get a real sense of what it might be like to call your community home. Be sure to incorporate photos throughout the individual pages of the website in addition to a comprehensive gallery that has imagery of everything from the lobby to the model unit.

3. Video & Virtual Tours

While photography can help show off your space, video is what brings it to life. From sizzle reels that you can use to show off community highlights to full-blown virtual video tours, there are endless ways you can use video to showcase what your community has to offer. Consider adding a video to the top of your homepage to make it as eye-catching as possible when a new visitor lands on the site. You can also add video tours to your gallery page, making it easier for prospects to explore your community without having to come on-site.

4. Copywriting

While photography and videos show your community in the best light, expert copywriting will help seal the deal. Having a professional write all of the content on your site will ensure that it’s compelling and catchy to attract attention, even in a crowded market.

A copywriter knows exactly how to convey certain emotions, highlight specific benefits, and convince prospects to convert. From headlines to calls-to-action, make sure that you carefully consider every piece of copy on your website to put your best foot forward and create a cohesive and on-brand experience for web visitors.

5. Floor Plans

Floor plans are one of the most important things to feature on your apartment website design. Add floor plans for all available units so prospects can get a sense of the size, layout, and flow of any apartment they may be interested in. This will allow them to compare and contrast between different units and understand what they can get for their budget.

Consider having 3D floor plan renderings created of your available units to bring them to life, making it even easier for prospects to imagine themselves living in the space.

6. Neighborhood Info

When residents are evaluating your community, they aren’t just looking at the apartment. They’re also looking for a neighborhood feel and easy access to nearby attractions. To showcase your surrounding area, add an interactive Map to your website with all of the local attractions plotted. Add favorite restaurants, parks, and other outdoor activities, nearby shopping, schools, and anything else that may be important to your prospects. Then, they can see everything—all in one place—an added selling point to what makes your community so great!

Professional Website Design

Let the experts in multifamily apartment marketing help create the perfect apartment website design for your community instead of trying to DIY your way through. At zipcode creative, we’re experts in everything from branding and logo design to website copywriting to create an industry-leading online presence for our clients. We handle everything from the site structure through to the 2D and 3D floor plans, ensuring that your site has a polished and professional look. We’ll even tackle the photography and renderings, making zipcode creative a one-stop shop for all of your web needs.

Our partners, Results Repeat and Resident360, handle website development, management, SEO, and will oversee digital ads, ensuring that each community has access to all of the experts they need to drive leads and increase their presence on the web.

Get in touch today to learn more about our services.

The James website is ©Fairfield Residential | Work executed by Stacey Feeney, owner of zipcode creative, while under creative direction and employment at Fairfield Residential.

Floor Plans for Apartments in 2D and 3D

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 23, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Graphic Design. 2 Comments on Floor Plans for Apartments in 2D and 3D

Floor plans are the key ingredients to every apartment marketing toolkit. Leasing specialists need to demonstrate the unique selling features and accurately convey unit layouts when directing prospects to the right home. Having high quality and visually appealing floor plan images is paramount to the apartment leasing process – they will be used on the community’s website, brochure, and individual floor plan marketing sheets. Floor plan renderings are surprisingly affordable and worth every penny – scroll on to see your options!

2D – Line Drawings

The original, classic design without any extra fuss! Architects and developers love this style. If you have simple floor plans that don’t need a lot of explaining, the 2D style will work just fine. Add in dimensions so renters can decide if their favorite couch or bed fits. These are a sleek, modern option you can dress up on your floor plan sales sheets. Simple, yet to the point and effective for demonstrating your apartment unit layouts.

2D – Finishes & Furniture

If your property has distinctive finishes, add them to your 2D floor plans. Showcase which rooms have carpeted and hardwood floor styles. Personalize the kitchens to feature colored cabinetry, countertops and your appliance package. Once you’ve laid down all the property details, layer in some furniture to show how to maximize the space. With WFH spaces being so popular these days, try showing a desk as part of the furniture styling package.

3D Floor Plans

The 3D customization options are endless – these are great for new developments where people may not get to tour a real model until construction is complete. They also work for older properties where you may not have the budget to decorate a model unit. 3D floor plans allow any type of property to finesse their floor plan style with different finishes, furniture and color schemes. Modern, contemporary or customized furniture collections allow you to match these to your brand aesthetic. Virtual leasing has become the top way to lease this year, a premium floor plan will help you close that sale on the spot!

Marketing Sales Sheets

No matter which style floor plan you create, marketing sales sheets can bring them to life. Brand them with your property’s logo, colors and unique design elements. Label them with the square footage, bedroom and bathroom count. List your apartment’s features and amenities so prospects will be reminded of all the selling points of your property. Maybe add a price quote area so leasing consultants have room to personalize and create a sense of urgency. Make sure to include the community’s contact information, have them printed and send this handout home with those still browsing.

How to Order Floor Plans

Just reach out – send us an email or fill out our website contact form and you’ll be on your way to beautiful new floor plan images. If you have architectural floor plan blueprints, send them over with a mood board of your interior finishes to let us know what color of carpet or wood-look flooring is in the unit; also cabinet colors, appliances, countertops, etc. If your community was a takeover you may not have access to the original architectural files and that is okay! Simply provide any existing floor plans the community has been using or have your onsite team snap a few pics and measure the space for us! Either way, we’ll get it done.

Maximize your new floor plans by putting them everywhere – your website, social media photo albums, ILS ads, email templates and, of course, your brochure. zipcode creative can help with all of the above to make your apartment branding look amazing.

Apartment Copywriting That Will Convert Prospects

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 8, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Writing. 1 Comment on Apartment Copywriting That Will Convert Prospects

Apartment copywriting is more than just what you see in Mad Men. While copywriting from bygone eras was all about catchy ad campaigns, the copywriting discipline has expanded over time—and especially as digital and social media have exploded—to encompass anything and everything related to marketing your apartment community.

From taglines to full website copy to social media captions, copywriters are experts at conveying emotion, showcasing a brand’s unique selling points, and getting prospects to convert. If you’re looking for help creating a distinct identity for your property management company and to elevate the marketing experience across your assets, it may be time to enlist an expert.

Establishing a Brand Voice

Just like your visual branding, creating a distinctive voice for your brand will help set you apart. An experienced copywriter will help you develop everything from your voice characteristics to your brand guidelines to ensure you have a strong personality and clear presence across all of your marketing materials. That way, everything from your website to your direct mailers to your onboarding materials all sound cohesive and consistent across your apartment copywriting.

Developing a Tagline

Taglines are short catch phrases or slogans that help to supercharge your marketing. They often accompany your logo or community name to help reinforce your brand and make it more unique. Like Nike’s “Just do it,” or Apple’s “Think different,” taglines should embody your brand, your mission, and your personality—all while also being memorable.

While a tagline may seem simple, it is actually one of the most challenging marketing elements to develop. An experienced copywriter will be able to distill your brand into a few words—typically between three and six—that evokes emotions, is aspirational, and tells a story.

Writing a Headline Library

Headlines are the first thing that residents or prospects see when they review your marketing materials, so you need to make them count! Instead of using the same phrases over and over or opting for commonly used terms and turns of phrase, creative headlines can really draw people in and help them engage with your community.

Work with a professional who knows the industry to develop your apartment copywriting and create a comprehensive headline library for all of your marketing materials. From one-pagers to resident events, they can craft a wide range of different phrases that you can plug-and-play into the website or new marketing materials. You’ll have everything you need at your disposal, all while developing interesting and engaging content for your community.

Phrasing for Your Amenity List

The features and amenities at your apartment community are what set you apart from the competition, so it’s important to have a quick-reference amenity list that draws prospects’ attention. Professional apartment copywriting will transform everything that you have to offer into a concise, easy-to-digest list that speaks to the exact amenities prospects are looking for today. Order of popularity, current trends, and industry phrasing will all be taken into consideration when entrusting the amenity list to a copywriter.

Brochure and Website Full Length Copy

When it comes to marketing, your brochure and your website are some of the most visible materials, so it’s best to have a pro create the content. From your homepage to your contact us form, having a copywriter handle the content creation will help to create more compelling content that keeps people engaged and converts prospects into residents.

Every website and brochure should have similar content, including:

About Us
Community & In-Unit Amenities List
Floor Plans
Photos
Neighborhood Information
Contact Us

By working with an experienced multifamily copywriter, you can showcase your community in the best possible light and demonstrate how you differ from competitors. Attract more prospects, lease up faster, and minimize turnover with professional apartment copywriting as part of your marketing plan.

Ready to revamp your marketing materials with a copywriting pro? Reach out to zipcode creative today to get started!

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Marketing Collateral Must-Haves for Multifamily Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 3, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Branding. 1 Comment on Marketing Collateral Must-Haves for Multifamily Branding

Create a cohesive, branded experience for residents and prospects alike with strategic marketing collateral. For apartment communities, the prospect and resident experience is about more than just the apartment itself. That’s why it’s vital to build a cohesive experience from their first interaction with your community, through when they move in, and even until they move out.

By creating an improved experience at every stage, you’ll keep residents happy and pique prospects’ interest, all at the same time. Here are some of the must-have marketing collateral you’ll need to deliver an elevated approach to multifamily living.

Postcards & Mailers

Even before you get prospects in the door, postcards and mailers can help you drum up interest and create new leads. Send out postcards with your eye-catching branding to nearby neighborhoods to generate interest in on-site tours. Give prospects a sense of what your community offers and what sets you apart through your marketing collateral before they even set foot through the door.

Stationary

From letterhead paper to envelopes to business cards, customized stationery is the perfect way to incorporate your branding across your marketing collateral. Whether you add a subtle embossed logo or opt a full-color approach, there are nearly endless ways you can customize your stationery to suit your needs. Use it for thank you notes after on-site tours, to give to prospects after they visit, or to send notes to vendors and partners for a more polished and professional touch.

Brochure

A brochure is one of the most important pieces of marketing collateral you can create for prospective residents. From showing off floor plans to emphasizing your wide array of amenities, a brochure often includes the most important information about your community. That way, they can reference it after their tour as a refresher of their favorite aspects. Consider using your brand colors and design elements in unique ways while keeping the brochure effortlessly blending in with all of your other marketing collateral.

Floor Plan Sheets

Having a one-pager handout available with the floor plan a prospect is interested in is an easy way to send them home with a reminder showcasing exactly what they were looking for in a home. Prospects will be able to get a better sense for the different units, and can easily understand the different layouts. Try making your floor plan sheets the same size as your brochure. Then you can simply tuck in the extra floor plan sheet of their interest in the front cover of the brochure for an all-in-one info packet about your community!

Sitemap

Property sitemaps are based on your community’s architectural plans and feature a bird’s eye view of the property itself, while displaying the location of community amenities, units, parking, offices, and more. As a result, they’re the ideal way to give prospects a good sense of the community at a glance. Just like with your floor plan sheets, keep your sitemap the same size as your brochure so it’s easier to create an all-in-one package with everything that prospects need to know.

Flyers

Creating a cohesive experience doesn’t stop after your residents move in. For resident events, renewal specials, or for referral incentives, create flyers that mimic your community’s brand. By using the colors from your branding and incorporating your community’s logo, it’s an easy way to create a put-together and unified look throughout your marketing collateral.

Greeting Cards

Small touches are what distinguish the great communities from the good ones. Don’t forget to prioritize your residents’ birthdays and holidays with thoughtful notes or greeting cards. Infuse each card with your community’s colors and your logo for a thoughtful way to stay in touch with your residents for their entire lease. You can even add one in their welcome packet for a more personalized touch.

Maintenance Card

Create a more elevated resident experience with the addition of maintenance cards. Design a business card or 4×6 card that your maintenance staff can leave on the kitchen counter or in the entryway to alert residents that they’ve been inside their home working on repairs. That way, your residents will be notified when someone has entered their private space and will also know that their issue has been resolved for a win-win solution.

“Leave a Review” Card

Generating positive reviews about your community is one of the easiest ways to attract prospects and generate leads. Encourage your current residents or those or are moving out to leave a review of your community. Add a postcard to your marketing collateral and hand them out a few times a year to generate continuous new online reviews to increase your ratings.

Need help crafting the right marketing collateral for your community? At zipcode creative, we’re experts in developing multifamily branding and translating that across materials for a cohesive and impactful experience. Get in touch today to learn more!

Design examples in this post of Capriana, Exchange, ENSO, LORE, and Talia are ©Fairfield Residential | Work executed by Stacey Feeney, owner of zipcode creative, while under creative direction and employment at Fairfield Residential.

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Apartment Welcome Packet for Move-Ins and What to Include

Written by Stacey Feeney on July 26, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Marketing. 2 Comments on Apartment Welcome Packet for Move-Ins and What to Include

You’ve wowed them enough with the first impressions, and move-in day has arrived. Now how to keep those positive vibes flowing? Ensure their move in is seamless, and they have all the need-to-know details that they could ever use. Here are the essentials to make your apartment welcome packet for new move-ins shine and what exactly to include!

Branded Folder

Take some design cues from your property’s brand style guidelines, and create a streamlined folder. This will serve as a branded carryall for your apartment welcome packet that you’ll stuff with info, offers and goodies.

Pro Tip: double the useful life of these folders and use them to send touring prospects home with your floor plan sheets and other marketing materials.

Business Card

Include your business card in the apartment welcome packet folder flap so they have all of your contact details on hand. You’ve worked up a rapport with these new residents, and they will probably reach out to you, directly, with their first few questions and requests.

Welcome Letter

Future residents may not have met the manager on their leasing journey. Provide a nice introduction to your management team so they will recognize the friendly faces. This is also a perfect opportunity to showcase some of the highlights of your management company – your mission, vision, and values. Residents like to have a trust factor with management so they can feel at ease in their new home.

Info Sheet

Provide a simple one-pager with the essentials your new move-ins are going to need – their apartment number, parking space number, gate code, community rules and amenity hours. This is also a great place to include emergency maintenance information – no one likes to get locked out or have their AC go down, but it happens. Provide hours and contact info for your emergency procedures.

Property Sitemap

Your big meandering property can be a maze to new residents. Include a branded sitemap in the apartment welcome packet, and mark their new apartment, carport or garage space. Demonstrate the quickest ways to get to the amenities, clubhouse and mailboxes from their new home.

Valet Trash Flyer

Keep residents in the loop on important days like trash pick-up times and etiquette if you offer a valet-trash service at your community. They will be happy to know how to recycle all those move-in boxes, and make it easy to haul away the trash so they quickly transition into their new space.

Concierge Services Flyer

If your community offers concierge services – include a flyer in your apartment welcome packet outlining your menu of these extra amenity add-ons! Present some of the most-used services and any applicable fees.

Package Service

If you provide a package receiving company as an amenity, such as Luxer One Package Lockers, walk them through how to retrieve their packages. New residents often have incoming shipments and this handout will make it easier for them at move-in time.

Event Calendar

The fastest way for new residents to feel welcome is by attending a fun event. Show them how to jump in, meet new residents and keep up with the events you have taking place in your community by including the current month’s calendar of events.

Local Business Information

Consolidate all of your favorite local spots in one document, and have this handy in your apartment welcome packet. Residents will appreciate knowing the closest hospitals, vets, airports, schools, etc. When it comes to restaurants and bars, connect with your community to provide custom discounts or specials. Sure, residents could just google a new Thai restaurant, but it takes your service up a notch when you provide a thoughtful package of deals tailored to your residents’ busy lifestyles!

Welcome Door Hanger

Deck their doors with a door hanger welcoming them to the community – it will be the first thing they see in their new home. It’s the thoughtful details that go the extra mile to ensure your residents feel they’ve made the right decision leasing at your community.

Welcome Gift

A beautiful welcome gift placed inside their apartment will feel like the nicest touch when they first walk in the door. Gifts don’t have to be extravagant – include something personalized to your brand or simply deliver a fresh baked bag of cookies from a local shop.

Reviews Notecard

Statistics show, residents are happiest on move-in day. Ask them to write a review on the website of your choice. Include a ‘leave us a review’ card in your welcome packet folder asking them to rate their experience on Yelp, Apartment Ratings, Google or the property website.

Resident Referral Flyer

It’s never too early to start asking for referrals. They may know plenty of other people in the market for a new apartment, and they’ll be excited to show off theirs. Include a resident referral incentive flyer in your apartment welcome packet to let them know from day one how they will be rewarded for inviting their friends to become neighbors.

As you assemble all these pieces for your bustling Welcome Packet, no need to get overwhelmed. A professional like zipcode creative is always able to pretty them up so it’s cohesive, informative and on brand!

Avaire valet trash flyer, The Eugene concierge services flyer, and Share Your Experience reviews notecard are ©Fairfield Residential | Work executed by Stacey Feeney, owner of zipcode creative, while under creative direction and employment at Fairfield Residential.

Realtors and Apartment Locators Helping Generate Leads

Written by Stacey Feeney on July 12, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

In multifamily housing, the competition is stiff. In 2019, over 400,000 new apartment units were under construction—and that number is only expected to grow and grow. That means that, when renters are on the hunt for their next apartment, they have plenty of options to choose from. So the question becomes: How can you stand out in the crowd and get prospective residents in the door for a tour?

Marketing to realtors and apartment locators should most definitely be a part of your prospect marketing strategy. Experienced real estate agents generate leads from a variety of sources – often, the most effective leads come from referrals or repeat business, which make up the bulk of real estate transactions, at 89%. Having local realtors and apartment locators on your side will drive ongoing leads for your community with only a little effort up front to establish the relationships.

Locating the Locators (and Realtors)

Any realtor could potentially become the right partner for your community. While multifamily experience is a big bonus, many realtors mistakenly overlook the multifamily housing space because they aren’t aware of the opportunities for commission. Build relationships with realtors in your local area and equip them with the tools they need to 1. Understand your apartment community and all it has to offer, and 2. Incentivize them with commissions for their referrals.

An apartment home may just be the perfect fit for those who have already sold their home and need to rent temporarily as they seek the right house to buy, or the right time in the market to buy. Having a realtor who can direct these prospects to your property will benefit you both in the long run – having a comfortable home for 6-12 months in the interim is sure to create a loyal and happy client for the realtor. In other cases, there are times when realtors will have clients who want an apartment for the easier upkeep and maintenance. Whether young professionals who are rarely home or empty nesters who are looking to downsize, moving from a home into an apartment is sometimes the best approach. If that’s the case, your ongoing relationship with the realtor helps to ensure they think of your community first!

Marketing to Realtors and Apartment Locators

Experienced real estate agents generate leads from a variety of sources – often, the most effective leads come from referrals or repeat business, which make up the bulk of real estate transactions, at 89%. Outside of their clients and referrals, realtors often connect with new leads through networking at events, on social media, or even through cold calling. Once they’ve identified a promising lead and evaluated their needs, they can promote your community to those who fit the right criteria.

Begin building these relationships by hosting realtor events at your community like breakfasts, luncheons, and happy hours so you can get to know them, give them a tour and share the marketing assets they need to sell your units. While realtors are pros at generating interest in various properties, they also need to be equipped with the right tools to close the deal. Be sure to create a packet of marketing materials that they can use to educate their clients about your community. Include things like:

Community Brochures
Amenity Sheets
Price Sheets
Floor Plan Sheets
Property Sitemaps

With these resources, they can become an expert about your community and serve as a partner to help you lease-up. If your current materials are a little lackluster, consider teaming up with a design agency like zipcode creative that can bring your community to life with these creative branding marketing materials!

Incentivizing Realtors and Apartment Locators

Realtors and apartment locators can be a valuable asset to your leasing team – especially if you’re in a crowded market, encouraging realtors to promote your property is vital to getting more prospects in the door.

Realtors work on commission, and their livelihood depends on selling homes. You’ll have to offer a generous incentive to make it worthwhile for them to suggest your community over encouraging a home sale, where they will on average earn between 3-6% of the sale price of a home. Consider offering the amount of 1-2 month’s rent as a commission when their referral signs a 12-month lease – a win-win-win scenario for the realtor, their client, and your community!

Want to arm your realtor partners with the best possible marketing materials? Get started with zipcode creative today!.

Example image of Cimmaron price sheet is ©Fairfield Residential | Work executed by Stacey Feeney, owner of zipcode creative, while under creative direction and employment at Fairfield Residential.