Would you say that you have “an online presence” as a commercial property management company? If not, then you need to make some changes! After all, online marketing and advertising are perhaps the largest and most effective ways to get yourself out there, and if you aren’t taking advantage of these many resources, then you could be missing out on a lot of business.
Property Managers Need Strong Online Presence
“Going by Google’s report on consumer behavior, about 97% of consumers now rely on the web in finding local businesses, including property management firms.” All the facts, really, point to consumer behavior reflecting high online usage. It makes sense, considering the convenience of working on one’s computer, phone, or tablet, and the growing aversion of human contact. After all, why speak to one or two people about recommendations on one thing or another when you could go online and receive dozens of reviews in a fraction of the time?
4/5 of those who are looking to rent or buy property will do so on the web. If you want to capture this group of people’s attention, then you need to make sure your online strategy is strong and well-thought out; “having a property management website has shifted from just an extra business element, to a critical asset.” This ‘trend’ will absolutely continue on as our online lives develop more and more. That means that your own online presence has to expand to include developing trends and strategies. There is a lot that you can do with the tools available to you at present, and you absolutely must find some way to connect with that enormous population of potential customers.
However, making changes to your current site or strategy may not be a simple process. There are a number of possible steps to take, depending on the state of things and of your budget and plans. To optimize the online face of your property management company, you need a modern website. You need it to be regularly updated and to be search-engine optimized. You want it to show up well on phones and tablets (that is, to be mobile-friendly). You want to have accounts on the social media platforms that best suit your needs. Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done, but don’t let the prospect overwhelm you!
To begin with, take a lot around the web and find some competitor sites that you like. Gather a few, for variety, and take note of the features that you find in each that you would like to see reflected in your own work. You may not be able to accomplish all of these aspects on your own, but it’s a good start to know what you like and what your aims are. “Your strategy’s efficacy and finesse ultimately determines your rank not only within search engines but also other internet platforms like social media sites.” If you get a sense of how others are succeeding, then you may be able to work those tactics into your own, budding online presence!
One of your largest goals, long-term, should be to find yourself somewhere on the first page of Google. That first page holds ten different links, and beyond that… not many people venture in search of other results. This is a very tricky concept, since not only is it hard enough to fall onto that first page in any way, but people also tend to ignore the results that are labeled as advertisements, so you can’t even pay your way to the top. To get there, you have to invest in an internet marketing company, or fine-tune your own online strategy.
Luckily, there are a few things that you can do on your own to boost your efforts. One of the easiest is to create a blog to which you post at least once a week (or more, ideally). After posting content that is relevant to your business and interesting to potential readers, you then want to share this content. This may mean posting it to LinkedIn or including it as part of a monthly newsletter to renters. Whatever the case, make sure you strike up a writing habit to boost your SEO, and then get the word out there that you have something worthwhile to say!
It may seem like a daunting task, but it’s an essential one. While you take the time to work on your online presence, let SKYLINE Property Management and Accounting Software handle some of the aspect of your job that you’ve already mastered. SKYLINE manages the data pertaining to your property (or properties) and renters so that you can focus on other things. Together, with this software, you can conquer the field both on and offline.