Premier Introduces
Online Marketing Initiative
PREMIER LAUNCHES NEW RENTAL WEBSITE
NAPLES, FL., -- May 5, 2008 – In real estate as in shopping, travel, health and virtually every aspect of life, consumers increasingly are turning to the internet to learn about their options and make educated decisions. They are finding they can narrow their search, determine what questions to ask, even help determine availability, simply by going on-line.
For marketers, this fast-growing trend has important implications. Data must be comprehensive, up-to-date, and easy to access. Websites must reflect company capabilities and create consumer confidence. The internet must be viewed as one of the most critical marketing tools.
The vacation rental market is a prime example of this trend. For those looking for a residential experience while visiting a new community, a good website offers the opportunity to assess neighborhoods and adjacent amenities, to view potential rentals, even to determine rates and availabilities. A good website is a powerful consumer incentive.
Recognizing the escalating importance of the internet on the vacation rental market, Premier Properties of Southwest Florida, Inc. REALTORS, recently has launched a completely re-designed www.rentnaples.com website.
“Our Rental Division has experienced a dramatic increase in the use of the internet by our clients,” notes the firm’s President Tom Bringardner. “They want to be well informed. By visiting rentnaples.com, customers have the ability to review property choices, dates and locations at their discretion, before, during and after they speak to our Agents. Maintaining and continuously improving the excellence of our websites is a key priority for our company.”
Several specific improvements not only will speed the search process, but also will facilitate comparison. On the new site, a “quick rental search” that incorporates all available properties is accessible on all pages, and customers can save, compare and email properties of interest. In addition, a mapping feature has been added, so both street map and satellite views for each property’s location are readily available, and so the visitor can get a sense of area amenities and activities close to the property that is being considered for their vacation.
As well as providing a higher level of service for prospective renters, the new site also allows the owners of properties in the Premier Rental inventory to be involved with the management side of their property. The site offers a special login for owners to check their personal schedule of use and accounting information, and to communicate with their rental agent.
To aid in the re-design process, all those involved in the project were encouraged to put themselves in the users’ shoes – both prospective renters and property owners. A collaborative effort with the firm’s rental manager, Hilary Young, her agents and staff, and the web and IT departments led to identifying areas of improvement, as well as areas that should remain constant.
“As one example, many renters are making their plans last minute, particularly those off-season renters who tend to come from elsewhere in Florida,” explains Young. “Therefore, up-to-the-minute availability of individual properties is a great asset. The new rentnaples.com is a user friendly, content rich site that is certain to enhance the total rental experience of customers. ”
Spearheading this project, as well as the future re- development of all company websites , including www.naples.com, www.marcoisland.com, www.bonitasprings.com and www.premiersarasota.com, is Director of Creative Design Heather Dockweiler. “These websites will have a new functionality and aesthetic that represent the company as a whole and the clients we are trying to reach,” she comments. Still, designing and launching a web site is just the beginning. Behind the scenes, Premier’s team of experts works continuously to update content, refresh photography, and respond to inquiries. In total, the company’s IT and e-Commerce divisions monitor over 150 sites, including real estate, developer, rental and city (geo) sites.
In the case of the new rentnaples.com, content is updated daily. As new listings are acquired, the information is added, along with accompanying photography and community information. Each property on the site has an individual ‘calendar’ that displays up-to-the-minute availability. The information is one-point-entry, which allows for maximum efficiency and greatly reduces the errors.
To assess success of and potential improvements for rentnaples.com, traffic is a very good indicator. So, the firm uses several methods to electronically track the visitors, the amount of time they spend on the site and if they ultimately book a vacation while on the site. Of course, many consumers prefer the ‘human’ factor; after perusing the site, they speak directly with an Agent to make the final arrangements. Because it is important to accommodate both internet and telephone customers, the “contact us” form and company phone numbers have been made extremely easy to find. Finally, as feedback is critical to future upgrades, the company watches the electronic indicators closely, and welcomes feedback from the end-users.
In addition to offering rental services in Naples and Marco, Premier Properties is the exclusive Southwest Florida affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates. The company offers full service real estate offices in the Village on Venetian Bay in Park Shore; on Broad Ave South, Bayfront, and 5th Avenue South in Old Naples; The Premier Gallery at the Northern Trust Building on Tamiami Trail North; at Naples Grande Hotel on Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples; The Esplanade Shoppes on Marco Island; The Promenade at Bonita Bay; and the Plaza at Five Points in Sarasota. Premier Properties’ Commercial Division is located in Bonita Springs and the Developer Services Division and Rental Division are in the Quarles & Brady Building in Naples. Premier Properties is the real estate division of The Lutgert Companies.
Special to NDN Real Estate Communities May 22, 2008
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