Online reviews have become an increasingly important way to attract renters to your community. Here’s what makes them a necessity in today’s market — and what you can do to make sure you have quality reviews.
How online reviews amplify your marketing efforts
There are three main ways review can help you attract renters.
1. Reviews improve your search rankings
Did you know that the presence of reviews can increase your ranking in search results?
In fact, 16 percent of Google’s ranking algorithm is based on review signals, according to the 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors Report by Whitespark.
Soliciting reviews should be an ongoing part of your marketing strategy and reputation management. When your business receives new reviews across the web on a regular basis, this indicates to search engines like Google that your business is active and thriving.
2. Reviews provide useful feedback
Want to know how your community can improve its resident experience? Check out your reviews.
While you may be disappointed to receive less-than-stellar ratings and reviews, critical feedback can be a great opportunity for improvement. Use this information to identify what your community can do better to attract and retain residents, and make changes accordingly.
Similarly, positive reviews can show you what’s working — keep it up!
3. Reviews encourage renters to choose your community
Reviews from current and former residents give renters a glimpse into what life might be like at your community. Because reviews come from real residents, this inside look inspires trust, giving renters the final push they need to choose your community.
An overwhelming 98 percent of consumers consider reviews essential to their purchasing decisions, and nearly half won’t even consider purchasing a product that has no reviews. Within Apartments.com, listings with at least one review receive up to 50 percent more leads than those that don’t have any, according a 2023 analysis.
What you can do to improve your reviews
Build these steps into your reputation management strategy:
- Encourage your residents to leave reviews.
- Make sure your community is listed in the essential online directories for businesses, including Google, Yelp, and Apple Maps.
- Sync your reputation management software to Apartments.com to automatically populate reviews to your listings.
- Respond within at least 72 hours to all negative and positive reviews.
- When you receive negative feedback, use it as an opportunity to resolve issues and improve your resident experience.
- Feature excerpts from your positive reviews on your social media channels.
Check out the webinar for more tips
Want to learn more about reviews? Join Erica Byrum, assistant vice president of social media for Apartments.com, in a short on-demand webinar to get her top tips for optimizing your reviews. Watch now:
Interested in personalized support managing reviews and ratings? Check out Apartments.com’s Social Media & Reputation Suite.
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