Content has been been a business focus for many years. I’m sure you’ve heard the overused phrase “content is king,” especially when it comes to website and SEO strategies. 

But the real power behind that content “throne” is a meaningful connection.

Connections and engagement—which may spark from or be influenced by your content—are so much more important than the content itself. It’s the results that matter. Getting the results you want, though, may require a change or two because consumer expectations have evolved faster than many of our websites.

Better Connections for Better Website Results

A website is no longer a place to advertise your business like a billboard. It’s a place of connecting. And I’m not talking about the old-school ways of connecting like lead forms and phone calls. If shoppers will visit at least four sources during an apartment hunt, why not be the one they actually connect with right then and there so you can influence that decision? 

Instant help from real people. That’s the start of a meaningful connection today. Such consumer engagement is the single most important thing you can do online (beyond driving relevant traffic to your site, of course). Offering help, sharing incentives or asking the right question at the right time—they can all change the consumer experience and disrupt the apartment shopping process in a positive way! 

Here are a few ways you could make such connections and improve the digital experience:

• Offer live chat to answer questions in real time.
• Add behavioral triggers that will prompt special offerings to visitors that meet criteria (repeat visitors, etc.).
• Offer the option to text your leasing or management team. 
• Optimize your mobile site for easy browsing (and highlight those text and chat options).

The faster and more convenient you make it to connect and get help, the better. (In fact, our attention spans have dwindled from 12 seconds to eight!) Time is the most valuable thing in life, and consumers don’t want to waste it digging to find the information they want or calling in their stolen, “spare” moments. 

So if you haven’t questioned your website and how consumers want to connect with your business, I challenge you: Visit your site today. How you would connect and ask questions? Is it really convenient? Is it something you’d do if you were the apartment hunter...or would you put it off?