In this age of information and instant communication, nearly every field has taken up some sort of online presence. Business is no longer conducted exclusively in person, and property management should be no different. Today’s tenants want to be kept “in the know”. The want to have the liberty of making payments easily when they wish to do so, and have access to their important information at all times. Online listings, virtual showings, online payments and community forums are now the norm and are a vital component in creating a satisfying tenant experience. Know this: When it comes to the online world, it is crucial to understand the Mobile first design and some of its advantages.
So what is mobile-first design?
A “mobile-first” design is exactly as it sounds: It is the approach of designing a website starting with the mobile version, which is then adapted and scaled to larger screens from there. Mobile-first ensures that you deliver the right User Experience (UX) to the right screen.
This approach differs from “graceful degradation. Graceful degradation is the traditional approach of creating the product design for a larger screen like a desktop by including well-rounded features, and then making the product compatible for mobile devices by cutting some functions or content.
Early in 2012, smartphone sales had already overtaken PC sales. And currently, on a global scale 68.1% of all website visits in 2020 came from mobile devices!
This is an increase from 63.3% in 2019. Desktops drove 28.9% of visits, while 3.1% of visitors came from tablets. The bottom line is that statistically mobile users far surpass desktop users and businesses must learn to adapt.
So how can a Mobile-First design prove advantageous in property management?
1) Increases Online Traffic
Well to begin, did you know that Google predominantly uses the mobile version of any content for indexing and ranking? This is known as “Mobile-first indexing.” Simply put, Google will look at the mobile version of a website in order to rank it before the desktop version.
Practically speaking this means if you want your website to rank high in google searches, the mobile first approach is the surest way to achieve this! As with all marketing, you must know the industry and recognize your target market. The reality is that we are living and working in a mobile-first world. This is where the focus must be in trying to increase traffic to your site. Increased traffic means an increase in online rent collection and tenant-manager communication and satisfaction.
2) Broadens Your Target Audience
Many of today’s tenants do not even own laptops or desktops. Tenants want to be able to pay their rent quickly and efficiently online, and in most cases, from mobile devices. Invest the time and effort necessary for creating a mobile first design for your online tenant portal, and you will open it up to hundreds of more tenants.
3) Speaks the Language of Your Tenants
As a property manager, knowing your tenants and speaking their language is a gamechanger for your relationship, and ultimately for your reputation down the line. Provide your tenants with the means to pay their rent quickly and easily, submit maintenance requests and more, all in a manner that is most comfortable and familiar to them.
By designing with the user/tenant in mind you are ensuring they have a pleasant user experience, and ultimately you are improving your online presence and recognition.
The MyPortal by Payquad Solution:
Payquad Solutions offers a Mobile-first design in sync with our tenant-centric focus. From our professional portals to our leading-edge Apps, users can accomplish their daily tasks with ease and satisfaction. Book a demo now to learn more!
