Last month, we introduced you to Mark-Taylor Residential, a leading apartment development company whose web strategy has won them industry awards. Their search for a better information resource for their residents led them to Vortaloptics. Vortaloptics would design their custom local search engine and marketing strategy to help Mark-Taylor to: lead, attract, retain and profit. Although Mark-Taylor's business may be far different from yours, their case study contains some very valuable and actionable tips for site search development and rollout.

Defining Mark-Taylor’s search strategy was priority number one. Resident amenities are very important to their customer-centric firm, which strongly believes in an open dialogue between resident and company. Mark-Taylor has invested heavily in their online presence and electronic communications to foster an ongoing conversations on the customer’s terms. The goal to make resident’s lives easier was the driving force behind how their local search amenity was developed.

With locations in eight major cities within the widespread Phoenix valley, Vortaloptics devised an end user scenario that would make a local search for “dry cleaners” local for both Chandler residents (south end) and Scottsdale residents (north end). A drop-down box with the eight main cities fulfilled the objective of making “local” much more local.

Additionally, a local directory was developed that could guide the casual browser or help searchers clarify their search requests. 21 categories and 120 subcategories were defined based on known and anticipated resident interests. The broad range of categories includes Accommodations, Entertainment, Government Agencies, Professional & Lifestyle Services, Religion and Sports & Leisure, among others, with various subcategories populated beneath each category.

Once the categories had been identified, the task of populating the engine began. Vortaloptics’ data entry team began filling the search results with relevant links: only businesses that had been subjected to human review, were in good standing in the community and had a useful website were added.

In real estate, it's all about location. For search, the same holds true. Mark-Taylor knew that residents frequent the "Resident's Corner" page on their site more than any other. This page contains online bill features, a maintenance request form, a referral program and a link to the award-winning 24-hour Concierge service. This page seemed the ideal spot to install the search box and a mini-directory (an offering of the top 12 categories). A relocation services section was added - offering one-click access to new movers' immediate needs.

Building awareness of the localized search engine was next priority. After all, the amenity’s value would reveal itself when the “real users” – the local community dwellers and Mark-Taylor residents – would search and browse their way to better, faster answers.

Collateral was developed for the leasing offices, newsletter announcements were made, press releases conducted, and doorhanger flyers blanketed every single apartment within the community. Leasing consultants were educated on the depth of information available in the search engine and happily, they immediately began referring residents to the better resource for information. Finally, Mark-Taylor employees could save time and provide more than just an opinion: residents could make the choice themselves about what company should earn their business that day for the product or service they were seeking.

Then the advertisers came knocking. Every day, businesses approach Mark-Taylor for advertising opportunity: their affluent local demographic is a prime prospect for local businesses. A referral fax program was set up so that leasing consultants could quickly staple a business card to a fax sheet and send it off to the outsourced sales team for follow-up. With annoying neon flyers a thing of the past, the search engine became the #1 recommended and used resource for connecting local businesses to local residents. Awareness, greater efficiency and advertising dollars were quickly accomplished through a well-crafted search strategy.

From concept to profitability took a few short months. Mark-Taylor aggressively moved into a space no other property management company had to date: a holistic local search amenity for their local residents. Vortaloptics delivered the tool and marketing program economically, on budget and on time.

A Mark-Taylor leasing consultant wrote an unsolicited testimonial of her own, extolling the effectiveness of Mark-Taylor’s web- and resident-centric online strategy. The story breaks in after having “sold” a new resident over the phone – just days before that prospect was scheduled to fly in from out of state to conduct a physical tour the property prior to a job transfer.

“As for Stephanie, because of our website, she canceled her plane ticket and rented over the phone. She was able to fill out her application and then fax everything over to us.

Stephanie also had not clue what was around in Chandler, so I directed her to our search engine as well. She was able to view the surrounding businesses and answer all of her Chandler questions.

To me it's not closing over the phone it's closing over the website…”

Site search can benefit companies in many ways. To get the most out of a tool, though, it’s important to immediately identify your main goals and strategize the execution. Visualize the end user experience. Let the experts build the search tool while you focus on producing awareness and adoption internally and externally. Let other potential stakeholders know how much they stand to gain from being a part of the search results. As you reach and fulfill your goals, enjoy the success – and then get ready for the next phase of exposure and profitability….which next month’s article will reveal. Stay tuned!

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