In this issue of HERO News, we talk about the importance of the right elements in your website, and what you might be missing.
Websites are the most significant public-facing element of your business. It’s usually the first and most frequent thing people see, and how they form and maintain opinions of you.
We answer some questions from users, and provide a quick video.
Enjoy!
– The HERO PM Team
Did you know?
HERO PM has built more websites for professional property management companies than anyone. We ditch the meaningless fluff and short-lived fads, and create enduring success through your website.
Community Mailbag
I had my website redesigned 5 years ago – is it time for a fresh design?
Absolutely! Extensive studies have been performed on this. Current data tells us that positive user perception of a website’s design drops after 2.5 years, and falls significantly after 3 years.
The psychology is intricate, but the short version lies in the gap between the style and layout elements people are expecting (based on the websites they visit most often and trust most deeply), and what they are perceiving in your site. This judgement of your outdated website occurs at a subconscious level, before the visitor has considered the information conveyed.
If you have not updated your website design in 3 years, you are likely losing money, losing opportunity, and losing trust. It’s worth a redesign, even if you like what you have.
Is my choice of domain name important?
Yes, but not in the way people may tell you.
Think of your website domain name in much the same manner as your business name. It should be memorable/sticky, easy to communicate, and convey meaning.
So, RentalsInNYC.com is infinitely more valuable than FranciscosManagementServices.com. The former says everything when someone happens on it, and the latter really says nothing (unless you’re a brand like Amazon that spends billions on recognition).
HERO is a domain registrar, and includes domains with your website. Additionally, we registered hundreds of property management and rental-specific domains decades ago when they were first available, and offer them to members for purchase. These domains come with a built-in high credibility rating to launch you to the top of searches simply by purchasing a new domain and connecting it to your existing website.
All of the pieces of my website technology are confusing. Can you help me make sense of how to manage them properly?
Most companies in our industry have little to no experience in dealing with all the different components of web presence. HERO is different.
We do everything, from design to content management to SEO to SSL certificates to backups to domains to email service to monitoring.
Beyond that, your Harmony website comes with the industry’s most advanced management interface, allowing you full control if you want it.
I’ve heard that Harmony websites offer advanced integration, what does this mean?
This is true. Harmony websites have a level of integration that is so advanced, it baffles many experts.
This means that someone doesn’t leave your website to pay their rent, renew their insurance, view their statement, complete an application, or view your rentals.
Harmony is the only solution that offers this level of integration, and its advantages in SEO, user trust, and smooth operations are quite astounding.
Featured Harmony U Video: Where can I see a feature overview of Harmony Websites?
