A condo association website is a great resource for the association’s internal community. It makes it easier for CAs to create a sense of belonging for members, and it fosters quick and efficient communication.
Being available online can also boost the condo’s profile to reach a global audience. You can use it as a platform to show people why your condo is the best in your area. This will help you attract potential investors who might be interested in purchasing a few units.
Now, if you’re still “thinking” about getting a website done for your condo association, perhaps the following article will inspire you into action.
Benefits of having a website for your condo
A well-maintained, beautifully designed and easy-to-use CA website will keep residents engaged and make them feel like they’re part of a vibrant community.
It makes it easy for residents to stay up to date on neighborhood events, assessment dates and meeting minutes.
Community members can even use the website to pay assessments online, book amenities and check on the progress of certain requests.
As such, it’s crucial for associations to maintain an online presence. Here are some other benefits that come with getting a condo website:
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It’s cost-effective
It’s super affordable to create and maintain a website nowadays. Registering a domain name is inexpensive and there are plenty of fuss-free website developers who’re willing to customize it for you.
Alternatively, you can do it yourself through condo management software like Condo Control Central. This platform doesn’t require any coding experience and the whole process if simple and straightforward.
With a website, there’s no need to print and send physical documents. You’ll save money on postage stamps, envelopes, paper, ink and more!
You can even create and upload letters and forms straight to the website’s cloud interface for easy access. This goes for parking and pool passes too, which you can email to residents so they can print them on their own.
It might be a learning curve at first, but the time spent creating your website is well worth it considering how much money you’ll save.
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24/7 accessibility
Through the website, your condo association will be available 24/7. This means unit owners and prospective residents can contact you any time of day and from anywhere in the world.
Even while you’re asleep or out of the office, your website will continue to advertise and inform visitors about your condo.
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It’s convenient
Condo residents may not always have the time to drive to your physical office and see you about maintenance requests and reports. With a website, they can source a lot of the information about your condo online and straight from the horse’s mouth.
This saves you from unnecessary meetings because the website will do much of the work for you. Just include important resources like a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page and a member database.
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Credibility
A website is a great way to check the credibility of any company. It reflects trust and shows that you’re legit. It also gives you an opportunity to paint the right picture of your condo so that people don’t form negative or distorted misconceptions about it.
Also, people are more likely to consider you a legitimate organization when your website looks professional and easy to use.
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Marketing
A website is like an extra marketing channel for you to show off condos online and reach a wider audience. There are lots of online marketing strategies to choose from and each features your website at the forefront.
You can even use it to target prospective unit owners through keywords as well as videos and images. Focus on common areas, interiors and other special aspects of your condo.
A well-made website is also a great way to attract the right people to your condo association. A professional-looking your website will improve your chances of attracting high-quality residents. Don’t forget to list it on Google My Business to leverage local listings. This platform is great because it allows you to choose the people you want to reach based on their location.
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Wider reach
A website makes it easier for people to find you. For instance, if you mention your condo to someone in passing or an associate loses your business card, they can easily search for the name of your condo and find you online through a simple Google search.
Plus, with the right SEO and visibility tweaks, your website could be the first thing that people see when they search for condos in your area.
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It’s cheaper to advertise
A lot of the advertising you have to pay for offline is available online for free. But, it all starts with having a good quality website because that’s the first place where people will look for you. You may also ask people to sign up for a newsletter through the site. This allows you to build a database of prospects that you can reach out to whenever you have an available unit.
Unlike fliers, banners and newspaper ads, websites are an eco-friendly advertising method and a potential revenue stream for the association.
can run ads on the website to raise funds for the community. Plus, residents will appreciate ads that offer useful information on the latest deals from local dining establishments and travel agencies.
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Track information
With a website, you can track all kinds of data. This includes information on how many people visit your website, the pages they saw and the number of messages you received for a specific time-frame.
You can generate reports based on this information and store it in a cloud interface. No need to pay for printed material and you can generate automatic updates at any time.
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Opportunity
Condo managers no longer have to rely on newspaper write-ups to get their properties noticed. You can just as easily earn credibility, trust, and exposure through your website. It gives you an opportunity to showcase your condo development to the entire world, attracting investors from all over.
You may also use your website to show people the benefits of living in your condo. Perhaps it’s ideally located next to schools and commercial areas. Maybe it’s in a quiet area with ample land and great security. These unique qualities can set you apart and make a strong first impression with website visitors at no extra cost to you.
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Share alerts
A CA website can also be useful for sharing weather and storm-related alerts. This is a great feature to have because residents can use it to prepare for difficult weather. You can send these alerts via email, text or voice call.
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Accountability
A CA website fosters accountability because all account information is made available through it. This includes:
– Meeting minutes
– Budgets
– Governing documents
– Neighborhood rules
– Master Resident Database
– Emergency contact information
– Application forms for all the various requirements and activities
Things to consider
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Choose the right platform
Make sure the web developer you choose to design your website clearly understands how the CA industry works. Alternatively, you can create your own CA website through condo management software such as Condo Control Central.
This software comes with a dedicated condo website builder that you can use to create a unique domain name, choose your preferred design and even upload files. Maintenance of the website is effortless because it’s linked to the Condo Control Central portal.
The right platform is crucial as it can affect your website’s customization options. It also contributes to the maintenance needed to keep your website up to date. Make sure to opt for a platform that’s easy to install and use.
Keep in mind that the right platform should also allow you to make changes on the fly.
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Have a contact page
Every website should have a contact page with your association’s contact information. This includes your email, phone number, and fax. You may even add a live chat function or an inquiry form for people to fill out. Either way, making your CA contact details available via your website offers people a way to get in touch with you whenever they want.
The contact pages should also feature your association’s physical address. It makes it easier for people to find your condo without having to call or email your office for directions. You may also include a Google Maps page to minimize the risk of someone getting lost while trying to reach you.
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Show off your properties
Your condo must be front and center on your website. It’s important to use vivid descriptions of all that you offer and don’t forget to use high-quality photos and 360-degree tours of individual units.
All of this must be interactive and easy to use. That means if you want to upload high-res images and HD videos, the back-end software should be powerful enough to support that technology. Otherwise, your website will be slow and difficult to navigate.
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Develop a brand around your condo
There’s always someone out there looking for an investment property or a new place to call home. Make your condo the first thought that pops into their mind through proper. If your condo is part of lifestyle development, then you can easily leverage that to develop a brand around it.
A well-designed condo website and logo will make you an unforgettable feature in people’s minds. If you’re targeting families, consider coming up with a slogan that speaks to family values and do the same if you want to attract retirees or young professionals. The clearer your brand is, the easier it’ll be for you to attract the right residents to your condo.
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Add a FAQ Page
Let’s face it; people are busy and no-one has time to wait for your receptionist to put their call through. A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page will take care of most questions that visitors have about your condo.
Within seconds, you’ll take care of your prospects’ most burning questions, allowing them to move onto the next step and potentially convince them to sign on the dotted line. People can do all of this (and more) 24/7 without having to wait for office hours.
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Accessibility
If you have elderly residents in your community consider their needs. They may not have the skills required to access the website and make the most of it. That’s why you need a website that’s easy to navigate and accessible to all members of the community.
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Add a blog
Besides posting your contact details and relevant information about your condo, why not keep things fresh with a blog? Almost every website has a blog nowadays, and it’s a great way to attract new eyes to your condo association and boost your profile.
Conclusion
A website is a great way to introduce your condo association to the world, and it gives you a professional image. The more official-looking and customized your website is, the more it’ll benefit your condo association.
Most importantly, the CA website acts as a bridge between the CA board and its residents. It can foster better relationships through improved communication while keeping members in the loop about the latest community events and developments.
A community website will save the CA massive amounts of time that you would’ve spent updating community data manually. Just make sure you have someone to maintain the website regularly. This will help you maintain its credibility as a reliable virtual community hub.