How-To Add Your Chatbot to Google, Yelp, and More
Chatbots aren’t just for property websites anymore—you can add them anywhere.
Tech
Our recent times of crisis have proven that communication is critical. The multifamily industry has stepped up by embracing available technology, like chatbots, to keep residents and prospects informed within an ever changing environment. The reason why chatbots are a great communication tool for multifamily is because they can handle a high volume of inquiries at any given point. This is especially helpful when properties are receiving a lot of messages about shifting policies, protocols, and business hours.
They have also emerged as a key marketing tool for apartment owners and management companies. With a chatbot, prospects are able to get instant answers about a community and schedule tours—virtual ones too. This can significantly increase the productivity of your leasing team by freeing them up to focus on more high-value activities.
Traditionally, a chatbot is installed on a property website using a little snippet of code. You’ve seen them before, modestly displayed with an icon in the lower-right corner of a webpage. When a prospect visits, they are welcomed by the chatbot with a message encouraging them to ask questions or schedule a tour.
While it is important to have a chatbot on your property website for a multitude of reasons, that’s not the only place where prospects want to interact! The majority of renters today (72%) use 3rd-party listing sites, like Apartments.com or Zillow when searching for an apartment according to a study conducted by NMHC / Kingsley Associates. Luckily, there’s a simple way to add your chatbot directly on to these sites.
First, you will want to make sure your chatbot can be hosted on its own standalone URL or link. This is included for LeaseHawk clients that use ACE™ Virtual Leasing Assistant. If you are not a LeaseHawk client, you will need to contact your individual chatbot developer or software vendor for instructions on how to host your chatbot.
Next, once you have the URL for your chatbot, simply add the link to your property listings. It can be added in the About, Bio, and Appointment sections of your listings and social media profiles, or virtually anywhere that a link can be placed. When prospects click on the link, a new browser window appears where they are able to instantly chat, get answers to their common leasing questions, and schedule a tour. Then, once their conversation is over, the leads are funneled to your leasing team, so they can do what they do best—close the lease!
Here are a few examples of where you can add your chatbot, to enable your prospects to instantly interact with your properties.
Add your chatbot URL into the “Appointments” field of your Google My Business listing.
Add your chatbot URL into your sitelink extensions.
Customize the Call-to-Action button on your Yelp listing with your chatbot URL.
Provide the link to your chatbot within the Building Overview section.
Add your chatbot link into the About section of your property listing.
Publish tweets using a call-to-action to chat instantly or schedule a tour. Or, add your chatbot link into the “Website” section of your Twitter profile.
Add your chatbot link as one of the five links that can be overlaid on top of your YouTube channel art. Or, include it in your channel description.
Supercharge your Instagram Bio with tools from linktree or lnk.bio. Add your chatbot link as one of the options for your followers to click.
Similar to Instagram, you can create a supercharged link to add to your Bio. Or, you can simply add your chatbot link right into your profile’s description.
Provide your chatbot URL within the Description section of your posting. At this time, Craigslist does not allow users to add hyperlinks in postings, so it is helpful to include directions for your prospects to copy and paste the URL into their browser.
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UDR has seen significant cost savings and increased prospect conversions since implementing ACE™ Virtual Leasing Assistant from LeaseHawk. According to Scott Wesson, UDR’s Chief Digital Officer, “By implementing ACE, UDR is on track to reducing its operating expense for managing calls by 65%.”
The LeaseHawk and Apartments.com partnership includes full integration of ACE™ Virtual Leasing Assistant on listings, so renters can enjoy instant and conversational responses to leasing inquiries. This partnership promises to streamline the rental process and create a lift in prospect conversion.
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