Brighter LivingMid-America Apartment Communities (MAA)

With 159 separate websites, MAA struggled to maintain its online presence. NavigationArts worked with MAA to bring all the sites under a single instance of Sitecore CMS and designed a consistent interface. Now the system is not only easier to maintain, but it allows users to search for available apartments across all properties.

Awards

Winner of Sitecore's Best Real Estate Site of the Year 2012
Winner of the Web Marketing Association's Hotel and Lodging Standard of Excellence of 2011
Winner of Interactive Media's Best in Class Real Estate of 2011
Winner of Sitecore's North American Best Real Estate Site of 2011

The Challenge

Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA)'s website was not serving as an effective marketing and acquisition channel. MAA was struggling with:

• Aesthetically out-dated look and feel
• Branding and structural disconnect between MAA's corporate site and 158 individual property sites
• Cumbersome user experience, with links to individual property sites 3+ clicks from the homepage
• Inability to update site content due to a complicated hosting arrangement
• No content management system

The Solution

MAA asked NavigationArts to help design a website that unified their brand, boosted demand generation, improved search functionality, and greatly simplified their content management.

Project Results Included:

• Customized single Sitecore CMS to power the MAA corporate and 158 individual property sites
• A persona-based user experience that lets users self-identify and locate content specific to their needs
• A custom-built faceted search application that allows users to find real-time apartment availability information
• Integration with third-party applications, including a leasing engine and residential portal
• Interactive Google maps that geolocate MAA apartment communities within 30 metro areas
• An optimized user experience that contributes to MAA’s overarching goals of boosting lead generation and electronic leasing applications
• A fresh visual signal that balances the new MAA corporate brand with the unique culture and appeal of each of its communities
• Mobile and tablet-optimize sites with custom search application

ROI:

• 20 percent of applicants are leasing online
• 17 percent increase in the number or resident portal sign-ups
• 70 percent of residents have an active myMAA.com account

The Client

MAA is a leading performer in the apartment real estate industry with an award-winning portfolio of more than 47,000 apartment homes. Within the industry, MAA deals in acquisition, redevelopment, new development, property management and disposition.