For Rent Media Solutions™ Launches the New ForRent.com® Website

Apr 7
13:34

2007

Erica Campbell

Erica Campbell

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Leading Apartment Listing Website redesigned to better accommodate apartment seekers and ForRent.com clients

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NORFOLK,For Rent Media Solutions™ Launches the New ForRent.com® Website Articles Va—(April 6, 2007) – For Rent Media Solutions, a leading apartment resource for finding apartment communities nationwide and a division of Dominion Enterprises, is proud to announce the launch of the much anticipated redesign of www.ForRent.com.

“For Rent Media Solutions has always brought innovative marketing solutions to the multi-housing industry,” says Terry Slattery, vice president and general manager of For Rent Media Solutions. “As the multi-housing industry changes, For Rent Media Solutions is evolving to meet the needs of customers and end users alike.”

The new site provides everyone from end-users to property managers and multifamily housing industry professionals with a comprehensive overview of the ForRent.com product, including current advertising information; press releases; and apartment listings. Still, like For Rent Magazine®, the site is both informative and accessible. In order to take our current online marketing efforts to the next level, For Rent enhanced the usability and site navigation as well as search engine optimization and link building. These changes were made with the intention of increasing our conversion rate to maximize the return on investment of our clients’ marketing dollars, as well as give a more modern and innovative experience to those who visit the new website.

Consumers can search for an apartment for rent by using the search function on the home page. For those who want a more defined search, the optional search criteria function allows apartment seekers to search by city area, beds/baths, rent range, apartment features and community features. End-users will be excited to know, the website is even more user-friendly than before. The site has also removed all pop-up windows in an effort to create a more enjoyable experience for the apartment seeker. When the end-user arrives at the “Apartment Search Results” pages, they will notice the “Refine Your Search” box is more prominent making it easier for apartment seekers to make changes such as price and location. They will no longer need to make these changes on another page because the box is conveniently located in the upper left hand corner.

ForRent.com clients will be happy to know that the new site has been redesigned using the PHP platform, an updated programming language that will help the site run more efficiently and allowing information to be updated quicker in areas like the administrative console and profile page. The site’s back end infrastructure has also been drastically improved to support the current load of information that is being shared by Property Management Companies customers, partners and other sources. By improving the database integrity, the site will continue to grow with our customer base for years to come.

“The database upgrade has allowed us to utilize a new reporting service component to produce reports that we believe cater to our clients needs,” says Amanda Hiller, general manager of ForRent.com. “Reporting features were redeveloped to enable our clients to take advantage of the ability to graph report data in a variety of chart types, save and export reports in various formats and schedule reporting and delivery to the end user.” The updated operating platform will allow ForRent.com to be more nimble in meeting the needs of clients and the end-user alike. Property managers will also find that the new reporting capabilities will provide them with more targeted results.

The new site features exciting tools such as Community Theater™ and Roomplanner. Community Theater is a streaming video package that offers ForRent.com clients custom video for their community. Community Theater can be seen on the For Rentwebsite as well as the management company’s site. The streaming video package also includes a professional voice over, production and editing, and a video e-mail brochure to send to prospects for follow up. Roomplanner is an exciting and interactive feature that lets the end-user design their virtual apartment before they decide to rent.

The ForRent.com website has also been search engine optimized, creating more opportunities for the site to be indexed by the search engines. In addition, this will increase customer acquisitions, conversion rates, retention, and improve our clients’ return on investment.

About ForRent.com®

ForRent.com, a product of For Rent Media Solutions and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has over 50,000 apartment community listings, featuring 7 different ways to search our extensive listings database, a rolling slideshow presentation of property photos, detailed floor plans, streaming videos, E-Maps, pricing information and direct connections to leasing agents. With the ability for property managers and owners to advertise Internet-only, ForRent.com offers apartment communities virtual tours, a virtual walk-through of their properties, and professionally voiced toll free talking ads. In addition, our exclusive online Management Console provides property managers and owners their own personal ID and password allowing unlimited access to add or update listings 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

About For Rent Media Solutions™

Headquartered in Norfolk, VA, For Rent Media Solutions™ is a division of Dominion Enterprises. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers, property/apartment managers and owners, For Rent Media Solutions provides superior products, outstanding customer service, and tangible results.  For Rent Media Solutions is a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent, townhouse, condo, duplex, efficiency, studio or loft and provides a free customizable search from over 50,000 apartment listings nationwide.  For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine®, as well as ForRent.com™-The Magazine, and publishes 85 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide, including Senior Outlook®, Para Rentar®, Florida Condominium Sales and Rental Guide and Atlanta Townhome and Condominium Sales and Rental Guide.  For Rent Media Solutions operates five additional websites: ForRent.com®, SeniorOutlook.com™, CorporateHousing.com®, ParaRentar.com™ and FLCondoGuide.com.  For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., is a leading media and information services company serving employment, real estate, automotive, recreation and industrial markets in the United States.  The company operates a variety of technology businesses that offer Internet marketing, Web site design and hosting, lead generation, CRM, and data capture and distribution services including Advanced Access, PowerSports Network, and Dealer Specialties. The company has more than 500 paid and free magazine titles such as For Rent, Harmon Homes, The Employment Guide, Boat Trader, Cycle Trader and RV Trader with a combined weekly circulation of over 5 million, and more than 40 market-leading Web sites such as ForRent.com, EmploymentGuide.com, Homes.com, and TraderOnline.com reaching more than 8 million unique monthly visitors.  The company has nearly 6,600 employees nationwide and 2006 annual revenue of over $850 million.  For more information on Dominion Enterprises, visit dominionenterprises.com