These days it appears everyone is on the go. People are trying to save as much time as possible while running around doing everyday tasks. Now that smartphones allow consumers to access the Internet at anytime, from anywhere, people can essentially shop and search for whatever they’d like at any time of the day. In 2012, comScore estimated that four out of five smartphone users use the device to shop. In addition, Cisco stated that in 2013 the number of mobile devices on Earth would surpass the world’s population. It is extremely important in today’s technology driven world that a company operates a well-developed mobile optimized site.

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This post was originally written by Omer Navaid, Online Marketing Specialist at Apartments.com

If you’re in the marketing industry in any capacity, over the past few years you’ve probably heard something along the lines of mobile is the future. Now that it’s 2013, that really should be changed to mobile is the present. Read More

This post was originally written by Omer Navaid, Online Marketing Specialist at Apartments.com

ExactTarget, an interactive marketing platform providing solutions for email marketing, social media, mobile and websites, held its annual user conference – Connections – this October in their home city of Indianapolis, IN. With 4,000 attendees this year, it was touted as one of the largest interactive marketing conferences in the world. The conference strives to deliver inspiration, education, and last but certainly not least entertainment. As an attendee of the conference, I can attest that ExactTarget succeeded on all three fronts. The conference featured keynotes from top CMOs, as well as Michael J. Fox, who all delivered on this year’s theme of Inspire the Future. It also included 40+ breakout sessions, with wide-ranging topics like cross-channel strategies, segmentation and content marketing. Throw in some entertainment from The Fray and David Blaine and you’ve got yourself a pretty engaging conference. Read More

The attendees of Heartland Mobile Council’s MobiU2012 Summit, held in Chicago on September 24, expected to learn a thing or two about mobile. Despite the fact that I was one of the presenters, I can humbly say the event did not disappoint.

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This post was originally written by Brandon Hollembeak, Product Manager – Advertising Products & Services

Jim Davoren of Apartments.com buying lunch from a food truck by swiping his credit card on an iPad.

This post was originally written by Brandon Hollembeak, Product Manager – Advertising Products & Services

What percentage of all mobile phones is it going to take to start calling smartphones just phones? 80%? 100%? More? (kidding!) Read More

These days, people are accessing your website through any number of ways, including desktop computers, tablets, mobile phones and more.  It’s not safe to assume they’re looking at a nice, large display of your website on a 15-inch laptop.  In fact, according to Read Write Web mobile internet usage has doubled every year since 2009.  Think about the differences in what a person can actually view on a screen when using any of those devices.  A web page viewed on that 15-inch laptop with several paragraphs of decorative-font text and large photos mixed in is going to be a struggle to read when squished down and viewed on a 3.5-inch phone screen.

So what are some ways to simplify and optimize a website to provide the most value on a mobile device? Read More

As an Android enthusiast and a proud apartment dweller, I can assure you that my mobile phone never left my side while I was pounding the pavement during my last apartment search.  And, I’m not alone.  In a year or two, mobile phones are predicated to overtake PCs for accessing information online, which will certainly have an even greater impact on the way people shop for apartments.  Knowing that smartphone owners are brand loyalists (guilty!), Apartments.com launched an Android app to help provide renters—and smartphone lovers—with a variety of options to choose from during their apartment search.

A unique feature of the Apartments.com app is that it’s built according to Google’s guidelines, designed specifically for the Android phone to ensure users have the best experience.  While many companies simply port their iPhone app design over to the Android platform, we’ve tailored the rental search experience for them so that it feels like home.  With Android gaining momentum as one of the most preferred platforms across the country—representing 47% of the market share—Apartments.com is now broadening its reach to this growing segment of smartphone users looking for easy access to apartment information on the go.  Read More

This post was originally written by Brandon Hollembeak, Product Manager – Advertising Products & Services

In 2007, one third of mobile subscribers were texting, mobile browsing was practically non-existent, and the iPhone had just been released.  Apartments.com responded with the product Text4Info Messaging, including a customizable keyword that auto-responded with basic property information and a link to the listing on the Apartments.com mobile site. Read More

This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com. 

Here is a behind the scenes look at our trip to Las Vegas for the National Apartment Association Education Conference and Expo. See anyone you know? Read More