The digital marketing landscape is changing at a rapid pace, not only in the multifamily industry, but for businesses across the spectrum. To gain insight into today's most pressing (and sometimes challenging) trends, we’re talking with smart leaders about their digital strategies.

Marketing Thought Leader: Jeremy Wacksman, CMO, Zillow

Zillow’s chief marketing officer, Jeremy Wacksman, has seen — and embraced — the rapid growth of digital marketing. As CMO, Jeremy has spent six years driving Zillow’s product and marketing strategy, so we thought it would be great to learn more about his ideas around developing a mobile-first approach to business.

Zillow: Mobile is growing exponentially and has surpassed desktop in both search volume and time spent. Tell us how Zillow got its arms around the “touch Web” and started forming a mobile strategy.

Jeremy: Mobile has been important to us from the get-go. Zillow invested heavily in 2009 after the launch of the App Store. We thought the mobile platform was a natural fit for our businesses because real estate information is something you want when you’re out and about — when you’re looking in a neighborhood for an apartment or house that you love. It made sense to take information that we already had and put it in a context where it’s accessible in real time in our users’ hands.

Over the last several years, the way we think about mobile has shifted pretty dramatically. It used to be an add-on — an interesting area of growth. Now, there is no distinction. Mobile is our business. Nearly two-thirds of our flagship brand Zillow’s usage occurs on a mobile device. That spikes to over 70 percent on the weekends. The touch Web changed the whole way we think about and design our products.

Zillow: Why do you think there has been such a dramatic shift in the way consumers use mobile technology?

Jeremy: Mobile is an immediacy platform. It’s not a sit down, take your time with a cup of coffee and ask a bunch of questions platform. It’s a “give me the information, give it to me now — I have five minutes on the bus” platform. Renters want things quickly. Everyone expects things immediately. That’s part of why mobile took over.

Mobile has also extended the amount of time consumers interact with media. It’s just easier to spend more time on screens now than it was on your laptop. Before you had a smartphone, the concept of looking at a screen on the weekend or having a screen with you while you were looking at an apartment didn’t exist. People didn’t look at a screen right before bed. Now, users are interacting with you all the time. People are getting updates and alerts, they are dreaming about their home, and they’re doing it at all times a day. The screen has become all-consuming. Your business has to be available 24/7. That’s a big shift people miss.

Zillow: What companies are doing mobile well?

Jeremy: Companies that are doing mobile really well are the ones who have solved new use cases for their customers and created rich experiences. I think a number of retailers are doing mobile well. Target, for example. They have embraced the in-store experience. They understand that their store is a physical location, and when customers come in they are going to use their phones to check prices and inventory and look for coupons or deals. Target has store maps and shopping list functionality in its apps — they added value for their customers and solved for a use case that didn’t exist before mobile. The mobile website is easy to use, simple and quick. Another industry is travel. Starwood is doing some interesting things with mobile check-in and keyless entry. Their app is making their customers’ stay easier.

I think it’s important for multifamily marketers to embrace the idea that their community is a physical location. When potential residents come for a tour, they are on their phones taking the same types of action: price checking, comparison shopping, taking photos, taking notes, reading reviews. How are multifamily marketers solving for residents’ and potential residents’ unique use cases? That’s something to think about.

Zillow: How do you think about the difference between mobile apps versus the mobile Web?

Jeremy: Apps need a reason to exist. If you build a cool use case, like Starwood’s keyless entry and mobile check-in, then consumers understand the benefit of getting your app. What a lot of companies do — and they shouldn’t — is repackage their website as brochureware in an app. That’s backwards. You should start with mobile Web. That’s where you can focus on acquisition. Then, if there’s a consumer benefit, commit yourself to building an app.

Zillow: Where should a multifamily executive start when it comes to mobile strategy?  

Jeremy: Mobile works best when you design for the device before anything else. That’s where your customers are. Listen to your consumers and invest in research to figure out their wants and needs, and how you can deliver those on mobile.

I would say another thing — customers do things differently with a phone, and they expect a different and streamlined experience. Ask yourself, “What looks right on mobile? What is easy to consume?” Maybe you can cut your marketing materials from your mobile site. Maybe the contact form has a click-to-call function or is auto-populated. Maybe the copy is shorter. If I’m looking at two listings, can I get a sense of what yours offers quickly? I think that people who are doing mobile the best are the ones who have designed for the device first and made it easy for customers to find what they want quickly.