An attractive website is crucial in making your coliving space attract the right type of residents and build that community. Your website often forms people's first impression about you; therefore, it's key in leaving an impression on the prospects who may eventually visit your premises. In this post,

Mayank Pokharna will outline actionable tips aimed at helping you build an awesome website that really resonates with your audience.

If you are looking for a paid website audit for your coliving. Please mail to: mayank@artof.co

If you are looking to start a coliving business we have recently launched the Artof.Co Incubator Program. It is a 12-month milestone based program helping coliving entrepreneurs successfully conceptualize and build sustainable coliving businesses.

1. Identify Your Value Proposition

Identify What Sets You Apart

• Just bring out unique features: location, community events, and eco-friendly practices are some of the elements that need to be highlighted.
• Craft a Compelling Message: Your homepage should immediately convey what makes your coliving space special.

Example: "Experience sustainable living in the middle of the city through our innovative, eco-friendly coliving spaces meant for young professionals."

2. User-centered design and navigation

Ensure Seamless User Experience

• Responsive Design: Optimize your website for all devices, including tablets and mobile phones.
• Intuitive navigation: Using obvious menus and logical page structures helps people quickly locate information.
• Swift Loading Times: Optimize images and employ efficient coding to enhance site speed.

Example: A load time of less than 1s for the homepage can help you generate 10-20% extra traffic and reduce the bounce rate. This increases the time spent on the website and gives all the right signals to the search engine on the user experience.

📘 For more on crafting intuitive environments, both digital and physical, visit our post on Designing Your Coliving Space to learn key design principles.

3. Rich Visual Content

Invest in professional media.

• Stunning Photography: Capture your rooms, communal areas, and neighborhood with high-resolution images.
• Virtual Tours: They will provide an immersive experience with 360-degree tours or video walkthroughs.
• Testimonials of Existing Tenants: Using pictures and quotes by existing residents will give credibility.

Example: Check casamia.co. They have virtual tours for each of their homes, along with photographs, housemate information, who the home is ideal for, and testimonials.

4. Information about Your Spaces in Detail

Be clear and informative.

• Comprehensive Descriptions: Provide details about room sizes, amenities, and any special features.
• Amenities List: Provide clearly all facilities, from coworking spaces to gyms to the rooftop garden.
• Transparent Pricing: Include all costs upfront, mentioning any additional fees or deposits.

This helps in reducing the doubts in people’s minds and preempting the questions, which helps in faster decision-making and hence higher conversion.

5. Community and events focus

Showcase Your Vibrant Community

• Events Calendar: Highlight upcoming events, workshops, and social gatherings.
• Community Stories: Publish blogs or videos of resident experiences.
• Community Guidelines: Articulate your values and what residents can anticipate from the community

Check the community facilitation handbook, which dives deeper into different aspects of community building.

✴️ Explore Building a Thriving Coliving Community for detailed approaches to engaging your residents through events and shared experiences.

6. Optimise for Search Engines (SEO)

Increase Your Web Presence

• Keyword Research: Throughout your content, incorporate relevant keywords such as “coliving space in [Your City].”
• Meta Tags: Optimize page titles, meta descriptions, and headers.
• Quality Content: Regularly update your blog with valuable articles related to coliving and lifestyle.

This is the most ignored part of website building, as it takes more time to show its impact. But, once it starts showing, it can make or break your coliving business.

7. Simplify the process of booking.

Make your community easy to join.

• Internet Applications: Provide simple booking forms.
• Availability Calendar: Keep it updated to reflect current openings on website.
• Secure Payments: Multiple payment options with secure processing.

The easier we make it for people to book on our website, the higher the conversion rate.

8. Promote High-Speed Internet and Workspaces

Service for the community

• Show Wi-Fi speeds: Share verified internet speeds using resources such as speedtest.net.
• Dedicated Workspaces: Details concerning coworking spaces and office amenities.

Workspaces and WiFi can be a make or break for some members who are planning to stay in coliving spaces. If you can integrate live wifi speed on your website using API’s from providers like Wifirst, the trust that it will build with the visitor will be next level.

9. Add Social Proof

Testimonials to Establish Trust

• Resident Reviews: Feature testimonials and provide links to external review platforms.
• Awards and Recognitions: Highlight any accolades that your coliving space has garnered.

Record people while having fun during events, take video feedback, record surroundings of the space, and then put them on the website creatively to build more social proof and trust in this digital world.

10. Provide Exceptional Support and Contact Information

Be Accessible to Potential Residents

• Multiple Contact Methods: Provide email, phone, and even live chat support.
• FAQ Section: Address common questions proactively.
• Location Map: Incorporate a map that illustrates your precise location along with nearby attractions.

I see a lot of coliving websites lacking here. Your website is your visiting card to potential residents, and if you don't document the support infrastructure well enough and leave people guessing, it can reflect badly on your brand.

11. Accessibility and Inclusivity Emphasize

Welcome Everyone.

• Inclusive Language: Use language that is welcoming and non-discriminatory.
• Accessibility Features: Ensure your website is accessible to disabled users.

Example: At SimplyGuest, we ran a campaign called All are Welcome @ SimplyGuest. We created illustrations of different behaviors, characteristics, and preferences and ended it with All are Welcome @ SimplyGuest to make a point that we are open and transparent for all alike.

12. Legal Compliance and Transparency

Build Credibility Through Honesty

• Terms and Conditions: Clearly state all of the policies, including cancellations and house rules.
• Privacy Policy: Define how user data is treated, keeping in mind regulatory requirements such as GDPR.

13. Encourage Longer Stays

Build Commitment

• Flexible Leasing Options: Offer discounts for longer-term commitments.
• Loyalty Programs: Implement rewards for long-term residents or referrals.

Create these different messages across website to make sure people understand the value we are putting on the table.

14. Add Social Media Expand Your Reach.

• Social Sharing Buttons: Share your content easily with visitors.
• Live Feeds: Add your feeds from Instagram or Facebook and show the latest events.
  

15. Monitor and Improve Continuously improve your website.

• Analytics Tools: Use Google Analytics for tracking users behavior.
• A/B Testing: Engage in experiments with various layouts or calls-to-action to enhance conversions.

Building an exceptional website for your coliving space is not just about aesthetics—it’s about creating a digital home that reflects the essence of your community. By focusing on user-friendly design, high-quality visuals, transparent information, and SEO optimization, you set the stage for attracting residents who resonate with your values and offerings.

Remember, your website is often the first interaction potential residents have with your space. Make it count by showcasing what makes your coliving community unique, be it through immersive virtual tours, engaging content, or highlighting your vibrant community events. Continuously monitor and update your site to ensure it remains relevant and effective in meeting the needs of your audience.

By implementing these tips, you’ll not only enhance your online presence but also build a strong foundation for a thriving and connected community. Your website is more than a marketing tool; it’s an invitation to join a shared living experience that can enrich the lives of your residents.

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🔎 Want To Explore the Coliving Industry Further?

Check out these additional resources:

🔗 Developing Your Coliving Concept – A guide to building a unique and appealing coliving concept from the ground up.

🔗 How We Built a Coliving Space in Less Than 14 Days and How You Can Learn From It – Practical insights into the rapid execution and learning from successful coliving projects.

🔗 Resolving Human Tensions: An Approach to Identify Root Causes in Relationship – Essential for those wanting to foster a harmonious coliving environment.