Challenge
Domu is a website that allows users to search a wide selection of the best lofts, houses, condos and apartments for rent in Chicago. Domu is committed to transparency, simplicity and honesty in the apartment listing and searching process. The Challenge Domu approached Duo looking for help with a website overhaul. Their existing site was on Drupal 7, but Domu wanted a redesign. They wanted a new look and feel that would help them be known as the place to go for Chicago rentals. More specifically, Domu wanted to improve and simplify the user experience for visitors looking for rentals, as well as for landlords posting property on the site. Additionally, it was clear Domu was missing out on a number of SEO opportunities, so fixing that became a critical component of the project.
Solution
Our Approach Neighborhood Pages A huge effort went in to restructuring Domu's neighborhood pages in order to improve the user experience and improve SEO. Domu is only focused on Chicago, so they needed to show that they are experts in Chicago. The site's new neighborhood pages do that. Beyond just highlighting the listings in each neighborhood, these pages share the story of the neighborhoods. What to do. Where to shop. How to commute. All this information is included on these pages, as well as beautiful photos from around the neighborhood. This way, apartment hunters can make a more-informed decision. Features and amenities We separated out a number of apartment amenities for landlords to check off, like parking or pet deposit requirements, rather than having them in one large body of text. This makes the content more scannable, and also allows for users to search by more specific features Preview listings Landlords were previously unable to see what their apartment listing looked like until it was published. Now, not only can they see how it before it goes live, but they can also take advantage of Drupal 8's in-line editing, which makes updating content easier and more efficient. Link sculpting SEO was always on our mind with this project, and one thing we did to improve it was develop a simple structure for all Domu URLs that are automatically generated. An individual listing's URL now includes the area of the city, the neighborhood and the specific property name. Photo tutorials The reality for Domu was the site was only going to look as good as the photos landlords uploaded to the site. That is why we helped Domu create a photo tutorial that is easy for anyone to understand. Landlords now are able to view this tutorial as they go through uploading photos.
Results
Domu wanted a site that was simple to use, easy to find and showcased their authority in the Chicago rental scene. The new Domu site built on Drupal 8 does exactly that. The neighborhood pages provide so much more information to site visitors than ever before, and the individual listing pages break down what is offered in a more consistent and visually appealing way. The site is to use on both the front and back end, and it's a visually appealing display that makes users want to engage. We love how the site turned out. So does the team at Domu.
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