With home prices increasing across the board, rental properties have become the desirable option for most people, especially in the early stages of their careers. The rental eCommerce industry is anticipated to have a CAGR of 14% from 2023 to reach US$ 77.09 billion in 2033.
The growth trajectory is excellent news, but individual rental businesses must now compete with more rivals than ever. They can no longer rely on conventional marketing instruments such as push notifications and one-size-fits-all promotional emails. They need a unique differentiator in their marketing arsenal.
Enter Inbox Commerce.
This article explores the specifics of innovative marketing technology and explains how it can directly and positively contribute to the growth of the rental industry.
What is Inbox Commerce?
Inbox Commerce denotes marketing products/services, innovatively engaging with customers, and conducting transactions right inside RCS messages, WhatsApp messages, and AMP-powered emails.
This approach focuses on bringing the utmost convenience and simplicity into the customers’ experience when interacting with brands. They can stay within the inbox of messages and emails and effortlessly buy products/services without being redirected to sites and apps.
Messages empowered with Inbox Commerce let users experience website or app-like functions without visiting any website or app.
The success of Inbox Commerce results from three technologies – RCS (Rich Communication Services), WhatsApp Business, and AMP for email. Together, they form Inbox Commerce, the most influential strategy in unconventional marketing and conversion.
Here are a few use cases that demonstrate the power of Inbox Commerce in the rental eCommerce industry.
Showcase all properties within a single AMP email
Properties listed by the sellers can be placed in a single AMP email to the buyers, complete with images, videos, and detailed text for each house/apartment.
AMP emails come with multiple dynamic features that display each rental property in its entirety. Customers can click on each video in a listing, which will play within the email body. They can click on a collapsed content header, which will expand to reveal comprehensive information on the property.
In other words, customers don’t need to go to a website or app to explore their listings. Everything they need to know to make a decision is available within a single email.
Help prospective renters book property tours via WhatsApp
If someone likes a house or apartment they might want to rent, should they have to set up a viewing visit through calls or emails? Not if you’re going to offer quick and convenient bookings.
Use WhatsApp Business to allow property viewings. Users can access a menu, look up free time slots, and book a tour. You can give the customer the contact information, address, and directions (or Google Maps pin) within the WhatsApp message.
Encourage tenant referrals through RCS messages
If you have unlet properties, you can entice current tenants with a cash reward or rent deduction (for a couple of months) to refer to people looking to move house. Send an in-message form via RCS, including all the images, videos, and GIFs you want to show. Hype up participation by getting creative with highlighting the reward for referrals.
Customers can directly refer prospective tenants by entering their contact information into the form in the RCS message. No extra effort is required to grab a desirable reward. Isn’t this a win-win?
Provide 360-degree virtual tours within AMP emails
We’ve all seen those 360-degree virtual tours of museums and monuments. Offer a similar tour of your rental properties right within the body of an AMP email.
People can look into every room of a house/apartment, check outdoor views, and explore kitchen setups, cabinet placements, and bathroom sizes simply by clicking and scrolling through an email. This simple, effective initiative will encourage prospective tenants to visit the property because they already know what it looks like and have at least considered that it may fit their needs.
Display tenant testimonials as social proof on WhatsApp
There is no one a prospective customer trusts more than an existing customer. Unlike a brand or business, the latter has no reason to push a sale to the buyer.
Request testimonials from your current tenants and display them within your WhatsApp messages to prospective renters. For example, if you send a notification regarding the availability of a new property, add these testimonials in the same image, video, or text message. Prospective customers will know that they are dealing with a trustworthy brand.
Enable easier inquiries through RCS messages
Does a prospective renter want to talk about a property they saw online? They can simply message your business’ RCS thread and get numerous options – call, video call, text, etc. What they don’t have to do (anymore) is make a call or write an email and wait for a response.
Providing instant and relevant answers to customer queries is one of the easiest ways to build a positive brand image, and RCS makes the process simple.
Expedite the leasing cycle through AMP emails
A long-drawn leasing process is likely to dissatisfy and repel tenants. Make it easy for them to move in and move out by confining the entire process within a single AMP email.
Customers can select a property, upload their details and documents, and click ‘Apply.’ The brand can quickly review the application and send a confirmation email. After that, customers can send the deposit, completing the transaction.
Make it easy for the customer to give you their business (that’s not on them; it’s on you), and bring the interaction/transaction to the easiest and most accessible avenue: their email inbox.
Better business, happier customers with Inbox Commerce
The principle of Inbox Commerce boils down to a simple philosophy: make it easier for customers to do business with the brand they choose. From the decision-making to the purchase stage, Inbox Commerce offers novel ways to simplify customer actions that lead to engagement and conversion.
Reach out to us to know how Inbox Commerce can help you outperform competition with innovative and profitable marketing. Understand how you can benefit from our expertise and experience.
Serving over 6,500 customers across 40 countries, Netcore delivers over one billion inbox experiences every day – including 500 million emails and 700 million push notifications. Netcore’s AI is trained on 25 billion+ interactions from 1,300+ eCommerce stores, making it an invaluable asset for global brands.
