TECHnews MOBILE Jackson Stops & Staff goes mobile
Jackson Stops & Staff has been making inroads into the world of mobile and seen some very impressive results through working with Pocket Size Media (PSM). David Parris, Group Operations Director of Jackson-Stops & Staff, says that it was clear that the number of mobile devices viewing their website was increasing, “We wanted to ensure that we were recognising these changes and acting on them. We were unsure on the best approach and the advice seemed to vary. Should we focus on mobile web, or apps, or both? Being a fan of technology I couldn’t help but feel there had to be a way of offering a great experience to all types of mobile users. “Pocket Size Media’s approach
was very clear, understanding the different types of user and making sure we offered them the best possible experience. It was also about feeding the information back to us, so we could work with different products like Apps for Apple and Android, without feeling they were isolated
from our other online technologies.” Working with Pocket Size Media the agency has seen a 500 per cent increase in property views on mobile. Users who downloaded the Android and Apple Apps currently account for about 10 per cent of mobile users but they are about to overtake mobile web users when it comes to total property views. “Most importantly for us, the management information PSM provides enables us to be very precise about catering for our customers’ needs.” Dave Bartlett, MD Pocket Size Media says, “It is great to see how Jackson Stops & Staff is working with mobile and the results really speak for themselves. For us, implementing mobile is about taking away the complexities and helping businesses understand what truly works for them. Given that the phones today are incredibly sophisticated devices, the real opportunities are only just
beginning. Mobile web is key, but we remind people that when it comes to really engaging with prospects and customers the user experience within a product built specifically for the handset type will always be superior.”
www.pocketsizemedia.co.uk
Need a new portal? Try Need a Property PORTALS
With the merger of portal giants Zoopla and DPG, the field is open for smaller portals to make their mark. Right on cue we hear of a new national property portal –
www.needaproperty.com, designed to provide a ‘viable and cost effective alternative to the established competitors in the market’. Need a Property aims to
give estate agents something different, offering an initial free trial and a monthly charge starting at just £100 thereafter. With agents facing added strain from increases in advertising, staffing and portal costs, Need a Property could be an alternative choice for larger agents with multiple branches and a vital lifeline for smaller independent firms with fewer resources. Scott Green, founder and CEO of Need a
Property, said: “Times are tough and the increasing pressures could push more smaller firms to breaking point. Need a Property understands the pressures on agents of all sizes; it has been set up to support the marketing of their properties at a monthly fee that offers a significant discount to the major portals.” David Conway, Director of Galliard Homes and Galliard Residential, one of the major names in the London property market, said, “Property advertising costs on the major portals have continued to rise which is why it’s great to
18 JULY 2012 PROPERTYdrum SOFTWARE
Lomond Capital selects LetMC
Lomond Capital, a rapidly growing lettings acquisition vehicle focusing on acquiring businesses across Scotland, Manchester, Birmingham and the North East,
has appointed LetMC to supply lettings software for its Edinburgh based business. The cloud software has initially been deployed in Lomond’s Braemore Property Management and James Gibb Property Management businesses; both established letting agents operating in the centre of Edinburgh. Glyn Trott, MD of LetMC, said,
“We’re very pleased that Lomond Capital recognised the software’s ability to expand alongside their business plan. It is a great endorsement in the multi- branch features that run throughout the software, particularly following our recent successful contracts with Arun Estates and Peter Alan.”
LetMC’s multi-branching ability will enable all new Edinburgh acquisitions to be added to the Lomond Portfolio, centralising client accounting at their head office whilst allowing customer facing staff finger tip access to property management tools. Richard Dixon, Partner at Lomond
see Need a Property enter the market. All developers and estate agencies are under pressure to reduce advertising budgets and given that buyers and tenants increasingly use internet portals for their searches, we welcome a fresh new entrant like Need a Property.” With a lean operating business model and
carefully targeted marketing spend, Need a Property is able to offer its services at a significantly lower cost to estate agents whose clients are increasingly aware of the benefits of property portals. For a subscription starting at £100 a month, agents signing up to Need a Property will have their properties displayed on a total of five sites:
Needaproperty.com;
eastwestplc.com (providing access to a lucrative Asian market looking to buy UK property); Daily Express and many more to follow in the coming months. At the moment coverage doesn’t appear to be national but this portal is clearly one to watch.
Capital, said ‘We looked at the main options out there today and felt that LetMC offered the best ‘fit’ with our strategic plans. The key features of LetMC that persuaded us to move to them as our primary platform were their proactive ability to assist with migrations of new acquisitions and support for new branches, a very capable finance function that will allow us to centralise a key part of the business operations as we grow and the ability to easily support multiple brands and branches’.
With the acquisition of Braemore and James Gibb, Lomond is positioned as the second largest player in Edinburgh’s competitive lettings market. Since acquiring Braemore Property Management in November 2010, Lomond has introduced new products and offers, including its ‘Guarantee to Let’ offer, whereby it guarantees that it will let a property within 30 days, or they will pay the rent. With LetMC at their side, Lomond Capital will have the opportunity to continue to offer innovative products and impeccable service to landlords and tenants.
www.letmc.com
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