Mid-America Apartment Communities has rolled out a mobile-optimized Web site that lets potential renters check apartment availability.

Each of the company?s 150 apartment communities has a customized Web site that is compatible with many smartphone devices. Users can view photos and get door-to-door directions.

?We want to provide our customers a better experience when searching for a new apartment community,? said Melintha Ogle, marketing director at Mid-America Apartment Communities, Memphis, TN. ?Often, prospective renters are in need of driving directions, or want to reference information while they are driving around conducting their apartment search. 

?The mobile site view allows a prospective renter to easily access information on the go, while GPS technology provides an easy to use navigational tool,? she said.

Mid-America Apartments currently owns 44,462 units throughout the Sunbelt region.

Mobile apartments
The mobile site is supported by iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Palm Pre and Windows Mobile devices.

Users can search for an apartment in 14 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

After choosing a state, users can narrow their search by city.

Then, users can click on the info link of the available apartment complexes.

?With the recent and anticipated growth of smartphone sales, we feel like it just makes sense,? Ms. Ogle said. ?It?s a low cost way to make it easy to do business with us.

?The typical renter demographic is 18?35 years of age,? she said.

Here is a screen grab of the site:

Complex features
Users can view photos of the apartment, read about its features and view maps, directions and leasing information.

Additionally, users can apply for an apartment via the mobile site.

Users need to indicate the move date, lease term, floor plan and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms they want.

Renters can also search by unit features, including if they want a bay window, a second floor, a vaulted ceiling or a fireplace.

?Apps are certainly something we are looking into,? Ms. Ogle said. ?Technology-based amenities are becoming increasingly important to our renters. 

?Our next area of focus is to create a resident app that will allow our current residents to pay rent, submit service requests and contact the community,? she said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York