What the data says: 4 nudge marketing strategies that work (& 1 that probably won’t)

If you’re familiar with using nudge marketing campaigns on RentCafe websites, you probably know there are a lot of options.

(And if you’re not familiar with it, read this introduction to nudge marketing before you continue this article.)

So, considering your options, what are the best nudge marketing strategies that will help you get the most conversions?

Since we believe the best marketing decisions are data-driven marketing decisions, we did a nudge marketing case study designed to answer exactly that question. We tested the same nudge marketing messaging used in different configurations across 276 properties over 90 days.

The reason for the study

Well, here at REACH, we’ve noticed that a lot of RentCafe clients use nudge campaigns on their homepage only. This is not something we typically recommend, and we always want to back up our recommendations with data.

We studied 19 different nudge campaign configurations to find out which placement and timing works best.

The most effective nudges

Of all the nudge marketing campaigns tested, the study identified four that are the most effective at converting website visitors. This means they clicked on the nudge and took the next step.

The highest performing nudge campaign configuration was fixed at the bottom, displaying after zero seconds, located on the floor plans page only. The runners up were either modest or fixed-at-bottom placements on interior pages or just the floor plan page.

In case you haven’t checked out your RentCafe nudge options yet, “fixed at bottom” nudges are exactly what they sound like. They are nudge messages that appear in a band of color that’s fixed across the bottom of screen as you view a page. “Modest” nudges are a layout option that narrows the spread of the content so it’s less intrusive to the user. When clicked, a card flies up from the bottom of the screen to collect the user’s information.

Not shown on this chart is the fifth runner up, which was a modest nudge appearing after 5 seconds of viewing time, located only on the floor plan page.

The least effective nudge

Notably, none of the top performing campaigns were nudges that appeared on the homepage.

In fact, nudges appearing on the homepage after zero pageviews and zero seconds had the lowest conversion rate of all 19 nudge configurations we tested.

Homepage nudges converted at just .16%, making them the lowest performing nudge campaigns.

This makes sense, because people just visiting your site for the first time probably aren’t ready to convert yet. It’s like asking someone for their order the second they step into a new restaurant, before they’ve even looked at the menu. They’re likely to be overwhelmed and will probably bounce.  

Exceptions to the rule

While not ideal for turning website visitors into leads, homepage nudges can be used effectively for other purposes.

For example, a homepage nudge can be a great way to get important information out quickly.

If you have an open house coming up, special holiday hours or another community-wide announcement, use a homepage nudge to make sure people see your announcement.

Embrace the power of nudges

This case study found that by strategically deploying nudge marketing campaigns on your RentCafe website’s interior pages, you can boost your lead generation efforts and convert more visitors into potential residents.

Remember, homepages are better suited for announcements, while interior pages reign supreme for nudges driving lead generation.

Ready to take action? Experiment with these top-performing configurations on your website and witness the lead generation power of these successful nudge marketing strategies!