“Why do we need interactive floor plans on our website?” That is one of the top questions digital marketing experts receive from home builders. This post discusses how interactive floor plans function and why they are critical for marketing to homebuyers.
What is an Interactive Floor Plan?
An interactive floor plan (IFP) is a digital structural option selection aid and space planning tool that home builders use to sell new construction homes. Unlike a static floorplan with structural options displayed along the side, interactive floor plans allow home buyers to customize a home online by adding structural options, like rooms, fireplaces, porches, alternate kitchen layouts, and more, directly to their plans. With the changes incorporated, your buyers have an accurate picture of the design of their new home. Also known as interactive house plans, many IFPs incorporate exterior house renderings, dynamic (real-time) pricing for options, and a furniture planner. IFPs may also feature hotspots that link to visual enhancements like virtual tours, interior renderings, photos, and Matterport tours. Top-tier IFPs increase viable sales leads by allowing buyers to save their customized plan and transmitting this buyer information to the home builder.
How do Interactive Floorplans Sell Homes?
Homebuyers want to know if a floor plan will work for their lifestyle. Will their furniture fit, or might they need an extra room added to accommodate their family? With many households being multigenerational, flexibility is essential. An interactive floor plan encourages buyers to customize their home. This process creates an emotional connection and increases their chance of purchasing. Bokka Group, a customer experience agency for home builders, shows that more than 90% of new home buyers say interactive floor plans play a vital role in their buying decision.
The Outhouse Interactive Floor Plan Advantage
Outhouse created the first interactive floor plan a quarter-century ago, and ours is still the best and most affordable in the industry. Our Contrado VIP Interactive Floor Plans offer robust features starting with a to-scale furniture planner. Accurately scaled furniture is essential. When purchasing a new home, buyers want to be sure their belongings will fit. There are many IFPs with inaccurately scaled furniture. To test, take a queen size bed and lay it over a standard bathtub. The width of the bed should match the length of the tub.
The Contrado VIP Interactive Floor Plan also includes an electrical component selector, exterior renderings, and hotspots for virtual tours, visualizers, Matterport tours, and more. One of the most advanced features is dynamic pricing for structural options. This tool calculates, in real-time, options pricing as buyers make their selections. The pricing details can be client-facing or restricted to viewing by your sales team.
Our IFPs also allow buyers to save their customized plans. When they do so, the builder receives a notification with their contact information and a copy of the saved plan. Buyer data can also be delivered directly to a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) through an Application Programming Interface (API). On the backend, Outhouse clients also have access to Google Analytics for a detailed look at IFP traffic, visitor trends, top plans, and more.
Finally, our interactive floor plans integrate seamlessly with our interactive site plans and interactive kiosks through the Contrado Virtual Interactive Platform. Having all your digital assets in a single app makes it easy for buyers to find their ideal home online and in your sales office.
In Summary
In today’s digital age, interactive floor plans are no longer optional for home builders. They play an integral role in the sales and marketing process. They emotionally engage buyers by enticing them to select structural options, arrange furniture, and create their dream home. Research proves they increase time on builder websites and, ultimately, sell more homes. To learn more, contact Kevin at kevin.weitzel@outhouse.net.
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