Name of your website?Rent Lethbridge
Your name?
Brett Holmes
Your Location (city, etc)
Lethbridge
When did you start your website and why?
Rent Lethbridge was inspired by a personal experience when I was looking for a place to rent when he moved to Lethbridge in the summer of 2002. Going through what many renters go through — until now.
I was going to make a website for my own house in case I ever wanted to find renters, then I thought to myself "Why not let other people list their houses on here too", so it began.
Please give us a short summary of your website, business model, etc
What would a potential renter want? How convenient would looking at rentals online be? This was a gap that needed to be filled. The gap is now bridged by something everyone with a computer can enjoy. This was done by creating a site where landlords and renters could connect — that site is Rent Lethbridge.
What has been the most difficult part of creating and running your website?
Starting up. Getting people to get on board. Even giving away listings is difficult sometimes as people don't see the value of the service until they try it.
What has been the easist part of operating your website?
It's fun. It's easy to stay involved because I enjoy it. Plus it's very popular. It's what students and families down here need.
Who maintains your website and why?
I do. I'm the only employee at Rent Lethbridge. I know exactly what I want, but that doesn't mean I don't get some input from friends, who help a lot in terms of feedback.
What are your views on Search Engines? Have they helped or hindered your website?
Some search engines I rank very high, but it's discouraging to see other websites, that someone in another city made, rank higher than mine when mine clearly has more (and better) content. Ranking higher in my case is a must.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
I come from a newspaper background so I'm very partial to advertising. I have a presence in the student communities here in Lethbridge as well I advertise in the daily paper. I had bigger advertising plans but it turns out just simple classified ads are very effective.
What is your website address?
Rent Lethbridge