Property24 Honoured At SA eCommerce Awards

Property24, South Africa’s No. 1 property portal, continues to add to their growing list of accolades, taking home the Best Classifieds Website award at the recently held 7th Annual South African eCommerce Awards.

Award winners were selected based on their ability to leverage the internet as a platform for commerce, with both the public and an expert panel from Jump Internet Technologies scoring nominees based on a series of criteria. Over 114 000 unique votes were received in just a month, with websites being assessed on everything from design to customer support.

Property24’s website, which was redesigned in October 2011, scored an exceptionally high overall rating of 91.1/100, based in part on its easily navigable user interface, as well as its ability to generate accurate search results.

Independent design company, Druff Interactive, which partnered with the awards committee to assess websites in terms of their look and feel, also scored the property portal favourably, identifying its intuitive, clean layout as a key strength.

Property24’s state-of-the-art WAP site, which has served to exponentially increase user traffic since its launch in late 2011, was also singled out for its ability to effectively mirror the efficiency of the desktop site across a wide variety of handsets.

Property24’s General Manager, JP Farinha, expressed excitement at the news, citing the company’s unique approach to customer service as a major contributing factor to its ongoing success.

“The site was developed with our users in mind, with the aim being to create a seamless and enjoyable experience for buyers, sellers and estate agents alike,” explains Farinha. “Being honoured with an award like this is incredibly gratifying, particularly as the public had a large role to play in the voting process, and it’s encouraging to see that we are effectively delivering a service that the South African consumer wants.”

With in excess of 30 000 Facebook fans, and a growing contingent of Twitter followers, Property24 also scored full marks for its social media offering. The company has successfully harnessed these platforms to provide its expanding user base with a relevant and up-to-the-minute information database. Social networks have also proved instrumental in Property24’s ability to provide rapid resolution to customer queries and issues.

“Social media is rapidly becoming a preferred avenue for customers, both as a means to seek out information, and as a channel through which to have their voices heard,” says Farinha. “As a result, we’ve put a lot of time and effort into developing our social media identity, interacting regularly with users so as to give them ample chance to have their say.”

For more information about the South African eCommerce Awards, please visit http://www.ecommerceawards.co.za/