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UDR.com Exceeds 1,000,000 Search Engine Visitors in 2008

^{Published on 2008-12-16 07:43:44 - Market Wire}
 

DENVER--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--UDR, Inc. (NYSE: UDR) announced today that, according to Google Analytics, more than one million organic search engine visitors have accessed the Company's website ([ www.udr.com ]) year-to-date.

Organic apartment searches, conducted by prospects using search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, deliver qualified prospects to the UDR website at no marketing cost to the company.

"Organic search engine optimization, commonly known as SEO, is our primary source of generating qualified leads," said Steve Taraborelli, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for UDR. "UDR manages SEO in-house, and I'm proud to report that the marketing team has achieved excellent organic keyword positioning and consistent growth in visitor traffic over the last five years.

"In 2004, our annual organic search engine visitor traffic totaled 88,000," Taraborelli continued. "In 2008, we are on pace to hit 1.2 million organic search engine visitors. This type of qualified website traffic enables us to maintain a healthy lead stream and focus our demand generation budget on other customer-centric marketing technology and initiatives."

Nearly 77 percent of UDR's total unique visitor traffic is now attributed to organic search engine referrals. Through November, 2008, UDR.com's search engine referral traffic totaled 1,093,275 organic visitors, up 134 percent when compared to the same period a year ago.

"We have focused on transforming operations through innovation since July 2007, when we first launched a redesigned web site using cutting-edge Web 2.0 technology," said Jerry Davis, Senior Vice President of Operations for UDR. "This year, we have focused on new Internet demand generation technologies to increase UDR's lead stream and lower our cost of sales.

"Now, we are reaping the benefits of these marketing technologies," Davis added. "Our total 2008 lead stream is up 16 percent compared to a year ago, and our annualized marketing costs per apartment home have dropped significantly -- from $154 in 2005 to $88 in 2008 – for annual savings of more than $2.2 million."

UDR, Inc. has implemented a number of innovations within the Internet space, including:

• a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) mobile appliance website that can handle mobile apartment search, lead generation and apartment reservations ([ http://udrapartments.mobi ])
• an iPhone website using Apple's Standard Developers Kit (SDK) that includes apartment search, picture slide shows, Google Maps and apartment reservations capabilities (hhtp://iphone.udr.com)
• Quick Response 2-D bar coding on UDR print materials to track source of advertising metrics
• 100% Spanish-language website ([ http://es.udr.com ]) and
• social media marketing penetration in MySpace.com, Twitter, Digg, FlickR, Pownce, Bebo, Delicious, MetaCafe, YouTube, blogging, micro blogging and more.

About UDR, Inc.

UDR, Inc. (NYSE:UDR), an S&P 400 company, is a leading multifamily real estate investment trust (REIT) with a demonstrated performance history of delivering superior and dependable returns by successfully managing, buying, selling, developing and redeveloping attractive real estate properties in targeted U.S. markets. For over 35 years, UDR has delivered long-term value to shareholders, the best standard of service to residents, and the highest quality experience for associates. Additional information can be found on the Company's website at [ www.udr.com ].