Automating your self-storage operation may seem like an incredibly daunting task. For facility owners that are less than tech-savvy, figuring out where to even begin may be the most difficult part.
Let’s clear that up right now. The best place for any facility owner to start on the path of automation is with a solid self-storage website.
When done right, websites are essentially automation platforms that enable operators to streamline their operations, save time and money, and provide a better customer experience. If your existing website is more of a virtual brochure than a virtual rental counter, your business is missing out on the many efficiency-making and revenue-generating benefits that modern websites have to offer.
Automating your self-storage facility with a website
A new self-storage website can jumpstart your automation journey in several ways. If you are looking to increase automation you will want a website with the following features:
- Online reservations: Giving customers the ability to make reservations and rent units online, is a game changer for the self-storage industry. With many people only shopping online for storage, they may bypass your business if you do not provide this feature.
- Online payments: The ability to make payments online is an attractive feature for tenants. It also automates billing, reduces delinquency, and reduces hours spent on invoices and collections.
- Tenant portal: Providing a tenant portal where renters can access their account information online further reduces time spent on administrative tasks and answering phones. Customers can view their contract, make one-time payments, edit Auto-pay information, and more.
- Marketing automation: A website can take your marketing efforts to the next level by collecting visitor data and enabling you to advertise to them as they surf the web.
As you can see, with these basic features a self-storage website can provide a powerful boost to your business. Not only will you attract new customers that primarily shop for goods and services online, but you will also enjoy increased efficiency as prospects and customers are able to locate your business, lease a unit and pay rent without interacting with a single staff member.
Advanced automation with a self-storage website
Once you have a self-storage website up and running, there are several steps you can take to take it to the next level:
- Set up analytics: Tracking tools like Google Analytics provide a wealth of data about visitors interactions with your website including traffic numbers, location, time on page, and more. These stats provide valuable insights that you can use to improve your website so that it converts more leads.
- Try A/B testing: Don’t just launch your website and stop there. Continually create an improved user experience using data you collect. Use A/B testing to see if small changes to your website result in more rentals, such as turning the color of a button from green to blue.
- Consider customer service. Improve the customer service experience on your website with features such as a live chat or a FAQ page. The more ways that you provide for customers to get in touch with you or service their account on their own, the better.
- Work on your SEO. Getting your website to rank at the top of search results requires paying attention to search engine optimization (SEO). Adding more helpful content like blogs and boosting page speed are just a few things that contribute to better SEO.
- Leverage API integrations. Connecting your website to other services that you use, from sending electronic certified mail to payments to management software, will allow you to push automation at your facility even further.
Unlocking the power of automation
Adding automation to your self-storage operation is an incremental process. Starting with a website provides you many beneficial capabilities all at once. That is, if you have a website that is purpose-built with the needs of storage operators in mind. See how Storable can take your storage operation into the 21st century with a new website today.
