The customers are out there, but can they find you?
The surge of pandemic era renters may have subsided, but storage seekers’ desire for contactless rentals has not. Gone are the days of relying on the phonebook, billboards or frontage on a busy road to draw in customers. Storage operators of today are more sophisticated, adding technological tools to streamline operations, operate remotely, and target the growing demographic of online storage seekers.
Lately, competition for every lead in the self-storage business has increased. That’s because demand for moving and storage services has declined along as a result of the stalled out residential real estate market. Looking ahead, there are some positive signs that the market might be starting to shift.
Redfin projects home prices will come down 1% by the end of 2025 as the number of home sellers increases. Currently, sellers outnumber active homebuyers by around 500,000-—the largest such gap on record, according to Redfin. Affordability remains an issue for buyers, but as sellers adjust to the reality of the market a gradual upward trend in sales activity could be on the horizon.
That’s welcome news for storage operators, but a surge in home movers is still far off. Right now, the market for storage is tight and operators need to reach untapped sources of demand to maximize occupancy and grow their business.
Wondering where to look to expand your customer base?
Below are four crucial strategies to reach untapped demand for self-storage you might be overlooking:
1. Change Up Your Digital Marketing
Feeling like your website traffic has plateaued? It might be time to rethink how you’re showing up online.
Instead of just hoping your SEO keywords are working, dig deeper. Try targeting entirely new customer segments—like small business owners, college students, or urban apartment dwellers. Each of them uses storage differently and searches for it in their own way. With a tailored digital strategy, you can reach new customers who might never have driven past your facility but are searching online right now.
Customized Online Marketing: Leverage tools like Storable’s Digital Marketing Services (DMS) to optimize your SEO and test new paid ad campaigns.
2. Improve the Customer Experience
Let’s be honest: If renting a unit feels like a hassle, your customers will just go somewhere else. If you want more customers, you have to appeal to all prospects.
Modern tenants expect a seamless, digital-first experience. That means:
- Online rentals that actually work.
- Autopay and account management from their phone.
- Digital access codes so they can move in anytime, day or night.
Operators who prioritize a tech-powered customer journey—especially during move-in—may experience stronger retention and fewer delinquent accounts.
Storable All-in-One Platform: With Storable’s all-in-one facility management software, you can offer this level of convenience without adding more staff or hours or juggling different systems.
3. Chase Every Lead
A lot of operators spend big on digital ads but then drop the ball when leads come in.
The truth? Every missed call, abandoned form, or ignored inquiry is money left on the table.
With an integrated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, you can track every lead, follow up automatically, and move customers from “just looking” to “just rented” faster.
Convert More Leads: Storable’s built-in CRM tools make it easy to keep prospects warm and maximize your lead generation efforts.
4. Dig Into Your Data
You don’t just need more data—you need better insights.
Are your renters mostly young professionals? Downsizing retirees? Which marketing channels brought in the most long-term customers? Which promotions worked—and which ones flopped?
Track performance across your website, ads, occupancy, and lead sources—then actually understand what’s working and what you might be overlooking. When you understand who your customers are, where they’re coming from, and what they care about, you can find more just like them.
Don’t Wait for the Market to Come Back—Go Find It
You can’t control the housing market. You can’t control the economy. But you can control how well you understand and serve the customers who are still out there, right now, looking for storage.
The self-storage businesses that thrive in this climate will be the ones that adapt, innovate, and explore every corner of demand—before the competition gets there first.
Not sure where to start? Talk to our team for a free consultation and personalized playbook to help you fill units faster.
