What makes a good self-storage website?
Searches for self-storage have increased over the last several years. This should come as no surprise as the shift to digital is pretty much all-industry consuming. . And, those that turned to digital platforms during the contactless era of the pandemic continue to use them even as restrictions have eased in recent months.
In the self-storage industry, websites that can meet the needs of the customer with 24/7 online move-ins are going to be more successful at winning those customers than websites that offer a less capable online experience.
To answer the question as to what makes a good self-storage website, we’re going to be looking to see if the visitor of the website can easily accomplish their goal.
Furthermore, we’re going to want to ask questions like:
- What if the customer is searching after hours?
- What if they are trying to reserve storage on their mobile device?
- What if they want to make a payment?
- What if they want to change a reservation?
- What if they want to check accurate inventory?
Ask yourself how easy it is for customers to use your website to accomplish these tasks. The more you can answer in the affirmative, the more likely it is that you are providing a good tenant experience with your website.
Components of a great self-storage website
Modern storage tenants aren’t visiting your website to check your hours or find your address. They are there to rent a unit, and they want to do it seamlessly online without having to talk to another person. It’s a faster, more efficient and convenient experience.
Creating that ‘seamless experience’ is what sets great marketing websites apart from websites that are not reaching their full potential. The seamless experience requires several pieces working in tandem together in the background, such as:
- SEO optimization
- Tenant portal – online payments
- Online move-ins
- Real time inventory
- Responsive design
Let’s take a closer look at each piece to see what you should be looking for in a marketing website for self-storage:
SEO optimization
If your website is going to win over customers, they’ll need to find it first. Your website should be optimized for search by using relevant keywords, title tags and meta descriptions. In determining search rankings, Google has placed emphasis on page speed, so having a fast-loading website is also very important.
Tenant portal – online payments
When it comes to providing a quality tenant experience, having a tenant portal that accepts online payments is paramount. With a tenant portal customers can manage their account, set up payments and view billing history.
Online move-in
Many people searching for storage online need it right now. Their expectation is to go to a website, find a unit, complete the rental agreement, get a gate code and move-in right away. If they can’t do that on your website, they’ll move on to your local competition.
Real time inventory
Customers shopping for storage online expect the unit availability listed on your website to be accurate. One way to guarantee that is to integrate your website with your facility management software. That way inventory and pricing is always up-to-date and accurate.
Responsive design
Three out of every four dollars spent online is through a mobile device. That means it is absolutely essential that your website perform just as well on an iPhone or Android as it does a desktop. Responsive design ensures that your website displays correctly depending on the device the visitor is using. Otherwise trying to navigate menus on a small screen could make it near impossible for a customer to complete a transaction on your website.
The total package
With all of these features working together, expect your self-storage website to drive results. When tenants can successfully self-service their account online, that is less administrative work to put on your self-storage facility staff. This gives the onsite staff more time to provide good customer support to those customers that seek a more hands-on experience.
Watch the webinar below to learn more about converting website leads
