FineView Marketing

How do you feel when you’re searching for an item or a service online? You’re trying to determine your options the same way self-storage customers are trying to determine theirs. Think about your online shopping experiences. How do you narrow down your purchase? What compels you to purchase from this site as opposed to that one? Is it price? Is it user experience? Is it content that grabs your attention? Read the following tale of an online purchase.

I’ve been looking for an area rug – not just any area rug but the perfect rug at the perfect price. There are numerous sites out there that carry area rugs, but I eventually found that stellar rug. I eliminated all sites that were not clean, quick, and easy. But,wait; that still left three sites with the same rug, the same brand, and three different but comparable prices. I toggled back and forth between sites. I checked fiber and pile heights and colors and shipping and delivery dates. Most of the elements were consistent.

I was getting a headache and needed coffee (or something stronger).

You might be surprised to learn that I didn’t purchase the least expensive rug option (then again, maybe you won’t be surprised). I purchased the rug with, not only the most user-friendly website, but with that rug configured in various room arrangements. And, I didn’t even have to look for the configurations. I suddenly realized that they were right there in front of me every time I clicked on the description of the rug on that site. DONE. The rug arrives next week.

Do you see the similarities? Think about that potential customer who has never ever considered self-storage before. They are going to do the same thing that I did. They will eliminate the sites that don’t provide a user-friendly experience. Price isn’t always the deciding factor.

If you watched our October video, you know that we discussed the importance of your website as a marketing tool. Give potential customers a simple, straightforward website experience. Don’t confuse them, don’t distract them, and don’t annoy them. Make it easy.

Having a website that converts visitor traffic to paying tenants is vital. A website has to offer more than just pretty images and catchy headlines. Granted, appealing images and attention-grabbing headings are important, but high-quality content is key. Potential tenants need to be educated and informed about the storage experience, and they need it on a clean, focused, readable layout.

The key to a digital marketing strategy that increases lead conversion is your website. 

Use Concise, Updated Unit Sizes & Prices with “Reserve” Option.

This is probably the most important page on your site, but you need to understand how to use it to keep improving conversion rates. Ask yourself the following questions.

This is probably the most important page on your site, but you need to understand how to use it to keep improving conversion rates. Ask yourself the following questions.

• Are sizes and prices current?
• Is the online reservation option user friendly?
• Is the reservation process short (no longer than 8 seconds – humans have a shorter attention span than common goldfish)?
• Is the call-to-action driving conversions through urgency?

If the answers to these questions are not a resounding “YES,” you may have the answer as to why your conversion rates aren’t where they should be. Find areas where you can decrease the steps in the conversion process. If potential tenants have to complete too many fields or click through too many pages before making their reservation, they may bounce faster than an out-of-control basketball.

According to Larry Kim at WordStream, the average landing page conversion rate across industries is 2.35%, but the top 25% are converting at 5.31% or higher. Ideally, you want to break into the top 10%–these are the landing pages with conversion rates of 11.45% or higher.

Your website should be a “living” platform; it’s never finished. Keep it current; update it regularly. If you stay ahead of the curve, it will be easier to locate and repair issues with conversion rates.

Make Sure Your Business is Showing Up in Local Searches.

Another element you have to think about is your online presence. If you business isn’t showing up in local searches, strengthen your SEO to target prospects, and make sure that your Google My Business (GMB) information is accurate. You want to “show up,” so that people can find you on Google and Google Maps.

The internet has essentially changed the way people search for goods and services. Understand what the brand new self-storage customer needs. If you give people what they want, you’ll get what you want – conversions.