Gone are the days where self storage operators acquired many of their new tenants from the Yellow Pages or direct mail. Now, many operators, like my company, are seeing a large portion of tenants transact on websites. This makes your website, and the elements you have on it, all the more critical. Here are four musts every storage facility website should have and why they are so vital to the success of your business.
A 2016 LSA Local Media Tracking Study found that self storage searchers only considered 2.4 businesses before transacting. If a prospective customer is only looking at 2-3 websites before making a decision on a climate-controlled unit, and two of the websites they're on have pricing and current specials listed, and your website says “call for pricing”, chances are they’re going with one of your competitors.
You can still emphasize what makes your brand stand out with unique web content and property features, but it’s essential to list pricing and current specials on your website.
In today’s fast-paced world, customers want websites to load quickly so they can find what they need. In a recent study, Google found when a website takes 10+ seconds to load, the probability of web users bouncing increases 123%. They will leave your page before even having a chance to transact! Set the goal of having your website load in about 6-7 seconds or less. There are lots of free website speed tests out there to see how fast your site currently is, just Google “website speed test tool”.
As of 2017, more than half of the whole traffic on the web occurred on mobile phones. Your website needs to look good on a smartphone and be mobile friendly! What’s their experience like? Your mobile website should match the desktop version of your website. Make sure your phone number, address, hours, etc. are the same and equally visible on your mobile site. You could be losing out on a lot of business if your customers do not have a good mobile experience.
Your website needs to be ADA compliant. According to the Self Storage Legal Network, there has been a flood of cases against self storage businesses claiming ADA violations related to website accessibility. Self storage businesses with an online presence are not immune to these lawsuits. Follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 standards and be sure you have a page or section of your website that clearly states who those with accessibility challenges can contact to receive help accessing and navigating your website.
As a result of incorporating these four musts, your company will be better positioned to reach the end goal, which is to get more prospective tenants into your facility.
