In an era of compact living and expensive property, the self-storage business has boomed for people who need to stow away their valuables at a safe location temporarily. In addition, it’s a practical option for small businesses and moving families.
For the more business-oriented, this is an excellent startup to invest in. However, acquiring self-storage space is not as not big of an obstacle as putting yourself out there is. With an ever-growing demand for storage services, many businesses are offering storage services, and the actual effort lies in standing out in this competition.
Conventional marketing can only get you so far. You can reach greater audiences with a carefully curated strategy to market on digital platforms in the digital age. So we went ahead and compiled some tips and tricks to help you understand how things work and help plan your strategy to establish a solid digital presence.
7 Ways Digital Marketing Can Grow Your Self-Storage Business
1. Search Engine Optimization
It goes without saying if you have a business, one of the first things you need to establish a digital presence is a website. Your website should contain information about your company and completely satisfy potential customers’ queries. Websites can also be used for bookings and payments for a storage business, making things very convenient for the customer. Not only that, sales and customer service can also be managed digitally, allowing storage businesses to become more efficient and reduce staffing costs.
Products like self-service kiosks promote customer engagement and make it easier for businesses to keep track of customer needs. If you’re wondering what would a self-storage kiosk cost, there are plenty of resources online to turn to.
In terms of marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), a digital marketing technique, comes into play. It improves your website’s visibility on a search engine such as Google, which helps direct greater traffic towards your business by using relevant content and keywords. For example, with good SEO, a search for “self-storage units near me” will pull up your company’s website in a relatively higher position on the search list than your competitors. As a result, potential customers are more likely to visit your site to look at rental prices.
2. Improving Website Experience
It’s important to remember user experience is paramount here. According to statistics, 88% of online users have stated that they wouldn’t return to a website a second time after an unsatisfactory first experience. Therefore, it’s crucial to optimize the user experience regarding website navigation and speed. Adding an organized search bar will encourage users to stay on your website to get complete information rather than have difficulty navigating multiple web pages. Adding meaningful graphics can also have a lasting impression. Remember, it’s the little things that make a huge difference. Adding relevant content will also improve your listing on search engines.
3. Virtual Tours
With people working round the clock, hardly anyone can visit your facility to inspect the space you are offering. Therefore, listing dimensions can only give a vague idea to potential customers. On the other hand, visual input can significantly improve your chances of securing a potential customer with the security that it offers. Creating a virtual tour can do wonders in this case – users can virtually navigate the facility and get a fair idea of the space and its dimensions. This is an excellent measure towards creating a user-friendly experience, and you’ll also save a lot in staffing costs.
4. Social Media Marketing
Nearly everyone has a social media presence, and as a business owner, it can be the perfect platform for you to do cost-effective marketing. All you have to do is post pictures of your facility and accurately describe it. A greater audience can be reached with well-researched hashtags and keywords. With the algorithm running these platforms, your company will appear for someone searching for self-storage services. Throwing in a few bucks can help you reach more customers.
Read More: How Does Social Media Affect Our Lives?
It’s essential to keep up engagement by regularly posting content. Remember, be creative and unique with your approach! It’ll surely help you stand out from your competition.
5. Use Referral Marketing
Even if you have put up all of the pertaining information on relevant platforms, potential customers are generally more likely to turn their attention to your service if they get a reference from a peer – someone who has already used your facility. This can be used to your advantage. Giving existing customers some incentive for referring your company to friends can do wonders in garnering new consumers for your business. Furthermore, you can use videos or messages of customers citing a good experience (with their consent, of course) on social media to show the reliability of your service.
6. Email Marketing
This form of marketing is essentially a free one, so it is one of the most popular methods. Having visitors leave their email addresses for updates can be a great asset. Every week, you can send them promotional emails with discount offers and updated policies. Not only is it a great way of engagement, but it also makes room for customers to refer your service to the ones in need. In addition, it gives a personal element to the relationship that you hold with your customer, which is generally a positive aspect and it’ll be a great help in boosting business.
7. Invest in pay-per-click ads
Pay-per-click ads are an effective digital marketing tool for a fixed budget. Advertisements of your website or page are listed at the top of a search engine or social media platform when you search for a related service, in this case, self-storage. For every click on that ad, the search engine charges a small fee. Remember, your website or web page’s visit is worth more than what you pay for the click, which is trivial. In addition, there is potentially more business for you if more people learn about your business.
Conclusion
Technology has helped us come far in our businesses. It has opened avenues for companies in the digital world, especially on the marketing front. A strong digital presence makes a great difference to a self-storage business. To achieve that, methods such as having a website, using SEO, social media and email engagement, and pay-per-click ads make a significant contribution. Remember to be creative with your engagement approach and optimize your user experience to ensure greater returns to your online platforms. Using these methods will undoubtedly create more business for you.
Read More: Machine Learning in Digital Marketing: Examples and Use Cases
