One of the biggest challenges facing digital marketing for storage companies is awareness.
Not public awareness of that one particular business, but public awareness of storage companies in general.
Although self storage facilities have enjoyed a presence in the UK for the last 20 years or so, awareness of the facilities available is still quite low. In 2017, 61.4% of those surveyed in the SSAUK Annual Industry Report couldn’t name a single self storage company. In 2020, this number fell to 54.3%.
This might be a small improvement, but there’s still a long way to go.
Other self storage awareness stats that you should be aware of when planning your storage marketing campaign:
- 13% said they have never heard of self storage
- 39% said they have heard of self storage but know nothing about the services offered
- 35% believe that it’s expensive to have a storage unit
- Only 34% know that self storage units are private and cannot be accessed by staff
- 8% believe that self storage is only for business customers
- 11% think that self storage sites always look closed
A key part of your storage marketing campaigns should, therefore, be focussed on education. This involves a two step approach; first reaching customers who may not even know that storage is an option, and then educating prospects on how storage works, and why it is the right solution for them.
An often overlooked aspect of the education process is the design. Design can communicate so much. How you build your website will determine the assets you can use, so choose wisely and keep things flexible. Here are just some of the design tips you can use to help take your storage customers from awareness to understanding.
Incorporate video
Without a doubt, adding video to your website is the easiest way to communicate complex messages in the simplest way possible. Give a walkthrough tour of your facilities, show the different sizes of storage units available, and even outline how customers can access their unit. Visual content is important for storage website design, but as much as possible make sure that you are leaning on video content.
If you’re sharing a lot of video content and worried about slowing down the experience, there are solutions to explore. Using a content delivery network like Wistia will ensure that your users enjoy a high-quality experience that won’t slow down their browser.
Craft a strong brand
You need to have a memorable name, a strong logo and clearly defined brand. This brand should be carried across your website, your storage units, all communications and your marketing channels. When asked how users know about storage units, 69% said that they had seen advertising on the roadside. This speaks to the importance of strong branding if your company is to stand out.
Create niche landing pages
Your customers are not all on the same journey. Some aren’t even aware that storage is the solution to their problem, so their landing page shouldn’t look the same as someone who knows exactly what they are looking for.
The person searching for pricing shouldn’t see the same page as someone searching for sizing. Getting hyper-niche with your landing pages is one way to make your storage company stand out.
Make your footer work harder
When a user makes it to the end of a page, they should be rewarded for their effort. Your website footer should never be an afterthought – it should be a resource.
Add important links that will enrich the journey and help the potential customer to achieve what they set out to achieve when they landed on your website. This could include links to your locations, pricing pages, an instant booking form or a callback button.
Need help perfecting your website design to increase conversions? Get in touch with Auburn today.