April 16, 2020

How to Manage Your Self-Storage Facility From A Distance During COVID-19

Shifting your self storage facility from a fully functioning brick and mortar to almost completely remote can be difficult – especially when the changes must happen at a rapid pace while still operating at a proficient level.

Fortunately, modern technology has provided us with the tools to make this change happen without sacrificing a high level of service. With the availability of mobile apps, landing pages, and even just a phone, managing your storage facility from a distance is not as difficult as it might sound.

So how do you accomplish this? Well, you start by having the right people for the job and empowering them to get it done, take advantage of virtual communication tools, and utilize best-in-class applications to keep rentals flowing.

Manage Your Self Storage Facility Through A Progressive Web App

In the last ten years, the self storage industry has seen a surge in automated technology services to help improve and simplify everyday operations. Introduced in 2011, ClickandStor® was the first to offer secure, virtual self storage rentals to tenants so that they could rent anytime, anywhere. Now more than ever, the most effective way to manage your self storage facility in a time of social distancing is to rely on a progressive web app to do the heavy lifting for you.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are a hybrid platform, combining the best features of a responsive website and mobile app. This includes lightning fast website speeds, push notifications, and SEO indexable app (shows up in the search engines, i.e. Google), automatic app updates, and much more. Google created this web technology to meet the demands of a smooth and seamless user experience that transitions from phone to laptop, to tablet with ease. Gone are the days that required first a website visit and then an app store download resulting in abandoned website visitors and missed conversion opportunities. Now, this can all be done conveniently in one platform with a PWA, to enhance website visitor engagement and increase online conversions.

From selecting a storage unit on a 3-D map to signing the lease and receiving a gate code, The Storage Group’s first-of-its-kind online rental suite, ClickandStor®, gives power to tenants to rent a storage unit without the need of an in-office visit. By avoiding the hassle of the app store, this 24/7 online rental suite is available to your tenants directly from your facility website.

Are Online Self Storage Rentals Secure?

In this digital era, the internet has quickly become an essential aspect of conducting business. Although technology is a great thing, it can leave you vulnerable to online fraud if you don’t have the right tools in place. Now with the presence of a pandemic, companies are relying on websites to provide all the same functionality of a typical on-site experience. How can you effectively offer your tenants a self storage unit without sacrificing their data or leaving your business vulnerable?

ClickandStor® allows the facility to customize identification information required from your renter once they’ve chosen a self storage unit and are ready to complete the transaction. This can include the social security number, driver’s license verification, date of birth and more. This information is automatically uploaded to your management software for quick and convenient archive and retrieval. There are very limited, if any online rental tools in the industry that provide online ID verification, which have been deemed essential to self storage operators.

When you embed the 24/7 no-contact rental suite into your website, potential tenants are able to choose your storage facility from a 3-D map or list view, calculate which unit size would be best for them using the 3D storage calculator, sign the lease, pay their bill, and add supplies to the cart – without ever needing to step into a facility.

Running a self-storage facility is completely manageable from a distance. You can do business as usual with world-class technology by your side! If you have any questions or would like more information, we are available to you by phone at (407) 392-1485, sales@storagegroupinc.com or you may also contact us online!