3 Things You Need to Make Your Facility Stand Out
The self storage industry grows each year. How can you gain new customers amongst a growing list of competitors? The biggest challenge for most storage owners and operators is standing out from the crowd and attracting the right customer.
Here’s how you can make your facility stand out:
Know Your Ideal Customer
Who does your facility cater to? Who do you want to rent your units? Take a look at your current customer demographics. Are these the people you want renting at your facility? Do they bring in your desired revenue? If they don’t match your expectations, what do you need to change – your facility or your ideal client?
Your facility is not for everyone. Price, location, and unit variety determines who rents from you. If you don’t have temperature controlled units, then most likely, you won’t reach that consumer market. Understanding your ideal customer allows you to focus on who’s renting your units and who will rent your units in the future.
Knowing who you serve means you can market to those like them. If you have boat storage, start advertising at the local marina. If you have RV Storage, advertise at the local RV Seller and the parks within 100 miles of your facility. It’s important for you to ask:
Where are your customers when they’re not storing with you?
Marketing
Let’s face it. Most people aren’t thinking about storage – at least not on a daily basis. Consumers store when they need to, and think about it when they either hear about a facility or drive by one. The key is to make sure that they remember your facility when they do suddenly need one. You also need to make sure your facility is available to them.
You do this with Marketing. This includes:
- Local Business Citations and Maps
- Social Media
- Search Engine Optimization
- Reviews
- PPC – Paid Search and Blogs
- Banners
- Sponsorships
The biggest key in Marketing is making sure your message is going to your ideal audience. This means targeting your customers and others most like them. You do not want to spend money marketing to the wrong people.
What are you doing to find your audience?
Great Customer Service
Great customer service goes beyond giving a smile and being polite. Customers want to be able to self-serve 24/7. They do not want to have to wait to pay you, drop a check in the mail or off at your facility. Consumers want convenience, which often means they want to rent a unit right when they need it. Look into a service that allows your customers to serve themselves when they want.
Standing out in a saturated market is never easy. Following these steps can help you find your target market, advertise to them, and offer services that actually increase your overall revenue.
How are you standing out in your local community?