Online Reviews and Remotely Managed Facilities
Online reviews have been prevalent on the web since 1999. As soon as companies started selling their products and services online, people had a lot to say about it. Online reviews have evolved over the years, taking their place in relevant research for the average consumer. What people have to say about the products and services they use has an impact on future consumers’ purchasing decisions. With this in mind, as a remotely managed storage facility owner, the impact that reviews have on your business can have a direct impact on the success of your facility. Depending on how you collect reviews and how you cultivate them, they can influence customers to be drawn to your business.
Reviews Boost Your Online Presence
Online reviews have been hailed as the new word-of-mouth advertising. Word of mouth is a powerful tool that can help businesses grow and succeed. People want to be heard and share their experiences with others, but sometimes it can feel like you are screaming into the void. That’s where online reviews come in. By leaving feedback and reviews, customers can make their voices heard and help businesses improve. Not only does this benefit the business, but it also helps potential customers make informed decisions about where to spend their money.
Google considers a variety of signals when it comes to reviews, including the quantity, velocity, and diversity of reviews. This means that having many reviews posted regularly and coming from a diverse range of sources can improve your search engine optimization (SEO). In addition, Google shows the latest snippets and most common keywords used in those reviews, which can also help your business stand out in search results.
By encouraging customers to leave reviews, businesses can improve their online presence and reputation, as well as increase their visibility in search results. This can ultimately lead to more customers and increased revenue.
Map Packs Lead Customers to Your Business
For local storage businesses, being visible in local search results is crucial. Part of obtaining visibility on the web includes creating a business profile through Google. Google then populates a map for users to find businesses via pins. This is called a map pack, and the relevance of your company to a user’s search query will determine where your company shows up on the map pack.
To set up your business listing and procure a spot on the map pack, Google requires verification of your business listing–including an office. Since remotely managed facilities are run on the premise of not having an office or in-person presence, how do you get around that? Google will work with you to verify your business listing. Even an informal video chat with representatives from Google will help in getting your business verified. Obtaining verification will propel your business to the first results of the map pack, securing your online presence.
When people search for “storage near me,” only a few businesses are featured in the map pack. Having positive reviews can boost your presence and increase the likelihood of being listed in that map pack. This gives smaller businesses a chance to compete in their local market, especially against larger competitors. Research shows that having a map pack on a local search result can drive up to 42% of clicks. This makes map packs a great tool for small businesses with limited budgets. By working hard and being consistent, you can build up your brand and occupy space on the first page of Google. By utilizing a map pack, your facility can rank up and show up as a pin on Google Maps, which means occupying more real estate on a search engine.
Obtaining Reviews as A Remotely Run Facility
Remotely managed facilities are a good investment, but it is important to have systems, such as your business listing and an online review center, put into place to ensure measured success. What is lacking in personal touch must be made up for in tightening processes and procedures.
Online reviews at remotely managed storage facilities are not as prevalent as they are at facilities with staff onsite. With no one on-site to encourage tenants to leave reviews, the suggestion will typically fall through the cracks. Without someone to remind the customer that their feedback is valuable and considered, the customer will not take the time to leave it. This is just a minor setback, and more remotely managed facilities are turning to online rental software to pick up the slack.
Having staff on site can make it easier to enhance the customer experience than remotely managed facilities. However, there are other ways to improve the journey for customers of remotely managed facilities. For instance, making it easy to find rentals online, streamlining the rental process, and ensuring a smooth move-in process can all contribute to a positive customer experience. The Storage Group is a digital marketing and software solution provider that has engineered an online rental suite to do these things and more.
To encourage customer reviews, ClickandStor® Online Rental Suite sends reminders and makes it easy for customers to review their experience. Eliminating barriers that would otherwise make people stop pursuing their rental, can lead to increased customer satisfaction. There are also opportunities to send messages during checkout, further enhancing the customer experience.
If you run a remotely managed storage facility and need help procuring the online presence you desire, The Storage Group has the tools and expertise to help. Learn more by calling us at 407-392-2328.