More Storage Facilities Choose the USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network

More than 50% of all USstoragesearch.com members have joined the network since the launch of the USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network in March of 2011. The USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network provides members with an opportunity to be found on hundreds of partner sites directly related to self storage and get self storage reservations secured by a credit card.

USstoragesearch.com initiated the development of the "USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network" during the 3^rd quarter of 2010. The USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network is an affiliation of storage related websites that allow self storage renters to search, compare and rent self storage online.

USstoragesearch.com was originally built and designed as a lead generation website for the self storage industry. Since its launch in 2004 USstoragesearch.com has grown into the storage industry's largest and most trusted online storage directory and has proven to be the leader in online marketing for the self storage industry.

With the USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network, USstoragesearch.com members are given an opportunity to continue to generate leads from USstoragesearch.com while also utilizing marketing outlets on partner sites that generate credit-card secured self storage reservations. In addition, the network of sites allows new self storage facility operators who want to be found on the partner sites to join the USstoragesearch.com Storage Network and pay only for each credit card secured reservation they receive.

Storage.com was launched March 2011 and was the first partner site fully powered by USstoragesearch.com. Not only is Storage.com the ultimate "storage" related domain name providing all members with additional visibility it also allowed new members and current USstoragesearch.com members to become acquainted with the USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network.

Nick Bilava, Director of Sales and Marketing at USstoragesearch.com shared that "for the last 15 months we have been working to fully develop, test and optimize the USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network & for the last 5 months we have been working to keep up with the demand from members to join the network. We were pleasantly surprised at how many members wanted to join immediately. The network has generated more and more rentals for the participating member and, I guess it is no surprise that, as a result more and more members have been jumping on board as quickly as they can".

Mike Jones, Vice President of Operations for USstoragesearch, said that "USstoragesearch.com will be attending the SSA's Fall Trade show in Las Vegas September 6^th through the 8^th. We think the show's title "Positioning for the Future" is perfect. We will have some exciting announcements at the show about our growing Self Storage Network that we can't wait to share with our members who are already in the Self Storage Network and all of our members that will be participating soon."

USstoragesearch will be attending the Self Storage Association's Annual Fall Conference and Trade Show in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace on September 6, 7, 8 and 9. Representatives will be at booths 632, 634 & 636 to meet with current and new members. Nick Bilava will also be leading a roundtable discussion at the SSA Trade Show on September 7^th and 8^th at table 19 titled "Generating More Real Estate for Your Facility Online". This discussion will center around how to expand your visibility online and optimize your existing online marketing efforts.

 

About USstoragesearch.com

USstoragesearch.com is a trusted storage partner; serving the storage industry with aggressive and cost-effective online Self Storage Marketing. Established in 2004, USstoragesearch.com is the self storage industry leader with the largest and longest standing storage directory with the largest member base, featuring over 18,000 member facilities. Storage customers using the USstoragesearch.com online reservation network, which includes high-quality partner sites like www.storage.com & www.storageunit.com, search real-time available storage units by facility location, unit size, property features and specials. Customers have an easy way to find, compare and securely reserve storage by credit card in minutes. These real-time reservations have been proven to convert to paying rentals for member facilities more than 90% of the time.

 

Originally Released at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/USstoragesearch/self-storage/prweb8759171.htm

 

Preparing Yourself & Your Storage Facility for Hurricane Irene

With hurricane Irene coming, people from North Carolina up to Maine are preparing themselves for the worst. Generators, bottled water, canned food, and flash lights are just a few of the items flying off the shelves as people get ready for strong winds and rain. People along the east coast have had several days to prepare and still have a little time to get things together before Irene reaches the US. Meteorologists have been tracking the storm since it first started swirling and are constantly updating people about the latest projections for the impact. The high winds and rain that come with hurricanes can do a lot of harm and damage to people and property if proper measures are not taken ahead of time. Meteorologists track the storm and try to give people as much time as possible to prepare because there is a lot to be taken care of prior to the first rain drop falling.

 

Reports of gas stations being shut down, electricity going out and water services going down during after the storm have people scrambling to get their homes ready. In the confusion of preparing, don't forget businesses need to be ready also. There are measures you can take to prepare your storage facility for a hurricane or any inclement weather. It is important to keep your staff and clients safe and have your facility prepared to withstand the possible conditions.    

 

The North Carolina Self Storage Association has posted tips about what precautions should be taken to prepare your facility and your customers. Here are the tips that they recommend:

• Listen to weather forecasts and any available information regarding the weather regularly. Anticipate the worst and be prepared to complete all the tasks for a safe and successful shut down and evacuation.
  
• Locate the tools and equipment that may be needed and assemble it at a central location. Those items should include but are not limited to: flashlights, batteries, tarps, hand tools, etc.
  
• Walk the facility and identify any items that can be secured or stored inside until the storm passes. Secure those items immediately.
  
• Clear drains and downspouts to reduce flooding. Turn off any automatic timers for sprinkler systems.
  
• Move any vehicles that may possibly prove to be in the way. If you have any boat/ RV parking, call those tenants to remind them to make sure their property is secure.
  
• Be aware that in the days prior to a storm, the power may go out frequently. Determine if you want to limit property access during this time to only when the office is open.
  
• Print a Rent Roll, Vacant Unit Report, Access Code Report, and an Insured Roll report from Store and any other reports you think you need to work with in the event that the power is out for an extended period of time.
  
• Identify and collect important office documentation and move the data to a location that is not vulnerable to the situation at hand.
  
• Unplug the computer, fax, modem lines and any other electrical equipment in the office that is not needed for emergency information. Move equipment away from windows.
  
• Keep the telephone plugged in until you leave the facility. Charge your cell phone until the power goes out. Make sure that someone has a way to reach you whenever possible.
  

These are the tips that they recommend. There are other things to consider if you have a self storage facility that is in the path of a storm. You should also look into protecting your facility further. You should consider taking the time to tape up or board up large windows you may have in your office area. You should try to keep computers and other electronics far away from windows to try to keep them away from the elements in case a window does get broken or if the heavy rains break seals and start water leaks around windows. Also, you could post something on your facility's website letting customers know when, or if, you are closed.

 

Being prepared for the storm and taking precautions can save you a lot of time and money and ensure the safety of your storage facility, staff and clients renting storage units from you. Taking a little time ahead of time and investing in a few precautionary measures cannot hurt. The cliché of "it is better to be safe than sorry" is something to think about, especially when trying to deal with elements of nature.

The Growing Reliance on Technology & Transparency in Advertising

The Internet has become a staple of most Americans everyday lives. Techonology is everywhere and people rely on it heavily, which is hopefully no surprise to you. In an episode of the hit sitcom "Modern Family," the Dunphy family tried to go without technology and it was a catastrophe. The Dunphy family is a great representation of an average American family because just like the TV family, real families rely on the Internet for just about everything. Ask most people how they book vacation and they'll tell you they used the Internet. Since businesses know that the Internet is huge, they are finding ways to make the Web more user friendly to give themselves a leg up on the competition. Just having a functioning site won't cut it anymore. It is up to you what you want to do with your storage site to make it more competitive and appeal to people like the Dunphys who love their technology. One idea is transparency.

What I mean by transparency is that you should let your customers know as much as possible about the storage unit they are booking. Be as clear as glass on what they are getting for their money and any policies you have. Tell them and tell them in a simple fashion. Tell them, on one screen, whatever you can about a unit. You can give its dimensions and how much a unit like that can hold on average. Tell the customer if it is climate controlled. Let them know what floor of your facility their unit is. You could even post a map and let them choose from available units. Tell them how much the cost of the unit will be at current rates.

You don't have to do all of these, but choosing a few would be nice. Personally, I do a lot of online shopping and I find it irritating to have to call, or worse yet wait for a call, about a quote. I'm aware that a lot of prices aren't posted due to fluctuation, but posting a price or having an automatic email sent with current pricing is a nice touch. People can make a quicker decision because cost is a big part of a purchasing choice.

Posting pictures is also a great way to easily share information about your company to help persuade people in your company's direction. Sharing information can help make a customer happier because they feel in control. For example, some cruise ships now let you see exactly what room you will be booking and for how much. I know before I even step on board what my room will look like, what amenities will be there, and where it will be. You can do that same thing, to an extent, for storage customers. Put up lots of pictures. Show them what security measures you have in place. If you own a Miami storage facility, show the customers what hurricane readiness features your facility has. Post pictures of your office, of a person standing in a unit, what the parking situation looks like in relation to some of the units… anything that could provide useful information. People like to judge based on looks, so let them judge your business in a positive way. Sharing information via photos help people to visually see benefits of your facility.

Allowing customers to know the precise location of their potential mini storage unit is risky, but the benefits can be worth the trouble. Yes, you might have people who will complain and want a different unit or insist on finding a way to have a unit closer to the parking lot, but on the other hand, letting them know up front what they can get can save a lot of future headaches. People know what is available before they show up so they know how to be prepared when moving into their unit. They already know if the unit is on a second floor and they need to be prepared to maneuver the stairs or an elevator. Also, giving the customer the control to pick something is a big deal. People like control. It might be a pain to update your site but customers will appreciate you going the extra mile.

Being open with customers about what they're getting is smart. Knowledge will help the customer choose you quicker. If they can see from your site everything they need to know but have to wait for another company's site for a call back, they just might choose you over the competition. Transparency is also a great way to save you problems with customer complaints. They already know what to expect so they shouldn't be shocked to see that your facility is three stories tall and that they're unit is an elevator ride away.

Think about what you can do on your website to make it more convenient. Think about the Dunphy family and how they live on their technology. Embrace these tech savvy people and make them want to book with you.

Brides Need Storage

Flowers, favors, programs, dresses, candles, centerpieces, boxes of bird seed, pedestals for flower arrangements… this snippet of a list comes from a bride's more complete list of things to have for a wedding. An entire room in a house can become overwhelmed with taffeta and bows in a matter of days. Brides don't need the stress of looking at all of this clutter day in and day out while trying to live their normal lives while planning a wedding. Brides need a place to keep all of their hard work safe and organized. A safe, climate controlled storage unit near their residence or the wedding venue is just the ticket.

Brides want everything perfect on their wedding day and organization is one of the keys to less-stress wedding day. However, most people think that turning their living rooms into wedding central is the only way to keep all of the items for the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, day after brunch and all of the other wedding festivities together. Showing a bride how easy it can be to keep everything in one climate controlled space can make a world of difference. Remind her that there are no pesky pets or kids running around her precious, and usually expensive, wedding gear.

Brides of any budget will want to keep their items organized and out of the way. Set up a booth at a bridal expo. Brides and their entourages come to these functions looking for deals and ways to improve the entire wedding experience. People getting ready for wedding are already handing out cash hand over fist. Why shouldn't they spend a little more on a self storage unit to make sure that all of their investments for the big day are being kept safe? Remind them that a box full of water stained programs that got ruined when the upstairs neighbor's sink got clogged is a lot of wasted money and time.

A person's wedding day should be the best day of their lives. Having all of the wedding "stuff" sitting around and getting in their way leading up to the big day isn't conducive to the happy day goal. Having everything in a storage unit all in one place ensures that all of your wedding things will be brought to your venues on that day. Anybody you trust can pick up what you need from your wedding storage unit and see that everything is cleared from your unit. If you send somebody by your residency to pick up things, a box might get lost in the shuffle or somebody might not even notice the pile in the corner that was supposed to be part of your Candy Station Creation favor table. The storage unit ensures that everything is there, organized and ready to go.

Research the wedding expos in your area and see if there are any local bridal magazines or websites that you can advertise on to promote your smaller, climate control storage units.

USstoragesearch.com Webinar - “GENERATING MORE ONLINE REAL ESTATE FOR YOUR SELF STORAGE FACILITY”

There are several different approaches to positioning your self storage facility online. On August 24, 2011, Nick Bilava, Director of Sales and Markeing for USstoragesearch.com, will present a free webinar to discuss the advantages of placing self-storage facilities in as many online locations as you can, since each consumer shops differently online. The webinar "Generating More Online Real Estate for Your Facility" will discuss the following topics:

Web Design – Potential storage tenants have found your site – does your site convert?

Directories – Capture self storage consumers who shop and compare

Local Search – Get on the map with your storage facility information

Social Media – Use of social media outlets to communicate with and attract new storage tenants

This webinar will help self storage operators navigate through all the different self storage marketing tools available to them online and maximize their online presence. This practice is one that USstoragesearch.com has continually perfected since it was launched, bringing USstoragesearch.com more tenants than any other online marketing resource.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, August 24, 2011, at 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT / 12 pm MT / 11 am PT. To register for the free self storage webinar visit: http://www.ministoragemessenger.com/webinar/8B11_usstorage/index.html or the USstoragesearch.com Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/selfstorageunit#!/selfstorageunits .

The webinar will be presented by Nick Bilava, Director of Sales and Marketing for USstoragesearch.com, and sponsored by USstoragesearch.com. MiniCo Publisher Poppy Behrens will be the moderator.

PRESENTER INFORMATION:

Nick Bilava is a Senior Account Executive with USstoragesearch.com, the self-storage industry's leading Internet hub. He is experienced in helping self-storage facilities integrate Internet marketing into their business models. Over the past five years, Nick has worked with thousands of facilities to help them succeed in the online marketplace.

About USstoragesearch.com

USstoragesearch.com is a trusted storage partner; serving the storage industry with aggressive and cost-effective online Self Storage Marketing. Established in 2004, USstoragesearch.com is the self storage industry leader with the largest and longest standing storage directory with the largest member base, featuring over 18,000 member facilities. Storage customers using the USstoragesearch.com online reservation network, which includes high-quality partner sites like www.storage.com & www.storageunit.com, search real-time available storage units by facility location, unit size, property features and specials. Customers have an easy way to find, compare and securely reserve storage by credit card in minutes. These real-time reservations have been proven to convert to paying rentals for member facilities more than 90% of the time.

Developing a Company Personality For Your Storage Business

The popular television series "Orange Country Choppers" didn't stay on the air for so many years and appeal to such a wide audience because people have a love for motorcycles and bike building. The people who built the bikes made it a ratings hit.

"Swamp People" on the History channel hasn't risen to be the number one cable show on TV on Thursdays because people have a secret yearning for hunting alligators or want to learn how to create rabbit gumbo. The personalities of these people doing the gator hunting and bayou cooking that make the show.

These same principles can work for your storage company. Give your company a personality. Post bios of some of the "key players" in your office online. Get a pet for your office and do a daily blog about what he does. Or if you have a birds nest that happens to be built near your office take pictures of it every day and post two sentences about it. Simple.

During the spring, thousands flocked to their computers to watch a live camera feed of Shiba Inu puppies. These puppies slept most of the day, yet at times over 10,000 were watching.

There is bound to be something you can find in or around your office or the self storage facility that might peak the curiosities of people and keep them checking on your site.

People are easy to entertain. Keep your site focused on your business, but have a little link on the the page for somebody to check in on whatever is happening at your office. Post on your Facebook or Twitter that "Sassy" your office cat has a new toy and put a 30 second video of her playing with it. People like to look at cats online. Why? Who knows, but they do.

Take advantage of the booming popularity of storage auctions. Post live feeds of your storage auctions. Advertise that the auctions are coming up, set up a web cam or have somebody film the event and post some of the more interesting parts online. Not online will that drive people to look at your site, but it might increase turn out at the auction.

Let's face facts. Most people probably don't check an online storage site when they sit down at their computers and do their online routines of checking email, social networking sites and favorite entertainment sites, but perhaps you can change that. Have something that people will want to come back and look at often. Have something that a consumer would want to share a link on their personal Facebook page about.

Create a simple buzz that will put your company in the minds of people. Self Storage is your business and your money maker, but it doesn't have to be the only thing that draws people to your site.