Omaha, NE (PRWEB) September 10, 2014
StorageUnit.com has undergone a complete website redesign that emphasizes user experience and helps storage consumers find a better storage unit from any device easier than ever before. This redesign focuses on a mobile-first perspective that caters to the rapid growth of smartphone and tablet use in self storage unit rentals.
“Over the last couple years, the shift toward mobile usage has been significant,” said Bill Hipsher with B² Interactive in Omaha, Neb., which operates StorageUnit.com along with Storage.com and USstoragesearch.com. “The self storage consumer expects that they can effectively search for and reserve their storage unit on any device, and our goal was to give them the best experience possible, while also giving smaller storage operators a digital marketing option with a simple pricing model.”
Since the first quarter of 2013, StorageUnit.com has seen double-digit growth in month over month mobile user traffic. In early 2014, site traffic from mobile visitors exceeded visits from desktop visitors for the first time. Due to this change in user behavior, a user-friendly mobile first experience was the top focus for the site’s redesign.
Another major emphasis of the redesign was to provide a new experience for storage consumers. One of the key inspirations for this experience was the knowledge that over 80 percent of self storage consumers are first-time renters.
“When looking at the current self storage landscape, we saw a major opportunity to give anyone looking for storage a simpler experience,” Hipsher explained. “With years of experience, user metrics, and knowledge about what consumers are looking for when renting units most often, we knew we could create an easier way to provide consumers with the right storage unit faster.”
StorageUnit.com helps storage consumers get started by providing a set of three to four questions that can be answered in less than five seconds (e.g., what type of items will be stored, how much space is needed, etc.). The questions then lead consumers to the best results based on their unique storage requirements. In 80 percent of site tests, consumers had the most relevant self storage unit solution in less than a minute.
“We looked at consumer behavior from more than 2,000,000 consumers who found storage using one of our storage platforms over the years. We found that people who are looking to rent a storage unit often are not very familiar with their options when they begin their search. Renting a storage unit is something you may only do one time in your life and as much as 60% of our traffic is from first time storage consumers.” said Hipsher. “The Q&A portion of StorageUnit.com helps those unfamiliar with storage get the right storage unit without having to be a self storage pro. So if a shopper indicates that they live in a hot, humid climate and will be storing electronics, the website will be able to inform them that a feature like climate-controlled storage should be used and provide results accordingly. As StorageUnit.com continues to be utilized by storage consumers in the coming months and years the algorithm for providing the most relevant results will improve for consumers as well.”
While the improved StorageUnit.com has simplified the storage experience for those looking to rent units, storage facilities wanting to connect with more tenants may see benefits in joining StorageUnit.com as well. Since StorageUnit.com makes it easier for storage consumers to find storage units faster and easier, storage facilities listed on StorageUnit.com have the opportunity to rent out more units than ever before.
Facilities can benefit from StorageUnit.com’s partnership with the Storage.com and USstoragesearch.com self storage network, too, which works to improve marketing options for storage operators across the country, thereby increasing online visibility and aiding in reaching potential tenants.
Also, StorageUnit.com was designed with a pricing model for self storage operators that allows them to place more inventory with lower overall costs and risk.
“We had the storage operator in mind with this redesign,” said Nick Bilava, Sales Manager for StorageUnit.com. “The pricing model is straightforward and easy to understand, and even smaller operators will find this is a great site for targeting consumers looking for medium and smaller-sized storage facilities.”
StorageUnit.com’s membership model is new to the industry, as it allows operators to control costs with pricing to match the unit and/or market size. With a one-time rental fee based on standard unit rental prices, smaller storage facilities can keep up with larger competitors and place inventory online at rates that cannot be beat.
With a new take on the storage search process and a focus on mobile device use, StorageUnit.com can help storage renters find the best storage unit for their needs faster and easier than ever. StorageUnit.com promises to connect storage facilities with new tenants through more marketing options and lower costs.
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About StorageUnit.com
StorageUnit.com offers self storage operators with a low-cost digital listing service for their self storage unit inventory. The website is also part of the USstoragesearch.com and Storage.com self storage networks. StorageUnit.com has access to the availability, pricing, and specials on more than 2,000,000 self storage units throughout the US.
StorageUnit.com was founded in 2008 as a self storage industry informational website and soon after partnered with USstoragesearch.com to co-develop and power the website. In 2013 StorageUnit.com entered into a development and licensing agreement with B² Interactive to develop, operate and market the website.