Self-Storage Businesses Go Mobile

As more and more people worldwide own mobile phones so the number of people with mobile internet access is rapidly increasing with the vast majority expected to have mobile internet access by 2017. And with that growing level of access so the website offerings of self-storage companies and many other types of businesses will have to change to keep pace. It was not so long ago that many small, family-run storage facilities did not even have a website, let alone one that worked well on the latest smartphones. But in the last few years there has been a rapid and radical change in how and where potential customers do their research: checking prices, security levels and facilities. No longer are they searching the telephone directory - you only have to look at the demise of some of the previously major telephone directory companies to see what an impact this change has had. The majority of people looking for self storage will do an internet search even when they know of local storage facilities or big-name national companies with sites nearby. No longer does a website simply have to function adequately – users of all ages are becoming much more sophisticated in their demands for a great online experience whether on a full sized screen or on a tablet such as the iPad or a smartphone. There is still plenty of evidence to suggest that potential customers are simply doing research on their small screens and reserve the actual booking until they can view the site full size. But the decision making process is happening via the mobile access so you must capture the customers attention with your mobile website. So it is important to concentrate first on improving certain parts of a website for mobile use i.e. the parts of a website that show prices (and comparisons with competitors) and the types and sizes of storage unit available in addition to your unique selling point (USP). Your USP might be your low prices or it might be the length of time you have been in business, which is an important factor given the speed at which internet-only businesses come and go, but whatever it is your visitors need to be able to see it via their mobile devices. Creating a user-friendly self-storage website for your mobile users requires particular attention to loading times (even with the improvements in mobile access a visitor is still more likely to be using a slow connection than a super-fast broadband) and with usability and navigation. The human finger is substantially bigger than an on-screen mouse pointer so menu items and other buttons that can be easily clicked with a mouse cannot so accurately be tapped with a finger. While it is tempting to think that the most effective use of screen real estate (i.e. the amount of space available on a display) is to have as much information as possible visible at the same time, this usually leads to a cluttered screen with buttons and menus too small for reasonable use on a smartphone. A mobile version of a website must be well-considered and designed to show only the most essential information clearly (so surrounded by adequate white space). This is the greatest challenge in re-designing a full sized website for mobile use whether it is for a self-storage company or, indeed any other type of business Have a few large buttons on the home page for the essential areas you want your customers to see to help them make their buying decision, including your phone number. Don't forget that they may not be using a telephone directory to find you but that does not mean they will not want to talk to you in person to check some details and get some personal attention.rnA number of the major companies in the self-storage industry and some of the smaller London self-storage firms already have mobile sites up and running and many smallself-storage firms are following suit – or if they aren't, they should be.