StoragePug is a modern marketing company for self storage businesses. We create intelligent marketing websites that allow you to rent units & take payments through your facility's website.
Your customers need a secure place to stash their stuff. There’s a whole list of things your prospects are looking for, including proximity, climate control, pricing, etc. However, self storage security is always right at the top of the list.
Is your Self Storage Businesses security as good as you need it to be?
Here’s a look at five things you should be thinking about now and into the future as you address your self-storage facility's security.
When you invest in security for your facility, make sure you maximize your investment by marketing it to prospective customers. You might be curious as to how you can turn security features into a marketing strategy?
Start by making your security features evident to visitors. For example, install security camera view monitors in your lobby, and add small cameras near your entry gate and its keypad.
View monitors and small cameras are real security features, but you get even more from your investment when you make sure both existing and prospective customers are aware of your beefed-up security.
Ensure that security is featured front and center on your storage facility's website.
Of course, no self-storage business is operating on an unlimited budget. Before you start thinking about what you want security-wise, make sure to consider all your options and to count the cost of installation and ongoing maintenance of each.
Your security budget should address five different categories:
Some of these categories are non-negotiable, while others might be optional depending on your facility and its security needs.
Some items (like gates and operators) will costs 10s of thousands of dollars, while others are relatively inexpensive (like door alarms).
Some things represent one-time expenses (video camera installation), while others represent ongoing costs (monthly software and tech support expenses).
Keep in mind that you are always competing against other self-storage providers in the area. They are going to have the obvious security features (gates, cameras, etc.) just like you do, so look for ways to customize your facility.
In other words, find features you can install that others don’t have, which will serve as differentiators for your business.
How do you decide what features are best for your facility? Talk to your customers. What do they want most from self-storage security?
Then identify relatively small investments you can make that will pay big dividends in how they meet your target audience’s needs.
The minute your facility’s security becomes dated, you’ve given your competition an advantage. Over time, pay attention to upgrades to keep your self-storage business as modern as possible.
Upgrades might include:
Even painting your gate and keeping entry points clean and organized can give customers a sense that you pay attention to security and that you maintain a safe place for them to keep their things.
However, if you wait too long to make updates, you may be overwhelmed by the cost of making them all at once.
Automation is sweeping across a wide range of industries. In the future, self-storage facilities are likely to look vastly different in how they are staffed and operated — and automation will be at the heart of that change.
Look for opportunities to embed automation into the everyday operation of your facility.
In the future, customers will expect remote access and greater connectivity out of the self-storage experience, so start adding those types of features to your facility whenever possible.
Security is just one of the many things that owners and operators of self-storage facilities have to worry about on a day-to-day basis.
At StoragePug, we provide digital marketing services for self-storage companies so that you can focus on what matters most — security and the many other things vying for your attention.
Our comprehensive services include web design, SEO, online rentals, portable storage software and much more. Put your digital marketing on cruise control and focus on other aspects of your business when you choose to work with StoragePug.
Get in touch today for a free demo of our services.
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