As any self storage facility knows, current and past storers provide a wealth of information to you as part of their storage journey with you. By analysing your current (and past) storers, you can learn a lot about your “average storer” and use this to make targeted decisions about marketing spend, facility improvements and if expanding, what mix of units should you choose. Let’s take a look.
Where are your storers from?
If your marketing campaigns target all nearby areas, then knowing which suburbs underperform can help you start an analysis of why this is the case. Perhaps your online ads aren’t configured correctly for that suburb, or maybe the company that’s letterbox-dropping those areas has a walker that’s underperforming.
Regardless of the reason, knowing where your storers come from is a great place to start – as it will help you make informed decisions moving forward. Of course, you can use your self storage management software to locate this data.
How do storers find you?
You should also look at how your storers find you out about you. Were they a drive-by, did they search for you online – or were they a referral? Combine this information with where your storers come from and you’ll get an excellent picture of which advertising channels work best.
You may find that storers in one suburb are “drive by’s” and will pop in for a visit after work to ask for pricing – or that storers further away are seeing your ad in the local paper.
What type of storers are they?
Are the majority of your storers male or female? Are they a business, or a home (residential) user? If a business, then what line of work? Finding out this type of information is a great way to ensure you’re targeting the right markets in your area.
For example: Knowing that accountants always need to store a lot of documents soon-after EOFY, why not run a targeted Facebook ad campaign for your self storage business to promote your services to all local accountants and bookkeepers? You could also offer a shelving hire service as a paid add-on (read more on trapping customers) so that accountants don’t need to stack their boxes on the floor.
Why are they storing?
Analysis of a storer’s reason for storing is a great way to find out what type of customer you are attracting. If it’s people moving house, then be sure to team-up with local removalists or real estate agents and get a referral program going. This a win-win for both businesses, so there’s nothing to lose! If storers are renovating, then it might be worth sponsoring an event at a local hardware store or DIY group in order to get some coverage in the right places.
Why are they leaving?
When a storer moves out, do you ask them why? Without this vital piece of information, you’ll never know if that recent rent increase tipped them over the edge, or whether a pest problem (that you don’t know about) is the cause. If price is a big factor, consider ways you can add value; this is always better than immediately dropping prices. This could take the form of incentives for long term storers, providing longer access hours to storers, including insurance in the base unit rates, a refer-a-friend program, improving security, offering a delivery-acceptance service, free trailer hire, etc.
For any leads (i.e. non-storers) that don’t end up converting due to price, make sure your sales (quote) email does a great job of selling your key differentiators to the potential storer. That way they’ll at least know why you’re more expensive – and can make an educated decision based on what makes your facility better than the competition.
By the way…
If you’re using Storman at your facility, the Customer Analysis Report will give you most of the data mentioned above – and you can always use our powerful Custom Report Builder to create your own reports. Not using Storman yet? Book a one-on-one Storman demo today to learn more.
Self storage software by Storman.
