Thanks to the support and generosity of its members in 2010, www.USstoragesearch.com is proud to once again announce the support ofKure Itthrough donations from its quarterly “Featured Listing” auction. Each quarter USstoragesearch.com hosts an auction allowing USstoragesearch.com members to bid for placement in any city market as a “Featured Listing”.   The 2011 1st Quarter Feature Listing Auction at USstoragesearch.com raised $5,000 for Kure It, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative kidney and other cancer research.   The 2012 1stquarter Featured Listing auction for USstoragesearch.com members is set to begin December 1, 2011 and all memberstorage facilitieswill once again have an opportunity to bid through December 17, 2011. USstoragesearch.com has a goal to raise more money this year than it did last year by once again donating a portion of the winning bids made by USstoragesearch.com members in the upcoming auction to Kure It. All USstoragesearch.com members can help support Kure It by placing bids during the upcoming auction.   Nick Bilava, Director of Sales&Marketing; at USstoragesearch.com stated, “the USstoragesearch.com Featured Listing program was launched in early 2010. Since 2010 the program has been continually optimized and each quarter since launch has been more successful than the last. The Featured Listing program is designed to help our members increase the number of reservations they see from their online marketing efforts but also helps build brand awareness in highly competitive markets.”   Mike Jones, Vice President of Operations at USstoragesearch.com shared “USstoragesearch.com has worked closely with the founders of Kure It and after hearing about Kure It’s goals last year we couldn’t wait to find a way to help them reach their goals. Through fund raising efforts like our Featured Listing auction and other event sponsorships USstoragesearch.com, along with one of our premier partner sitesStorage.com, will continue to look for ways to help in any way we can.”   About It Kure It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to funding innovative kidney and other cancer research.  Kure It raises money from the private sector and redirects those funds, through competitive grants, to kidney and other cancer researchers conducting groundbreaking research projects to better treat and ultimately cure kidney and other cancers.  Kure It’s goal is to lead the Self Storage Industry in the charge to raise $1 million for cancer research.     About USstoragesearch.com   USstoragesearch.com is a trusted storage partner; serving the storage industry with aggressive and cost-effective onlineSelf Storage Marketing. Established in 2004, USstoragesearch.com is the self storage industry leader with the largest and longest standingstorage directorywith 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 likestorage unit.com,find self storage .com&storage.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. ...read more

StorageUnit.com has launched a new website allowing consumers to shop for and reservestorage unitsthroughout the United States. Like many other shop and compare websites in other industries, StorageUnit.com provides a brand new, easy to use interface that allows shoppers to easily find all availableself storage unitsin more than 2,000 US cities. Randy Yoder, Director of Operations for StorageUnit.com, shared, “StorageUnit.com was designed to operate in a manner that online consumers are already familiar with. Most of us have used the internet to reserve a hotel room, rent a car, buy an airline ticket or make a dinner reservation so why shouldn't you be able to do the same for storage units? We wanted to give consumers a place to easily find real time information on what storage units are available from multipleself storage facilitiesat once. Like many other industries, gone are the days of calling or driving from storage facility to storage facility to find the self storage unit consumers need.” StorageUnit.com works with almost 4,000 self storage facilities across the United States. Each of these storage facilities provides StorageUnit.com with real time information about whatself storageunits they have available for rent, the monthly rental rates and all the amenities associated with the particular storage unit. In addition StorageUnit.com has worked to secure special offers, discounts and coupons that can only be found on StorageUnit.com. Consumers can find the exact storage unit they need by using StorageUnit.com’s search technology, which allows shoppers to search for a storage unit by city, state, zip code or by using an intersection or address. All storage facilities that have available storage units are returned in the search results based on the distance from the search point. Yoder said, “Simplicity and transparency were two very important factors for us in the design of the website. We wanted to ensure that consumers know exactly what they are getting and provide them with an assurance that the unit they need will be available when they show up to the storage facility.” Yoder added, “By using StorageUnit.com consumers will know they have the storage unit they need without making an extra trip or two to the facility before they start moving in. In addition, moving is very stressful under any circumstance so having one more moving item checked off makes the entire ordeal a little less stressful - it also doesn’t hurt to save a little money in the process too!” Yoder&his associates envisioned the current design of StorageUnit.com in 2007, however it took some time to build the processes & relationships necessary to provide consumers with real time information not only on all the different storage facilities but down to the storage unit level. Yoder concedes, "Our site isn’t the first site in the storage industry to do something similar to what we have, however we feel we have raised the bar. In particular we are providing an assurance to our consumers that they are actually reserving the storage unit they need in advance of their move-in. For self storage facilities and storage operators we are providing a way to market their facilities on the “storage unit” level. For example if a storage owner has an abundance of 10 x 10 storage units available, that owner can now offer an even better special on just those units to get the storage units filled.” In addition to self storage units, StorageUnit.com also has Mobile Storage Solutions for consumers. Mobile Storage is storage that is delivered to the consumer’s home or business for the consumer to fill at their own speed and convenience. When the consumer is finished filling the portable storage unit, the operator picks up the mobile storage unit and returns it to a secure self storage facility until the consumer needs access to it again. With more than 3,000 mobile store locations, which have an average service area of 45 miles, most cities across the US are provided with one or more storage solutions on StorageUnit.com. In 2008 StorageUnit.com was launched as an informational website. In 2010 StorageUnit.com underwent a redesign that still provided consumers with storage information and also displayed self storage facility listings for the first time. In 2011 StorageUnit.com partnered with several self storage marketing leaders who helped to open the door to allow the current website. The new and redesigned StorageUnit.com was launched in September of 2011 and Yoder shared, "The new site’s traffic and usage has exceeded all expectations thus-far and we hope that we continue to see the same trends moving forward.” About StorageUnit.com Founded in 2007, StorageUnit.com is an online marketplace bringing self storage tenants and self storage operators together. StorageUnit.com allows consumers to search for available self storage units, compare different local storage facilities and reserve the storage unit they want online. With nearly 4,000 self storage facilities and 3,000 mobile storage locations, StorageUnit.com provides storage solutions for more than 70% of the continental United States. ...read more

 USstoragesearch.com recently overhauled its Self Storage Network with an end goal of creating a website platform that brings self storage tenants and storage facilities together. Some of the new partner sites are National sites covering all of the US, others are geared towards states and many are partner sites with geographic and or keyword targeted domains focused on local markets.   New Partner Sites added in the last 30 days include:   WWW.BEACHSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPSELFSTORAGEUNITS.COM WWW.FINDMYSTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.FINDSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.FINDSELFSTORAGEUNITS.COM WWW.FREESELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.GETMYSTORAGE.COM WWW.GETSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.INEEDSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.LOCATESELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.RESERVEASTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.STORAGEUNITDEALS.COM WWW.STORAGESELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.STORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.CHICAGOLANDSTORAGE.COM WWW.BRONXSTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGEINBRONX.COM WWW.CHEAPNEWYORKSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.NEWYORKCITYNYSTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPLASELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPLOSANGELESSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPLOSANGELESSTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.LASTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGELOSANGELES.NET WWW.LASVEGASMOVINGSTORAGE.COM WWW.LASVEGASSELFSTORAGE.NET WWW.LASVEGASVEHICLESTORAGE.COM WWW.BROOKLYNSTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.CHEAPBROOKLYNSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPPHOENIXSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGEINPHOENIX.COM WWW.CHEAPHOUSTONSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPHOUSTONSTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.CHEAPPHILADELPHIASELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPPHILADELPHIASTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.PHILADELPHIAVEHICLESTORAGE.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGEINCOLUMBIA.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGEFTWORTH.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGEFTWORTH.NET WWW.CHEAPSANANTONIOSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.MEMPHISVEHICLESTORAGE.COM WWW.CHEAPORLANDOSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.ORLANDOVEHICLESTORAGE.COM WWW.CASTORAGEUNIT.COM WWW.NJMINISTORAGE.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGEINTX.COM WWW.STORAGEUNITDEALS.COM WWW.MASSACHUSETTSSELFSTORAGE.COM WWW.SELFSTORAGEINWA.COM     ...read more

Want to make more money? Want to draw positive attention to yourself storagefacility? Want to increase your profits and book everyself storage unitin your facility? Then be nice. True story—being nice does not always mean you finish last. Being nice at your business comes in so many different forms and you don’t have to even take money into consideration in the whole process (except for the part where your sales increase and you start making more money). Giving to the community doesn’t mean shelling out a lot of money to sponsor a sports team or something along those lines.   You can give back to your community by leaving boxes throughout the facility for people to donate unwanted clothes, books and other items. Think about how many people have been displaced by the horrendous state of the current economy. Think how many of the people that rent from you are storing their household goods because they’ve been forced out of their homes. If you set up a box for gently used clothes and books, others can greatly reap the benefits and you won’t have to be bothered at all. You’ve now helped somebody and helped to create loyalty with a customer.   You can give back to the community by participating in a one of the hundreds of races, runs, and walks that take place every month to raise money for charities. Have people sponsor you. Wear your self storage facility t-shirts or something during the event to show your brand. Again, you are creating loyalty with people who like that you are taking time to help others and you are doing something nice for the community.   During the fall and winter, giving back is on the minds of so many people. Since it’s October, you could do something for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Put up pink balloons, wrap pink paper around your main door, put up posters shows people ways to get involved. For Thanksgiving, put a box out in the office for a canned food drive. Promote an offer like 1 can = 1 % off next month’s rent up to a certain amount to help raise food for a local food bank. Your company gets attention and the community receives resources. Work with the United States Marine Corps and have a Toys-for-Tots box at yourstorage facility. Again, promote that people can receive a small discount for donating. Have a crafty spouse make something like candles and set up a stand at one of the hundreds holiday crafts fairs that take place this time of year and say your company is donating the profits to charity.   Year round you can donate a smallstorage unitto a charitable organization to boost exposure and give back. Create a gift basket for a silent auction full of moving supplies for a local high school. The possibilities are truly endless. Think about what you could do to get your company’s name out in the community and give back at the same time.   As we all know, most of our customers come from local markets and quite often from word of mouth; so make sure what people are saying is good and remember your storage facility’s name when their friends and family mention theyneed self storage. Make sure that people have positive connotations of your company so that they will want to trust you to harbor their items. Instead of customers thinking, “Oh, right. I think I’ve heard of that storage place down the road, I guess I’ll look into it.” Have them think, “I’ll go book with this storage facility because they came out and supported the March of Dimes last spring.” Go out and do some positive promotion, give back, and complete random acts of kindness. It’ll be good for your business, you as a person, and the community. ...read more

The USstoragesearch.com network of partner websites continues to grow.  We are proud to welcome the following sites to our self storage network: Storage Unit Find Self Storage I Need Self Storage Locate Self Storage Storage Unit Deals Beach Self Storage Find Self Storage Units Find My Storage Unit Cheap Self Storage Unit Reserve A Storage Unit Free Self Storage Storage Self Storage Get Self Storage Get My Storage Bronx Storage Unit Las Vegas Vehicle Storage New York City NY Storage Cheap Phoenix Self Storage NJ Mini Storage Self Storage in TX Massachusetts Self Storage ...read more

USstoragesearch.com provides all members with an opportunity to feature their self storage facility on a quarterly basis through a Featured Listing auction process. USstoragesearch.com members with Featured Listings, on average, see a 91% increase in click-through-rate, 56% increase in customer contacts and a 38% overall increase in self storage unit reservations. The largest and longest standingself storagedirectory, USstoragesearch.com, began offering Featured Self Storage Listings to members last year and these Featured Listings continue to further enhance the performance of standardself storage facilitylistings on the USstoragesearch.com website. The current Featured Listing auction for USstoragesearch.com members, ending Thursday, September 15at 3 p.m., gives self storage operators with another way to increase their online visibility. USstoragesearch.com launched the new “Featured Listings” product in June of 2010 in response to member’s requests to gain increased visibility on the largest self storage directory, featuring more than 18,000 storage locations across the US. The Featured Listings give self storage operators the opportunity to be found at the top of storage searches performed on the site for the city and/or zip code their facility is located in. Nick Bilava, USstoragesearch.com’s Director of Sales&Marketing;, explaining how Featured Self Storage Listings work stated that “a unique feature of the Featured Listing product is that it is available to all members on a totally level playing field. Featured Listings are available once each quarter on an auction basis. We felt this manner of offering Featured Listings was most fair to all self storage operators. It is great that the smallest operator in the biggest market has the same opportunity to be the first self storage facility found as the largest operator.  Bilava also shared how “the results for smaller self storage operators have been just as amazing as the results seen by larger operators. We have seen savvy smaller self storage operators actively bidding in the auctions and as a result obtain the Featured Listing in larger markets where obtaining good visibility through any marketing medium can be difficult. In several cases, due to their acquisition of the Featured Listing, their facility’s listing was viewed as much as six times more often and they saw more than four times the customer contacts as they did without a Featured Listing, truly demonstrating the value of the Featured Self Storage Listings on USstoragesearch.com ”. Mike Jones, Vice President of Operations for USstoragesearch, stated “since the launch of the USstoragesearch.com Featured Listings in 2010 we have continued to optimize the product so our members see the best possible results from the Featured Listings they obtain. The results have been amazing for our clients taking advantage of the Featured Listing product”. Jones continued, “In addition, all of our members have benefited from 12 straight months of double digit month-over-month increases in both site traffic and on-site conversions. USstoragesearch.com continues to grow in virtually every metric over the last 12 months including membership, site traffic, call center clients, call volume, the USstoragesearch.com Self Storage Network, leads, quotes and most importantlystorage unitreservations for our clients”. USstoragesearch.com is currently running their 4quarter Featured Listing Auction, which ends on Thursday, September 15at 3 p.m. CST. USstoragesearch.com members can log-in to their USstoragesearch.com member account and bid for the featured listings for as little as $10 per month and the auction fees are reimbursed from each self storage reservation secured through the Featured Listing. About USstoragesearch.com USstoragesearch.com is a trusted storage partner; serving the storage industry with aggressive and cost-effective onlineSelf 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 likewww.storageunit.com,www.findselfstorage.com, &storage.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. ...read more

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 3quarter 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 theself storageindustry.  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 securedself 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 6through the 8. We think the show’s title “Positioning for the Future” is perfect. We will have some exciting announcements at the show about our growingSelf Storage Networkthat 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 7and 8at 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 onlineSelf 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 likewww.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 ...read more

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 yourstoragefacility 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.      TheNorth Carolina Self StorageAssociation 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 aself storagefacility 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 yourstorage facility, staff and clients rentingstorage unitsfrom 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. ...read more

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 thestorage unitthey 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, forstoragecustomers. Put up lots of pictures. Show them what security measures you have in place. If you own aMiami 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 potentialmini storageunit 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. ...read more

There are several different approaches to positioning your self storage facility online. On August 24, 2011, Nick Bilava, Director of Sales and Marketing 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 freeself storagewebinar visit:http://www.ministoragemessenger.com/webinar/8B11_usstorage/index.htmlor the USstoragesearch.com Facebook page athttp://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 onlineSelf 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 likewww.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. ...read more

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 unitnear 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 aself storageunit 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 yourwedding storage unitand 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 controlstorageunits. ...read more

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 yourstorage 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 theself storage facilitythat 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 Storageis your business and your money maker, but it doesn’t have to be the only thing that draws people to your site. ...read more

www.USstoragesearch.com10840 Old Mill RoadOmaha, NE 68154866-880-0742Self Storage facilities all over the US with great rates, awesome move-in specials presented in an easy way to shop, compare and reserve the self storage you need.USstoragesearch.com also has a dedicated team of Reservation Specialists to help you find the self storage you need by telephone (866-590-2538 Self Storage Reservations).For self storage facilities, USstoragesearch.com is a must-have in your overall marketing plan.  Have your storage facility found by millions of potential tenants each year on USstoragesearch.com and the partner sites you get to be found on as well likewww.storage.com,www.storageunit.com,www.findselfstorage.com,www.condo.comand thousands more.www.USstoragesearch.com, 10840 Old Mill Road, Omaha, NE 68154, 866-880-0742 ...read more

  With the recent devastating storms to hit the US in the past few months,self storage companiescontinue to be one of the most giving industries when it comes to helping those in need. During the holidays we listed many of the generous things that the storage industry was participating in ourself storage blog, but the self storage andmobile storagegenerosities don’t only occur during the holidays. Here is a list of just a few of the recent activities the industry has participated in: 1.  Extra Space Storage recently offered two months free storage and a free $50 package of moving supplies to those affected by the devastating storms to hit Alabama. Link 2.  Scenic City Self Storage of Hixson, TN offered two months of rent free storage and was a drop off location for donations of food, clothing, and household supplies. Link 3.  A recent employee of a New England Self Storage Management group told us at a trade show that each and every month they ask their customers to “round-up” their rent payments to the nearest $0.50 or $1.00 and all proceeds from the “round-up” program are then donated each month to the great people and great program called Kure-It. Kure-it is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative kidney and other cancer research. Kure-It Link 4.  Many of the employees atUSstoragesearch.comrecently participated in a blood drive in Omaha, NE. Over 30 people attending and donated. We had so many donations that the blood mobile ran out of bags and turned a few people away!! Each and every day the self storage industry continues to give and give, and we’re very proud to be a part of it. ...read more

Whether you are a college student looking for “storage unit prices” on the internet, or a father of 3 looking to move into your new home this summer, there are a lot of people who will need, use, or utilize a storage unit in the upcoming summer months. It’s no surprise that many people are now turning to the internet to do most of their shopping or turn to the internet to at least research formoving&storage. Many of the keys to reaching these individual customers all starts with your company’s website and the “keywords” that drive searches. These keywords can either be bought through “Pay per Click” (PPC) advertising sites likeGoogleor you can simply place keywords in the “content” on your websites. There are broad keywords like “self storage,” “storage unit,” and “mini storage,” but these keywords are very heavily contended for and it may be almost impossible to beat out some of the larger named companies in the industry. Despite the competition for the broad keywords - there is still hope! Although you should definitely try to put these broad terms into your “keyword efforts,” you can still gain a lot of traffic from working on keywords with less competition. Try multiple variations of phrases or put a “local” feature into your keyword. While your competitors are out spending a lot of money on pay per click for “storage unit” you could be spending very little and gaining customers with “Austin storage facility” or “self storage in Las Vegas” or “Colorado Springs Storage Units” One Important Note– Be extremely careful when it comes to Pay per Click advertising as you can waste of lot of your hard earned dollars if you are not careful. There are a lot of very reputable companies in the storage business that can help you manage your PPC budget and we suggest you reach out to them if PPC is something you’re interested in. In the meantime, while you are arranging a PPC strategy, use your imagination when you are writing your website content and it may bring you in a few more clients than your competition. ...read more