Last week in this blog, Elaine Foxwell talked about “Launching a Website That Wouldn’t Sink,” offering valuable suggestions collected from various webites specializing in Internet marketing. They are all helpful, but I thought maybe even more resourceful was taking a peek at what others are doing in the self-storage industry, specifically.
 
With a quick search, I uncovered several examples of engaging, informative self-storage websites that work to educate the public and motivate them to sign a contract. They don’t follow any special formula, by any means, but let their own individual facilities’ and businesses’ personalities show through.
 
Pay a visit to A Self Storage, for starters, and you’ll find homey artwork packed full of links designed to walk a self-storage user through all the steps, answering many questions about pricing, packing tips and services along the way. The site even provides a printable sheet users can use for comparing the company's amenities to others they encounter.
 
In addition to information about the company, self-storage, vehicle storage and wine storage, the website for Safehouse Self Storage gives details about pricing, packaging supplies, locations, directions and even (would you believe?) an invitation to visit the attached café restaurant for coffee or meal.
 
Finally, link on to All Canadian Self-Storage for a truly clean look and quick links to several locations, featuring photographs, specials, hours of operation and more. This is a great example of how a simple website can make a cutting-edge marketing statement.
 
The bottom line is you need a website. More than 1 billion people worldwide surf the Internet regularly, according to Internet World Stats, representing a growth of 290 percent over an eight-year span. The examples above should open your mind and spark your creativity for promoting your own business, internationally and individually. Let your personality show through, and let your business prosper!