Red Nova Labs, the company that created StorageFront, an online directory for the self-storage industry, unveiled a new marketing venture called WebWorks for self-storage operators. The service provides website design, development, content management tools, search-engine optimization (SEO) services and Web marketing consulting.

We pulled the basic marketing and engineering behind StorageFront and moved it up the chain, said Dan Miller, CEO of Red Nova Labs. Now operators in the industrys middle tier operators with 10 to 100 facilitiescan leverage StorageFront and all the expertise that goes along with it.

In addition to creating the website, the WebWorks team will constantly monitor any website it builds and seek ways to improve it for clients who pay a flat monthly fee per facility. There is no additional charge for leads. If a WebWorks client opts to cancel the service, the website remains live and the client retains ownership. 

When it comes to Web marketing and SEO, consistency and proactivity are key. A facilitys Web presence is a critical asset that must be maintained, Miller said.

When a multi-facility operator signs up for WebWorks, the parent company website will be built first. Additional website sections can be added per physical self-storage location. Each clients website will be designed and coded. A content-management system (CMS) enables any self-storage representative to log in and update content and pictures.

Based on Google tools, WebWorks SEO-centric pages will geo-target prospective renters in certain regions. Additional features tailored to the self-storage business include rent-now interface, mapping, driving directions, self-storage tips module, storage calculator, and storage auction listings.

The WebWorks team will consult clients and make recommendations for sponsored advertising (pay-per-click) and affiliate marketing as needed for all major search engines including Google, Yahoo, Bing.

Self-storage operators will also be able to track Web activity, including calls, clicks, inquiries, maps, direction and coupon prints. They can even track leads from other Web sourcesall through their own website.

Marc Smith, former director of business development at StorageFront, will lead the new WebWorks sales team. Tom Cox, an SEO expert at Red Nova Labs, has been named WebWorks Web visibility manager. Cox will monitor each websites productivity, suggest improvements, and handle any customer service needs.