Extra Space Storage Inc. has been announced as one of only four companies nationwide to be selected by Google, the nation's leading search engine, as a winner in its "Website Workout" contest. Companies entered the contest to have their website optimized for free by Google's team of consultants to boost sales, sign-ups or leads. The other winners are Colonial Candle, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and Team in Training.
 
The Website Optimizer is a free Google tool designed to allow companies to develop experiments and analyze the best possible combination of page design, copy and graphics. Extra Space focused on increasing the number of people doing "proximity" searches for its storage facilities. By highlighting the search function on its website, the company was able to increase the number of searches without reducing its conversion rate.
 
"We saw this contest as an opportunity to take a fresh look at our website," said Scott Jensen, interactive marketing manager at Extra Space. "Since the Web is often the first point of contact for our customers, we want our online experience to be as effective and efficient as possible. Google has been a great partner in this endeavor and has provided tremendous support and insight," he said.
 
Wider Funnel Marketing, which specializes in conversion-rate optimization, acted as a consultant on the project and will work with the four winners to increase site performance.
 
Extra Space, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a real estate investment trust that owns/operates 684 self-storage properties in 33 states and Washington, D.C. The company is the second largest storage owner/operator in the United States. For more information, visit www.extraspace.com.