October 21, 2021
When it comes to making a purchase for an item online, would you trust the website you are buying from if you could not see the product or read anything about it before buying it? Without the right system in place, that is essentially what you are asking new customers to do without having an outlet in place for your existing customers to share their experiences with your business.
More and more people are shopping online every year, with over two billion people purchasing goods or services in 2020 alone. Entertainment, clothing, and even groceries, more and more businesses are moving to the internet to allow people to conveniently find them, including the self-storage industry. With this push to move the industry to the internet, a key part of the self-storage shopping experience, the personal tour of the storage facility, can no longer be an option online, and customers will need to look for other info in order to be able to make an informed decision.
Possible solutions include online pricing, listing of amenities, and even providing a video tour of the facility can go a long way, but no method can help a potential customer decide better than current or past customer testimonials.
Recommendations from current customers can help convince your potential customers that you are deserving of their business, affirm them that you can be trusted with personal belongings, and most importantly for you, drive sales and fill those units you have been trying to get filled for a long time.
Methodology
While customer testimonials are super valuable, they may be hard to obtain. Because of this, it can be helpful to keep this advice in mind when trying to acquire a customer’s testimonial.
The most important part of obtaining information about your customer: asking for it. If you do not ask them, how else are you supposed to know? For in-person rentals, it is best to ask after you have completed the rental. For rentals online, a follow-up email a week or two after the customer has moved in works best. Be sure to add a link in the email to the place where they can leave feedback.
Really any method of asking for feedback will generally work out, but you must remember to ask first. You can also be selective when searching for feedback, as asking everyone is not mandatory. You can expect to find that most people who have had a good experience with your business will generally be happy to share some feedback, but do not forget to share with them on how you plan to use their feedback and ask for permission.
Make it easy for your customers to give feedback. A complicated process to leave a testimonial will not work as well as a simple one. Take advantage of third-party review sites that allow you to create pathways to your website and social media platforms. The only downside of moving the process out of your hands is that you have no control over the negative reviews that might show up. In this instance, it would be better to leave it be, as responding may create a chance to do damage to your business.
Putting It To Work
Now that you have the feedback you were looking for, how should you use it? For positive testimonials, you can create a page on your website that shows off how highly your customers think of your business. You could even put them directly on your homepage if they were that impressed with you. Sharing these responses on social media platforms can also be beneficial if your business gets a sizable amount of visibility from social media presence.
Another avenue to explore is your marketing materials, such as brochures or fliers used for mailing to other local businesses. If you happen to have an advertising budget, consider how the testimonials can play into advertising for your business.
Customer testimonials can be a powerful tool for self-storage businesses, especially since the industry continues to move towards the internet. Its benefits outweigh its costs, making it an extremely effective and easy way to boost your self-storage business.
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