Your Online Reputation Matters

August 26, 2020

The digital age is here and it is changing how people make decisions about how to spend their money. Instead of relying on friends and family to provide guidance on what to buy, people are now turning to the internet, social media, and review sites. That is why, as an owner of a self-storage facility, it is important that you dedicate some of your marketing resources to managing, maintaining, or improving your business’ online reputation, especially if you are planning to sell in the near future.

Prospective buyers of self-storage facilities take online reputation into account when considering whether a property is a good potential investment. Everything from what people are saying about the property on review sites to the time and effort the current owners have put into marketing the property is carefully considered before someone will commit to purchasing a self-storage facility.

If you are a current self-storage owner who is unsure whether improving your facility’s online reputation is a good investment of your money and time, here are some specific examples of how it could benefit you when it comes time to sell.

A Better Online Reputation Leads to Increased Occupancy

Properties that have high occupancy rates at the time of sale tend to attract more prospective buyers than those with lower occupancy rates. Investing a little time and effort into improving your facility’s online reputation can help increase your current occupancy rates.

Some helpful ways to improve your facility’s online reputation so it attracts prospective clients include:

  • Creating a visible presence on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter
  • Monitoring review sites, such as Yelp, and responding in a professional manner to both positive and negative reviews
  • Creating professional photos that highlight the property in such a way that makes prospective clients want to use your facility
  • Managing a professional looking website that allows prospective clients to do everything from take an online tour of the facility to see current rates and obtain other valuable information
  • Creating official verified profiles on various sites such as Google and LinkedIn

Professional Videos Attract Prospective Buyers and Future Clients

Before considering purchasing a property, prospective buyers want to see what the facility has to offer. A professionally shot video tour can highlight the facility in a way that attracts the attention of prospective buyers without risking a covid-19 infection. Seeing the actual layout of the facility, the condition of the units, and where it is located may be just what you need to turn the reluctant buyer into a guaranteed sale.

The professional video tour can also be used as part of your marketing campaign. The video can be used on websites and social media to encourage prospective clients to choose your facility to store their valuable possessions.

Make Your Facility Stand Out to Future Buyers by Focusing on Online Reputation Management

The self-storage industry is a highly competitive market. There are dozens of properties just waiting for the right investor to come along and purchase it. Having a self-storage facility that has a good online reputation can give you that competitive edge you need to stand out from the competition.

Future buyers will see that you spent considerable time and effort into building and maintaining the facility’s online presence. This will increase the resale potential of your property as future buyers won’t have to spend time building a presence online or correcting a negative online reputation. They can just purchase the property and easily assume control of the online marketing and reputation management of the facility.

Make sure you devote the time and resources to doing everything you can to manage and maintain your facility’s online reputation. It will help you now and in the future, as it can attract clients that will keep your units occupied and when you are prepared to sell, it can make your property more attractive to prospective buyers.

 

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