Over the weekend, my daughter and I watched a family-friendly flick. Although the two children in the movie seemed familiar to me, I couldn’t quite place the actors with names or other films they may have been in. So I turned to the Internet Movie Database, a trusty online resource with details on everything from the film’s location to the actors’ names, including links to other films and even lengthy bios.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine my life without the Internet. As an editor, the Internet is a tool for research, news and, of course, references such as the dictionary and even Wikipedia.
And in my personal life, I use the Internet to check the weather or movie showtimes, to shop, read up on entertainment happenings and correspond with friends and family. I also use the Internet whenever I need information for a business. In fact, when the Yellow Pages book arrives, it goes directly into the recycle bin. (Apologies to my brother, who is a graphic artist for Arizona’s biggest directory!) I do, however, have the online version bookmarked.
Although I’d like to think I’m tech-savvy—and I realize it’s in large part due to my job that I am—I also realize there are thousands of people who spend even more time on the Internet. I don’t have a BlackBerry or iPhone. I have never accessed e-mail or looked up a business via a portable device. But others do, every day.
If you don’t already have a website, you could be missing out on a large percentage of renters. While it’s true that people choose a self-storage facility close to home, chances are there are more of those to choose from now days. In fact, I have three within a 5-mile radius to my home. Rather than get in my car and drive to each for a tour, I’m going to hop online and check them out, and the one with the best website will be the one I visit.
And I’m not looking for websites with cartoons or slick graphics that wow. No, it just needs to be somewhat attractive, easy to navigate, and have the basic information I need: rates, sizes available, security, phone number, etc.
If you don’t already have a website, get one. There’s software that makes creating a website a cinch. Try Build Your Own Website or Yahoo’s Small Business page, a great resource for website building, marketing, products and more.
If you don’t want to do it yourself, ask a family member, friend or even an employee to help. Or find a student from a local community college or university. All colleges have a job board where you can post a short want ad. These kids not only know how to create websites, but will also do it for less. Heck, try your local high school. I have no doubt you can find a knowledgeable teen willing to create an excellent website at a very reasonable cost.
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