USstoragesearch.com (USSS), a shopping-comparison website for self-storage customers, has revamped its suite of online-marketing programs for self-storage facility operators. The new offerings replace the website’s legacy programs and are designed to provide more unit rentals for its members, company representatives said in a press release.
“We’re excited about the release of a new product line at USstoragesearch.com,” said Nick Bilava, director of sales and marketing with B² Interactive, the firm that oversees USSS operations. “Each membership is designed to help storage operators bring in new tenants in a way that’s beneficial for their business and their market. Our goal for USstoragesearch.com has always been to provide a great return on investment and help storage operators bring in new tenants.”
The new products include three online-listing options: Basic, Network and Network Plus. The Basic Membership resembles the program first offered by USSS when it was launched 10 years ago. For a flat, monthly rate, member facilities are listed on the company’s Web directory. All traffic including calls and quote requests are directed to the facility. This program includes unlimited traffic opportunities for a monthly fee.
The Network Membership enables storage facilities to be listed on USstoragesearch.com as well as all partner and affiliate websites, which include more than 2,000 sites. The program operates on a pay-for-performance model in which members only pay for each new and unique reservation made for their facility.
The Network Plus Membership offers premium placement on the USSS directory and within the network for a monthly fee, plus members enjoy the same pay-for-performance model offered in the Network Membership.
The new programs affect prospective self-storage tenants as well. In the past, USSS required customers to make a small deposit secured with a credit card to book a storage unit. This requirement has now been waived, allowing consumers to reserve a unit at any facility without leaving a deposit or offering credit card information.
USSS also terminated its call-center services on Jan. 31, and its call-recording and call-auditing services at the end of February. The company plans to cancel its featured-listing program on March 31. All other programs and services will remain unchanged. USSS team members will work with existing members this month to transition them to the new programs.
“USstoragesearch.com has helped storage operators connect with new customers for nearly 10 years,” said Bill Hipsher, USSS developer and co-founder of B² Interactive. “As the storage industry, technology and Internet change, we will change with it to provide our customers with the most profitable marketing solution. The new product line makes USstoragesearch.com an even stronger marketing option and will benefit members greatly, especially the independent operators who operate one to five facilities.”
Now in its 10th year of operation, USstoragesearch.com enables online consumers to search for storage by city, ZIP code, facility name, or specific unit sizes and amenities. The website counts more than 14,000 U.S. storage locations as members. Its parent company, US Storage Search Inc., reached a licensing and marketing agreement in January that transferred its operation to the management and control of B² Interactive, a firm specializing in Internet marketing, website design and software development for the self-storage industry.
