A year ago, smartphones and tablets finally edged out desktop computers in online search. For the first time, more consumers were using mobile devices to conduct online searches for local businesses, products, and services than computers, and it marked the beginning of a trend that would only continue to rise.
According to media and advertising experts at BIA/Kelsey, current projections show that mobile device use in local search will more than double by 2019. With such a large amount of searches being performed each year on mobile devices, storage facilities need to figure out how to best reach potential tenants on mobile.
Create or Update a Mobile Website
Since local search has become a popular way to get information, it will be important to make sure that if (and when) your storage operation is eventually found online, customers will be greeted with a website that’s easy to use and looks good on any device. Having a website that works on a mobile device can play a role in whether or not a consumer wants to rent a storage unit with your storage facility. After all, if they have a difficult time reading the content on your website or links are too small to click, they might reconsider.
There are three popular options that are often used when creating or updating a mobile website.
- A responsive design uses the same HTML code as the desktop version of your website, but it adapts your website to whichever screen size is being used to view your website.
- A dynamic serving design uses different HTML code from that of its desktop counterpart. This design type will give visitors a unique experience, depending on the type of device they use.
- An mDOT website requires you to create an entire website on a new domain (one with “m.” before the domain name) that’s created specifically for viewing the website on a mobile device.
Mobile websites are only one piece of grabbing the attention of storage seekers, though. The other way of getting mobile searchers to notice your storage facility is through the use of online mobile ads.
Increase Mobile Ad Spend
In the same eMarketer article mentioned previously, it’s projected that “mobile ad spending on location targeted placements could rise 56% in 2015 to $6.7 billion, which makes up for 37% of all ad dollars.” With more than a quarter of mobile ads being purchased for local reasons, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t try to get your facility found through mobile ads in search results.
If you do decide to spend money on mobile ads, be sure that the keywords you target are worth your money. Localized keywords are useful, but if you’re in an area with lots of competition from other storage facilities or you’re successful with these keywords, the price-per-click go up on a daily basis. When this happens, evaluate whether that keyword is still worth what you’re paying or if there are better keywords to pursue. If you’re unsure of what to do, take a look at our Google AdWords tips.
Mobile search isn’t going away anytime soon. Storage facilities need to take advantage of all the benefits that being found through local mobile searches can provide, as it could only help your facility going forward.
