Constine says that Google built Google+ to get users’ biographical data, something they are unable to do with Facebook users because of Facebook’s privacy policy. Google takes the biographical data from Google+ user profiles, Gmail activity and search history, and the search giant uses that info to provide better targeted search results and ads. They call it “Search Plus Your World.”

So, the question for business owners becomes, how does this affect me? With no one spending any time on Google+, should you care about having a Google+ business page? It doesn’t make any sense, right?

Logically, it doesn’t. It’s like building a storage facility in the middle of the desert. But you should build a page and maintain it for the same reason Google wants users to sign up for Google+: Search.

Search Plus Your World has changed the way that Google provides search results. They’re personalized to you. At the top of the screen under the search bar, any people in your circles who have info in their profile that relates to your search term will show up. Another new grouping of social results, labeled “People and Pages on Google+ related to (Search Term),” will show up in the top right side of some searches. This isn’t the case for all results. The personalized results only show up if you are logged into Gmail or Google+. Even when not signed in, social results still show up.

For example, here are my results for “Basketball” when I am logged in to Gmail.

Here are the results for “Basketball” when I am not logged in.

When you use any sort of specificity in your search, such as search “Kansas Basketball” instead of just “Basketball,” the personal and social results no longer show up.

“Self storage” is one of the terms that does not include personal or social results, and why would it? There is not much of a social aspect to self storage and there are not celebrities attached to the term like there are for basketball.

Here are the results I receive for “Los Angeles Self Storage.”

So what’s the point in having a Google+ page for your self storage business if the search terms that you’re battling for don’t show up in Search Plus Your World? For one thing, the more places you’re found, the better. And slowly, I believe, Google will begin to give more credence to someone listed on Google+. Think about what Google has done with maps. Google no longer lists or pulls data from map listings or reviews other than its own. What’s to keep them from doing something similar in social media?

Facebook and Twitter can see it coming already. Both have complained that that the social results (results on the top-right side) that Google provides are not fair to users, because these are not really the top social results. Engineers from Facebook, Twitter and several other social companies built a tool (Focusontheuser.org) that provides the actual top results in that space. It takes the top social results that come up organically and place them there.

Here are the results for “Basketball” using the Focus on the User tool.

So the argument is that even Google, in its organic results, is giving more credence to Facebook or Twitter results than Google+. This is one reason why you should not abandon your presence on Facebook and Twitter; Google still recognizes personal and business profiles on both.

As for giving more power to Google+ in search, that’s already happening with +1s. We got close to 100 +1s for the StorageFront homepage, and during the two weeks the +1s occurred, StorageFront’s ranking for the search term “Self Storage Units” jumped up two spots on Google.

Even if you don’t get that many +1s, it is still beneficial to make a Google+ business listing. Google is king when it comes to search. You should do everything in your power to please them.

Building a Google+ business listing is simple and it’s going to help you show up higher in search — maybe not yet, but certainly down the road.

“Last year, the stocks of real-estate investment trusts in the self-storage business posted a total return of 35.4%, the strongest gain of any REIT sector for the second consecutive year,” writes Wall Street Journal correspondent A.D. Pruitt in “Storage REITs Enjoy a Boom.”

Essentially, the self storage industry is recession-proof. With families downsizing, people making conservative changes, and the need for extra space in our lives, the industry has seen a remarkable growth of return, even while other industries have suffered.

Michael Knott, an analyst at Green Street Advisors, told the Wall Street Journal that profits in storage far exceeded what he thought they would be.

“Almost every situation in life can create demand for self storage, like moving, divorce, getting married, [that is] irrespective of where the economy may be,” Knott said. “The foreclosure crisis also has boosted demand of storage space as families downsize into small rental housing.”

Likewise, even though self storage may not be the most glamorous of industries out there, shows such as “Storage Wars” and “Auction Hunters” have put self storage on the pop culture map and have propelled the industry’s popularity among consumers.

“Despite some real fear that a show might negatively impact the self-storage industry, we’re not seeing much fallout. Awareness of the industry and storage-unit auctions has only increased as a result of the show. In fact, some of our self-storage clients have shared that the show’s popularity is helping them attract a broader group of buyers to auctions, bringing them closer to minimizing losses from unpaid units,” writes Amy Belasen of Inside Self Storage.

Even though rent is low for new self storage customers, owners are known to raise prices on existing customers to offset some of the costs during this trying recession.

“The company [Extra Space] wasn’t completely unscathed by recessionary pressures. Like its rivals, Extra Space saw an exodus of longer-term tenants of seven to 10 years who ditched the storage facilities to save money,” writes Pruitt.

So what does this mean for your facility or company?

It means because of the industry that you’re in, you are in fact recession-proof. But that doesn’t mean you should go on with a sigh of relief and maintain old practices.

Americans are spending less in the down economy and that means two things: fewer new renters and existing renters jumping ship to save money and make ends meet.

So what can you do as a self storage operator to maintain your long-term customers and incentivize new ones?

Like Extra Space Self Storage, perhaps you might advertise low, introductory rates for first-time self storage unit owners. You can also throw in some kind of thank you for your existing customers, like a break on the rent or a new lock. Also, to create a win-win situation for both existing consumers and new renters, you can set up a referral program that rewards your existing customers and gives a discount to all new renters.

Something else to consider is that nowadays consumers are going green or at least like the idea of going green. Promote the ways in which your facility is doing its part to help protect the environment. Likewise, consumers, especially the younger, millennial demographic, respond well to companies and institutions that promote volunteer work and social good. If your facility has participated in any type of volunteerism or charitable endeavors, make a point promote them.

In the end, look at your business goals and see what you can do to maintain your old customers and gain new ones. The self storage industry may be recession proof, but only you can make the difference in where your next dollar comes from.

In the 1970s, Kodak owned 90% market share in film and 85% market share in cameras. They even originally invented the first-ever digital camera in 1975 but failed to capitalize on its creation. But in the 1980s, foreign markets began to emerge as competitors in the film industry and Kodak found itself fighting for market share.

With its steady decline and inability to keep pace with the digital age, finally in 2004, its shares dropped below $1 and Kodak was forced out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Currently, they’re worth 40 cents a share and in the New York Stock Exchange the stock is hovering just above a dollar and barely hanging on.

Kodak stopped making investments in film in 2003.

To cover their losses in the digital age and to keep their obligations to retired employees, the Kodak company ventured into new business ideas but nothing could offset their occurring costs and loyalty to their workers. Soon they became more business to business than business to consumer with their offset printing patents.

Polaroid, Blockbuster, and Borders all filed for Chapter 11 this year and all are casualties of not being able to stay afloat in the changing, technologically filled markets.

A hard lesson is learned.

But this lesson can be transported into any business situation ranging from the next Hollywood blockbuster to running a self storage operation.

You, as a self storage owner and/or operator, must understand the current market and trends and react accordingly. If you’re not tech-savvy, then reach out and hire people who are. After all, just because you don’t know the difference between a cam bolt and a bolt, doesn’t mean you stopped building your dream.

Social media, tech, and those incomprehensible millennials are all here to stay, so what are you as a business entity doing about it? How will you stay ahead of the curve?

Fundamentals include ::

• A strong web presence; your website is your digital front door
• Familiarity with Google’s many SEO-related (and free!) tools
• Consistency in social media efforts whether it be Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc.
• Starting an email campaign with the friendly and easy-to-use MailChimp
• Make connections with other storage owners via social media

In short, don't be afraid to ride the wave of change or you’ll end up like Kodak.

Sources ::

Market Watch, Wall Street Journal and Mashable

The first thing you want to to do is make an outline or plan on what you want your video to be. Will it be a facility walk-through and tour or will it be simply an introduction of who you are and what your facility is all about?

After you’ve come up with a plan and what you want to shoot, you’ll next need to consider the camera you’ll be working with. Depending on your technical level with cameras, anything from a FlipCam or the camera on your phone to a DSLR will suffice.

CJ wrote:

An expensive video camera isn’t necessary. Most point-and-shoot cameras shoot high-quality video. For example, the Canon Powershot series shoots 1080p HD video and can be purchased for less than $200.

A tripod is a must unless you want to make a “Blair Witch Project” remake. And easy-to-use editing software, such as iMovie, Microsoft Movie maker or Video Pad, allows users to produce videos that look professionally done.

At Red Nova Labs, we have a Media Producer whose primary role is to produce video about our products and for our customers. We have shot and produced several videos for clients using our Rebel T2I camera and Adobe Premiere editing software.

Another option is to produce a video that resembles a power point presentation or a collection of images with audio. Unlike text, search engines are unable to crawl the actual contents of a video, so all of the SEO benefits are the same.”

Camera Phone :: Hit record and you can email the video from your phone to yourself.

FlipCam :: Hit the big fat record button and upload the video to your computer via USB.

Point and shoot and DSLR cameras :: Make your settings and adjustments, hit record, and export your video via the memory card.

Here are some resources for you to check out ::

• A point and shoot camera vs. a DSLR
• FlipCam 

Once your camera is all in order and you’ve shot the video, next you’ll need to edit it on your computer.

Some free, online, easy-to-use editing software includes ::

• Sound Slides, if just using pictures
• JayCut
• Mashable’s list of online video editors

You can also purchase more advanced movie editing software based on your level of technical skills. I recommend either iMovie for some basic editing and for the more advanced editor either FinalCut Pro or Adobe Premiere.

Once you’ve gotten your video to where you’d like it to be, the next thing to do would be to export the video file and upload it to either your website or other social media service. YouTube and Vimeo are good places to start. With either service you are able to create a log in and channel and upload videos to a unique URL. They also provide embed codes if you don’t wish to host your video through your server provider.

More links to consider ::

• Start here
• Canon 
• Nikon 
• How to Choose a SLR 
• Misc information 

More Online Resources once you have the camera ::

• Digital Photography School
• PhotoTuts+

from Mashable.com & EyeTrackShop

Pictures are important.

“The site feature that attracted most attention on Klout, Facebook and StumbleUpon was the profile photo.” If you’re using a logo as your main photo, make sure you have a good resolution. The optimal resolution for web images is 72 dpi.

People actually do look at your friends (or fans).

It’s easy to overlook this element, but a lot of people scan this area, probably to see whether any of their friends are also fans of your business. An endorsement by someone they know goes a long way for most consumers.

Content is still king. People look at the top of your main feed before anything else.

For a business, this means that the first thing they see is either something you’ve posted, or something another customer has posted to share with you. C.J.’s recent post mentioned the importance of engaging your customers on these platforms. There’s a fine line between engaging and spamming. Think about what your customer wants to know about your business and share relevant information, but don’t make it look like a ticker tape advertising the same special over and over again.

If customers post on your wall or write to you on Twitter, respond to them. Even if they’re contacting you to lodge a complaint, you should respond: ignoring them looks like you treat all of your customers that way. Even a brief “We’re in the office today, give us a call and we’ll resolve the issue” is better than silence.

Consumers assume that you’re reading their posts and expect you to respond. 75 percent of consumers who got any response at all from a complaint lodged on Twitter were happy with how it was handled. Responding to social media might seem like a function of customer service, but it can actually improve your brand image. Interestingly, in EyeTrackShop’s results on Twitter, users read most of the feed, rather than losing interest after a few lines, which means that they’re also paying attention to how you deal with other customers.

Another interesting way to track customer engagement is through a click-tracking service like Lucky Orange. Lucky Orange generates heat maps similar to the eye-tracing software, but it’s tracking mouse movement and clicks instead of visual information. It also lets you track mouse movements around the screen and see your visitors plotted on a map based on their location.

Their intro video tracks an actual Lucky Orange client’s discovery that one of their buttons was broken. The customer clicks on the button several times with no response. They visited the contact form, possibly considering letting the owner know, but then left the page.

With realtime results like that, you could find out quickly what’s working and not working on your site.

The big lessons: your customers want you to engage with them, and you can never do enough quality control.

Mr. Chernoff recently participated in the New York Times’ “You’re the Boss” blog for small businesses, in which Gabriel Shaoolian provides an honest and free appraisal of a business’ online presence and marketing efforts. Chernoff put his SkyRoll.com site up to the test, allowing Shaoolian, founder and chief executive of Blue Fountain Media, and his hipster whiner* readers to critique his site.

*His words, not mine. But if you don’t think I’m going to incorporate “hipster whiners” into my everyday language, you would be wrong, you hipster whiner.

SkyRoll sells carry-on luggage that fits easily in an overhead bin. The company averages 2,000 to 3,000 suitcases sold per month in the brick and mortar world but just 20 to 40 per month through the website. Chernoff spent nearly $2,000 a year ago for a redesign and has also tried Google Adwords to increase his traffic, but nothing has worked. In an effort to get people talking, he started a Crazy Carry-On Contest, asking people to send pictures or videos of the “biggest, funniest, craziest carry-ons people bring on your flight.” SkyRoll’s campaign states that if they really like your picture or video, you could win a free SkyRoll. No time requirement. No guarantee that they will actually give out a free SkyRoll. But, ya know, participate and someday we might hook you up with one of our sweet mini-suitcases.

Chernoff told Shaoolian: “We have not had much luck getting the word out. Travel writers have not picked it up. We are looking for a way to get bloggers and travel enthusiasts to start spreading the word via new media. This is the kind of idea that would benefit from word of mouth, especially among people who travel a lot and flight attendants — they see all kinds of crazy things.”

Here’s one of the biggest mistakes Chernoff made: He just assumes people will come across this and spread the word. “Having people write or blog about it is the goal.” That’s not how we hipster whiners work, my friend. You have to build your own audience and build relationships before anyone is going to pimp your site or your product. I’m guessing that when Chernoff says “new media,” he means social media, and a Twitter search for SkyRoll or Don Chernoff returns no results. And SkyRoll has a Facebook page, but its last post was May 2 and when fans of the product comment on the page, SkyRoll rarely responds.

Building relationships with fans and influencers is the key to spreading the word via social media, and that’s why SkyRoll’s Crazy Carry-On campaign has failed – SkyRoll has received one submission. Shaoolian summarizes it perfectly when he says, “Some influencers wield enormous power. The reason they enjoy huge audiences is because they provide information that is of real value to their audiences. They succeed because they do their homework and only endorse websites and products that they genuinely like and respect.”

Another area where SkyRoll fails, as Shaoolian and his readers point out, is in his website design. Shaoolian’s take:

“This is not a case of ‘build it and they will come.’ Mr. Chernoff needs to build it extremely well before anyone will come — and recommend that others follow. This will not be cheap and this will not be easy. A Web site and its marketing and promotion are a reflection of the brand behind the site. If a contest looks slapped together, it will all but guarantee that visitors will not come back — and they certainly won’t buy from your site.”

The challenges in self storage are similar to what SkyRoll faces. Many self storage websites are outdated and it’s impossible to find a call-to-action. Users want easy-to-find and immediate calls to action. Take a look at one of our WebWorks client’s facility pages.

If you’re ready to reserve a unit or want more information, it’s impossible to miss the “Reserve” button or the facility’s phone number.

The last lesson to pull from Chernoff and SkyRoll is to be willing to change. Chernoff scoffed at any criticism and suggestions to make his site better (not sure why he asked for an appraisal in the first place), and he will continue to get poor results from his online presence. It takes time and money to build a strong web presence, and you aren’t going to get immediate results. That’s what Chernoff wanted, but that’s not how those hipster interwebs work.

Why you should be on Google+

The major reason to set up a page on Google+ is consumer connection. In September, the network had about 50 million members – a far cry from Facebook’s 800 million and even Twitter’s 200 million – but not bad for five months of existence.

For businesses, Google+ has an edge: it’s searchable in a way that Facebook has yet to master. For example, a search for “storage unit” pulls up any public Google+ posts and pages that mention the phrase. You can filter by People and Pages, G+ Posts and more to find ways to interact with consumers looking for your product. Using keywords in your own posts could help boost interest in your Page, too, if someone is searching for industry-specific information within Google+.

Perhaps the biggest advantage businesses get from joining Google+ is in terms of search ranking. If a user searches for something that one of their G+ connections has +1ed (+1s are the Google+ equivalent of Facebook’s Likes), that connection’s +1 result shows up in the first page of search results. It’s essentially word-of-mouth marketing online. Also, if consumers search for your brand with a + in front of it, they’ll reach your branded page result.

 Setting Up Your Page

Right now, G+ Pages function the same way as personal pages. You can post photos, links, videos and information about your business, but there’s not really more to do than on a standard page (yet).

You can still really make Pages work for you, though. Making your Page rich in information and content is important. Google+’s status update box packs in simple YouTube integration and a great integrated photo editing tool so that you can easily edit photos before you post them.

G+ Pages also give you the ability to host Hangouts, which are large chats with other members. Businesses could hold informational hangouts that answer consumer questions. It’s also a great, free way to share the human face of your company with potential customers.

If you’re unfamiliar with the platform, Social Media in 7 Minutes has a great introductory video that shows, step-by-step, how to create a business Page on G+.

Make the Most of Your Network

Google+ gives you the ability to control your branding and the way you present yourself to customers. Not all customers are necessarily going to make it to your website, but they might come across your G+ profile. If they do access your regular site and +1 your business, the +1s will reflect on your G+ brand page. One of the best ways to get +1s from visitors to your site is to implement a G+ badge, which G+ makes easy.

 Badges

After you’re done with your Page, you can take a moment to set up a Google+ Badge for your company’s site. Badges are widgets that encourage site visitors to +1 your site without having to leave it for Google+.

Badges can be created here.

As mentioned before, the more +1s you get, the more likely you’ll show up higher in a G+ user’s search results.

 Why You Should Get There Now

This interesting post on Datamation points out that the early bird gets the worm when it comes to social media. Brands like CNN and The New York Times were early Twitter adopters, and they’re joining G+ now, too. A smaller business doesn’t have the same legion of social media resources to unleash, but having a page that’s well-maintained will go a long way as G+ gains more traction.

Google+ has even set up its own Page titled Google+ Your Business with tips, hangouts and more for businesses interested in getting the most out of their Google+ Page.

  More great resources:

With Facebook in Crosshairs, Google+ Opens for Business - Ad Age

Why You Need Google Plus Pages For Business ASAP - Black Box Social Media

If you want to get more in-depth, SEOMoz has a really informative post about how to use Google +’s Ripple tool to track public sharing of posts.

Our Google+ Pages: Storage Front & 877 Self Storage

]]> http://www.selfstoragemarketingahead.com/google-pages-for-business-yield-search-advantages/feed/ 0 http://www.selfstoragemarketingahead.com/the-battle-for-web-visibility-google-maps/ http://www.selfstoragemarketingahead.com/the-battle-for-web-visibility-google-maps/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:24:02 +0000 CJ Moore http://www.selfstoragemarketingahead.com/?p=2242 This post originally appeared as a column in Mini Storage Messenger, where Red Nova Labs (parent company of StorageFront and WebWorks) regularly contributes marketing advice.

When Steve Chaires received his local yellow pages book recently, he was mad. But his anger was tempered by the realization that what he was so upset about probably didn’t matter all that much.

Chaires, who owns Advanced Moving and Storing in Tallahassee, Fla., looked up his listing to discover that the print was too small for him to read.

“I’m 44 years old and I can’t read it without a pair of glasses,” he said.

So why doesn’t it matter? Because font size has little to do with the number of eyeballs Chaires’ listing will get in yellow pages print. The yellow pages are losing relevance along with other types of print media, and Chaires, like many business owners, has moved most of his marketing budget online. He realizes that no listing is more important than the one that appears at the top of a Google search—as a Google Maps balloon.

“That’s where you want to be,” he said. “You’ve got to have a strong presence on the Internet, period. Whatever it takes to get that presence on the Internet is what you need to do be successful in business in today’s market. And if you don’t, you’re a fool. You won’t be in business long.”

True, the Internet is the ticket to meaningful marketing these days, but some tactics are better than others. For example, say a prospect searches Google for “self storage.” Odds are that Google Maps are not going to be a part of the search results. However, most people include a location when they are searching for a local business or service. In fact, 20 percent of online searches are location-based. That’s when Google Maps matter.

Google Maps listings are the most visible local search results on Google today—more prominent than ads and organic results combined. Go ahead—search the web for self storage in your area (e.g. Self Storage Kansas City) and you’ll quickly see what I mean. Maps are the web’s latest gateway to local shopping.

And don’t forget about the mobile web. Forty percent of users who click on a Google Map or use Google Maps for directions are doing so on mobile devices. In fact, this year Google reports about 150 million users of its mobile platform, and that number is climbing.

Mobile searches suggest that people are about to take action. In the case of self storage, that means that many people using Google Maps are very serious about renting a storage unit. Becoming one of those sought-after top balloons is critical to attracting eager renters.

You can get there, and it won’t even cost you. But how?

For yellow pages, the key has always been to get your listing to stand out. To do that you needed to pay for an ad. So there was a direct correlation between money spent and leads delivered. But that is not necessarily the case on the web. Sure, you can appear on the front page by investing in Google AdWords and/or expensive SEO services, but the first thing most people see on a location-based search is the maps listing. Becoming one of those balloons does not cost a dime (for now anyway); consistency and attention-to-detail is how to land at the top.

The bad news is, once you become one of the top balloons, staying there is a whole other challenge.

Consistency is King

If your business has never claimed a Google Maps listing, that doesn’t mean you’re not already appearing in Google Maps. Google takes info from elsewhere on the web and populates its maps. If a listing already exists, you should still claim your page and make sure that all the information is accurate. The process is not hard: you can either have Google call your place of business or send a PIN number via snail mail to verify the listing.

Once you’ve claimed your map, it’s possible that Google might create another listing if everything is not consistent throughout the web. More than one listing is counterproductive, because it negatively affects your rank.

It’s important not to try to beat the system by adding keywords or a phone number onto your business name listing. Google Places provides ample opportunity to make sure customers find all of your information. Your business name and address should be the same everywhere – online and offline. Even your terminology should be consistent. If you use “Street” one place and “St.” in another, it can hurt your ranking.

Once you have created a Google Places listing, you should make sure to fill out all fields if possible. Google Places allows you the opportunity to upload your logo, add photos and videos, which is like a free ad for your business. You can strengthen your SEO in the additional details field by adding keywords and available services. The additional details field is yet another opportunity to share information with customers.

Once a business is listed and Google verifies the listing, business owners can track how often their business appears in searches and how often those searches result in a click (or lead) on the Google Places Dashboard. This allows for some trial and error to make sure that what you have included in the different categories has provided your business with a strong presence. Plus, if something goes awry with a listing, a business owner will most likely see it reflected in the analytics, so it’s important to constantly track that information and make sure there has been no foul play to hurt your ranking.

The Battle for Maps

Google Maps and Places listings have become a cat-and-mouse game between competitors and third-party marketing businesses that are trying to benefit from the suddenly-available dollars that used to go to yellow pages. Some competitors have stooped to altering information in an effort to steer customers away. Until recently, one method was to report a problem on Google Places, letting Google know that a business was “permanently closed.” That information would then show up to anyone who landed on the Google Places page, showing the place of business as “reportedly closed” and pending a review by Google, it could later show up as “permanently closed.”

The New York Times reported the spamming tactic in early September and Google quickly responded, posting a blog post that they were working to fix the problem and then this update on Sept. 14:

“As promised, we’ve recently made a change to our process of displaying when a business has been reported to be closed on its place page. More specifically, we have removed the interim notification about a report having been made so that a listing will only be updated after it has been reviewed by Google and we believe the change to be accurate.”

This does not mean that there isn’t another loophole yet to be discovered. It is especially easy to screw up a business’ listing if that business is unclaimed, because then anyone can edit the details. Even if your maps have been claimed, a competitor could still hurt your ranking by editing a listing somewhere else on the Internet, as Google cross-checks the information with other listings elsewhere. When the information does not match, your listing will most likely fall in the rankings.

Google can’t police everything, and the only way to be safe is to constantly monitor your listing throughout the web as well as the info on your Google Places page; the other alternative is to have a third-party marketing service monitor it for you.

Plenty of third-party marketing services are available in the self storage industry, such as StorageFront, Sparefoot and G5. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m the Editor at Red Nova Labs (Red Nova Labs owns StorageFront), so I have an obvious bias. But one claim we can make that some of our competitors cannot is that we claim and monitor Google Maps/Places listings for free.

Most third-party marketing services are looking out for the best interests of their clients, but I would be lying if I told you it does not benefit us as well. If we handle your maps and direct customers to your listing on our site, it benefits us because another lead is another reason for a client to use our service.

“Whoever has control of your Google Maps is going to have the strongest presence,” Chaires said. “And when you have a companion website such as StorageFront who has a dozen sites in a metropolitan area – Tallahassee is a small area – but you get to the much larger metropolitan areas and it becomes more important, because people are looking more geographically in place like Orlando. Orlando has hundreds of storage places, so it’s a whole different ballgame. You’re narrowing it down not by the city but by the part of the city where you are. That’s when the maps really come into play.”

Because of this, the battle to handle maps is competitive. Recently, we found out that a competitor was calling our current clients and trying to take over their maps. Some clients were confused and thought our people were the ones calling them, so they gave our competitors their information, enabling the competitor to take control of the maps. Obviously, this did not sit well with us, mainly because in every occurrence that we found out about, our maps listings were already at the top of local searches, so there was not anyway that someone else taking control of that listing could benefit the customer. Plus, our competitor was charging to control that listing, a service we provide for free.

We have tried to find other industries where this is occurring and our search came up empty, but it’s naïve to think it isn’t happening elsewhere.

It’s important that self storage business owners realize the importance of Google Maps and Google Places and educate their managers on the impact of it as well. If you have duplicate listings or someone changes your information, you’ll lose those leads. But when executed the right way, Google Maps and Google Places provide free leads to your facility.

So how do you get reviews?

Get creative. Most customers are not going to think to go leave a review unless they had an awful experience – and while any review is helpful – that’s not the reviews you’re after. Here are some ideas from SEOmoz:

• Send a message to your Facebook fans or email list and ask them to leave a review at your Google Place page.
• If you send out follow up, or reminder, post cards (such as many dentists) incorporate a call to action to review your business.
• Put a call to action (and link) asking for a review on your web site.
• Display a sign by your cash register or hand them a flier with their receipt asking for a review.
• Make sure to make the process as easy as possible, provide a link to your Places page and give detailed instructions on what they need to do leave a review.

One idea that seems obvious is incentivizing customers to write a review with some sort of discount. Do not do this! Google considers this a conflict of interest. While it could be difficult for Google to police this, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that a competitor would find out, alert Google and suddenly you’re penalized by falling in the search rankings.

Here’s some advice you should give customers willing to write a review:

• Describe their experience, provide as many details as possible and don’t just write, “Joe Bob Storage is awesome!”
• Reviews should be authentic. Reviews with a few keywords are good, but keyword-stuffing could get a review flagged.
• Don’t ask for high ratings or unwarranted praise. Ask reviewers to tell the truth about their experience.

In order to write a review, a customer will need a Google account. Here are directions from Google you can provide them on how to submit a review. Also, as SEOmoz suggests, it’s a good idea to email them or give them a card with the URL to your Places review page.

The easier the process, the more reviews you will receive, and when it comes to reviews, quantity and quality are both important. And while you would prefer that every review be positive, all reviews add value to your Places page.

These days, thanks to an average of 8-11 phone calls per facility a month, our customers see that their return-on-investment was well worth it. Our main competitor in the last few years, Sparefoot, has gone with a completely different model, one that makes sense when you’re just getting started (i.e. back when they first launched their platform), but eventually, it proves costly. They charge for every lead they generate – lead, in this case, is a loose term – and their sell is that you pay for what you get. But what you get might not always be a rental, and the price for some of those leads just went up 66 percent.

Effective Oct. 1, Sparefoot changed its pricing model. For storage units that are 100 square feet or larger, Sparefoot is now charging $125, a 66 percent increase from its old price of $75. Sparefoot did give its customers 33 percent decrease on units that are less than 50 square feet, putting some lipstick on the pig. Our monthly subscription is still $69.95 per month and has not changed since we started the platform.

“They charge too much money and get way too many false leads from them,” a customer recently told us about Sparefoot. “97-98 percent of the leads they send me are no-shows, and they charge more for one lead than y’all charge for a month. In my opinion, y’all have the corner on the market.”

We want our customers to know that we do not plan to raise our prices in response to Sparefoot’s price change. And like we’ve always told our customers, we believe our model is the best value in the industry – now, more so than ever.