[This article was updated in 2023]
You've got the spot picked out, the funding secured, and you're ready to dive into your first self storage venture -
But you still need a name.
A good name can increase confidence in your business, build your brand, and even help you crack the front page of Google! Read on to learn how you should go about picking a name for your self storage facility.
Naming a self-storage facility can be a daunting task. There are so many self storage companies out there that it can be challenging to come up with a unique name for your self storage investment.
You may be tempted to get as unique and noteworthy as you can when choosing a name, so you stick in customers' minds! But there are some additional things to keep in mind beyond having a fun and snappy brand.
One of the things that many facility owners do not consider when choosing a name is search engine optimization or SEO.
Naming your facility with SEO in mind will significantly improve your chances of success, especially if there are multiple self-storage facilities in the area.
According to a study by BIA/Berkley in 2017, at least 97 percent of Americans search online for local businesses before deciding on what company to use.
Consumers will shy away from local businesses whose websites are outdated or slow to load, as this can indicate that the business isn't well taken care of.
Making your business easy to find online and having an easy to use and up to date website are critical to your overall success. Having an SEO-friendly name for your facility is the first important step in setting yourself up for success.
Including your location in your facility name is also a big help when it comes to SEO. Many people either search for “storage near me” or “storage in—” and their location. If your location has the name of a local area or landmark, they'll be more likely to recognize where you are - and you might even rank higher on the search results page!
Many self-storage facilities name their business after the street where the facility is located. If it’s a major street and you are counting on customers to remember seeing your storage facility during their daily drive, this strategy can work.
However, you’ll have much better results if you name your facility after the neighborhood that you're located in.
One of our clients, Rocky Hill Storage, chose a perfect name. Rocky Hill is the name of the community inside of Knoxville, TN. They quickly claimed the top spot on many search results.
Naming your facility after the city you are in can work well if you're in a smaller town or suburb.
If you live in a huge city or metropolitan area, however, you will do better to name your facility after the neighborhood or area of the city where the facility is located.
Choosing a name with the town in it will help you pull in customers that search in their neighborhood as opposed to the city as a whole. Choosing a well-thought-through name will increase your web traffic and ultimately increase your facility's occupancy rate.
You can quickly discover what keywords local customers are searching for online. There are several free keyword search tools available online that are quite easy to use, such as Moz's Keyword Explorer.
Including these critical words in your facility name will go a long way toward making sure your company can be found easily online.
If you offer features that other self-storage facilities don’t provide, include this in your facility name.
For example, if you offer climate-controlled units, you might consider "Halls Climate Controlled Self-Storage." If you provide increased security, you might name your facility "Secure Halls Self-Storage."
These names don’t sound fancy, but they can help you stand out to people looking for that particular quality.
Naming your facility isn't the only way to stand out online though! StoragePug has hundreds of clients that rank on the first page of Google, and by far the most common naming scheme is just [Family/location name] Self Storage.
These naming tips can give you a leg up, but they aren't necessary - even if you've already named your facility, our Self Storage SEO Guide can help you rank highly!
In the end, you want to be as specific as you can when naming your self-storage facility.
Most consumers are well versed in searching for particular keywords when they are in need of a local business. The more specific you can be in your storage facility name, the more likely they will be to find you.
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