This article was updated in December 2024
Someone clicks "rent now." They choose a unit, and maybe put in some information. But they never pay, disappearing into the mists of the internet like a ghost.
What happened? Did that shopper change their mind? Were they kidnapped mid-rental? Do we need to call Liam Neeson?
Probably not, and we don't have his number - but any operator that turn those shoppers into renters has a big advantage in today's competitive market.
Online rentals are almost a necessity now. People like to shop online - they do it on Amazon, for groceries, they buy cars online, etc. etc. If you can't rent storage units online, your customers will find someone who can.
Online rentals have some drawbacks compared to renting in-store though. One of the major drawbacks is cart abandonment, which is the scenario we referenced above. Someone starts renting a unit and then stops before finishing the transaction.
The average shopping cart abandonment rate for online retailers is 70.19%
The numbers we see in storage aren't quite that high. When people are shopping for storage, it's because they need storage, so they're likely to buy from someone. Compare that to someone shopping for shoes or jet skis - they might be shopping for fun, without any real intent to purchase.
While you can't stop someone from abandoning their cart, you can reduce the chances. Here are four ways you can help your potential customers complete the rental without abandoning their cart.
You've built a great website that looks and feels great and has built trust with your customer... but then at checkout time, you redirect them to a different website.
This can make folks uncomfortable. They were shopping on your site, decided to rent from your site, then you sent them to someone else entirely to make the purchase?
To your customer, it can look like they're not renting from your business at all. Worst case scenario, it can look like a scam - sure, just go to this other site you've never seen before and put in your credit card information!
PayPal is an excellent example of this. It is a very secure way to purchase items online; however, when it comes time for the checkout process, they direct you away from whatever site you're on to theirs.
Approximately 27% of cart abandonment is from the checkout process too long or too complicated. Approximately 18% of those who abandon the cart do it because they don't trust the website with their credit card information.
Google really values user experience, too. If people buy from your site, this will help your self storage SEO. If they abandon their cart and don't purchase, that will hurt your SEO. Plus, if you let some other site complete your transaction, that might not help you as much as completing the transaction on your own site would.
To have a smooth checkout process for your customers, post accurate rates on your website. Make sure they understand exactly how much they're going to pay for a unit and what the expectations are. Don't let your fees, insurance costs, or any other add-ons surprise them at the end!
Surprises are frustrating for the customer who has gone through the checkout process and now finds that they're paying more than what they initially thought.
61% of those who abandon their cart do so because of unexpected fees.
Having the exact cost for the customer up front, before they put in their address and credit card information, will reduce the number of customers leaving the site without renting a unit.
You should still advertise your discounts and great rates - but be clear about what your customer can expect to pay.
In some places, hiding your fees until the end is illegal!
You want navigation on your site to be natural and the checkout process to be smooth.
One way to help this is to have a process indicator. If checking out is a four-step process and it takes you to four different pages, your site should show a number for each of those pages, so the customer understands where they are in the checkout process. It also lets them know how long it could take.
It creates trust with the customer because they know that they're not going down a rabbit hole or having to divulge more and more information without knowing when the process ends. A process indicator helps the customer feel like they are in control and eliminates any confusion they may have.
Another detail for a simple checkout process is having contact information readily available. Many online businesses can help customers in real time - and if someone gets stuck, you want the solution (your manager) to be easily available.
Having a phone number handy will let the customer know they can talk to someone if they have any issues. If necessary, your manager can walk them through the checkout process.
According to Visual Website Optimizer, e-commerce conversion rates drop 7% for every one-second delay in your page loading. Customers want instant gratification, and if your site is taking too long to load, the customer is much more likely to move on. Customers abandon the checkout process at about a 20% rate because of website issues.
Visitors will spend more time on your site if the site loads quickly and they can get to the information they want without delays, broken links, missing pages, or errors. Customers will move on if your site is not working as it should.
They certainly won't trust you with their credit card if you don't have a site that works well.
Creating trust with your customers (and providing a good rental experience) will help customers make that final decision to give you their money.
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