randing has become an all-encompassing term that has engulfed all aspects of life. People no longer seem to have personality traits. They just act on brand. Many people no longer do product research before deciding to buy an item. They just automatically gravitate towards whichever brand has earned their trust.

There’s no escaping it. Whether you like it or not, branding has become an essential part of any business, and the self-storage industry is no exception. So how can you ensure that you’re doing branding right? What is it that makes some entities be so successful with their branding, while others are forgettable at best? Are you willing to bet your annual income that your self-storage business is optimizing its branding efforts?

“When most people think of branding for self-storage, the obvious bits come to mind: logos, colors, brand guidelines, signage,” says Tommy Nguyen, co-founder and COO at StoragePug, a software development company and digital marketer for self-storage operators. “While all those things play critical roles in establishing a brand for any business, the visual bits are just part of the way there.” He explains that the most crucial part when developing your brand is to ask yourself how do you want your customers to feel about your business.

The answer to this question will depend on your target market. Are you looking to serve a community that’s on a tight budget, or are you offering premium services? Do you prefer a more traditional bread-and-butter way of doing business, or do you get excited about providing tech-forward options? Are you a mom-and-pop shop, or do you have multiple locations?

“How people feel about you and your brand is more impactful than whether or not they like the blue in your logo,” adds Nguyen. “What you evoke is what’ll set you apart from all other self-storage businesses who offer the same 10-by-10 empty units.”

Once you know how you want your customers to feel, it’s time to figure out an effective way to communicate that to your audience. How do you do that? Let’s start with your website.

First, be mindful that nowadays people tend to have the attention span of a gnat (plus multiple phone notifications and life responsibilities competing for their attention). Therefore, before even going into the details of what your site will look like, make sure that it loads fast (under two seconds tends to be a fan favorite timeframe) and it’s optimized for mobile devices since the vast majority of people look up businesses from their phones. If visitors have to zoom in or scroll sideways to see what you offer, they’re probably going to go with a competitor instead. Your north should always be the user experience.

Now to get into the actual content of the website. While the written information is essential, you also have to be strategic with the visuals. “Your photos should showcase what makes you great and let customers see what you have to offer,” adds Nguyen. This means bypassing scenic images and generic stock photos. Flaunt your facilities. Let people see the layout, the cleanliness, and the security features.

Be mindful that a lot of people are coming to the homepage to scan the product offerings and pricing. “Avoid big spans of text above the fold and stick with taglines that communicate who you are, what you offer, and where you’re located,” Nguyen says. “Save the big paragraphs for other parts of your website for SEO reasons, such as product pages, storage tips, and Frequently Asked Questions.”

Always remember that customers are coming to your website to find a solution, so focus on highlighting the solutions you offer. As Nguyen describes it, branding is less about you and more about your customers. Prioritizing the user experience, make sure the layout is easy to follow. Including social proof, such as testimonials for individual customers and case studies for corporate ones, provides prospects with verified accounts that your business will offer them with what they’re seeking.

Then there’s the issue of data security. People are entering private personal information, such as their names, addresses, and credit card numbers. They have to be reassured that you’re safeguarding these details. Therefore, get a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certification to protect your site from hackers. Trustworthiness is part of any good brand. “Being up to date on security standards, both online and offline, is a sign of respect,” says Nguyen. “You’re also communicating your values and priorities.”

Now, back to the logos. While it’s true that prospects don’t care about the shade of blue you use, you still want to develop a memorable design. At the end of the day, once people start experiencing your offerings, the logo is what makes you instantly recognizable. “Treat building a brand like pouring concrete for your foundation,” says Nguyen. “If designing a good logo is in your wheelhouse, do it and do it well.” If graphic design isn’t your forte, he advises hiring marketing experts to do it for you.

Once you have your website in place, it’s time to think of how to make things as seamless as possible for your customers. Think about all the well-known and successful self-storage operators. In the past decade or so, the industry has evolved from rudimentary and unsophisticated to tech-forward and customer-centric offerings. “This evolution can easily be seen with messaging,” says Nguyen. “Think of: ‘Easy to manage. Anytime. Anywhere (CubeSmart).’ ‘Skip the counter and go straight to your space (Public Storage).’ ‘Skip the line, rent online (Reliable Storage).’ Brands big and small have made it clear that renting is easy!”

Speaking of easy, while you do have to be strategic about developing your brand, it’s not necessary to overcomplicate things. When asked about choosing their own branding for StoragePug, Nguyen’s enthusiasm is clear. “For the name, we had a feeling that an animal-themed company delivers on the fun factor. A pug is a funny mascot, and storagepug.com was available on Google Domains for $12!” You can’t argue with that reasoning, and the success stories on their own homepage are testament that their branding has been effective.

Those testimonials are also proof that even when you get your branding right (a logo that reflects your personality, the excellent user experience, and niche offerings), what actually makes that brand trustworthy is backing it up with your products and customer support. “People don’t rent because the doors are green, red, or orange,” says Nguyen. “They rent because they find your facility convenient, safe, and the right price.”

Who would’ve ever thought that self-storage and Maya Angelou would ever be discussed in the same article? But her famous words ring true on this topic: “People will forget what you said and what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” And if you make them feel like they can trust you with their belongings, they’ll keep coming back any time they need storage space.