The next time you go to a restaurant, concert, or another public area, take a look around. At least the majority of the people you see will be holding a mobile device. In today’s digital on-to-go world, there isn’t much that can separate a person from their beloved mobile device. Sure, some may see this as an annoyance. However, any strategic business will see this as a fantastic marketing opportunity. According to research, the average amount of time spent on the internet is increasing. Interestingly, the average amount of time spent on desktops is decreasing. Where is all the extra internet-time being spent? You guessed it, mobile devices.
Attention storage facility owners! If you aren’t marketing to smartphones, you are missing out on a huge revenue and conversion opportunity.
With all of the new technology and device options available, what mobile strategies are most effective? In past, the solution has been to provide a traditional mobile app platform to cater to mobile users. As a result, businesses across the world have invested in mobile apps, in addition to a website (can you say cha-ching?!). Are third-party mobile apps the still the best option?
- According to Statista, more than half of people with smartphones download zero new apps each month in the United States.
- ComScore found that mobile websites get more visitors than mobile apps.
It seems that traditional mobile apps are dying out and there is a strong preference for mobile websites. Of course, Google has predicted this all along and began implementing mobile-first indexing in 2017.
Mobile First Indexing: Google ranks websites with enhanced mobile capabilities higher than websites that do not cater to mobile devices.
Google recently released the Progressive Web App (PWA), new web development technology, that seems to offer yet another mobile solution. This new technology appears to be the perfect solution for local businesses to increase their online rankings and develop a conversion-driven website. This opens up a world of opportunities for self storage facilities. What do Progressive Web Apps offer that traditional websites and mobile apps can't?
- Speed: The loading time of Progressive Web Apps is almost non-existent! With speed being a top ranking factor, PWAs are more likely to make it to the top of search results pages.
- Download to Home Screen: A PWA is a website that can be downloaded to the home screen of any device, allowing online visitors to rent a unit and complete rental paperwork online with ease.
- FAST Downloads: Tenants can download your PWA with the click of a button. This download takes seconds rather than the minute-long experience from your typical app- store.
- Push Notifications: PWAs allow for facility owners to send their tenants push notifications, a convenient message that pops up on the tenant’s phone, computer, or tablet. Facilities may use these for a variety of reasons. For Example
- “Pay Bill!”
- “Upcoming storage auction.”
- “Special offer coming next month.”
- Mobile-experience: A mobile-enhanced experience is vital in this mobile-first world.
Although people still use traditional mobile apps, it is important to consider future trends and how a storage facility fits into that. PWAs, being an enhancement of existing technology, provide an app-like feel on commonly used browsers. Just think, many other features, products, and technology released by Google in the past have rapidly become mainstream. For now, any mobile option is a good option… but are Progressive Web Apps the way of the future? Food for thought!