Thank You Capital Self Storage

Original site May 2000

Capital Self Storage were one of the first Self Storage companies to have a website on the Internet starting in 2000. There were very few others at the time that understood that the Internet would become the major tool to sell self storage over the next 20 years.

Back in 2000, The Internet was still in its infancy, Websites were rudimentary and really for informational purposes only. Very few companies had them and they certainly did not rely on them for business.

In 2000, Yellow Pages was still in full swing and in Capital’s case it was common, to spend over $100,000 on Yellow Pages advertising, including the spine and the rear cover of the book. No one could have accused Capital for not spending big on advertising! The phones were ringing!

Few understood how the Internet would involve and many thought it was just another passing fad. Mobile websites did not exist and we didn’t even have mobile phones that could display websites!

The Internet grew and grew and Capital understood this with regular updates to its website. Centreforce Technology Group’s,WebStor took over the hosting and the construction of the website from 2005, although Dallas Dogger had been involved with the website previously from its conception, completing artwork to be provided to the previous web hoster using graphic tools available like CorelDRAW 3.

A new look with HTML Tabs

Capital was the first adopter of Online Reservations in 2007. Slow at first, Online Reservations grew quickly to become an integral part of Capital Self Storage’s daily business with the Yellow Pages providing less and less calls.

As web technology got better, Capital’s website was updated. In 2007, Major updates to HTML were available and later that year we were able to move to a more dynamic Website with changeable images on the front page.

The Canberra public adopted an Internet friendly attitude, with many public servants having access to Internet at work, giving them an opportunity to research self storage online – analytics revealing a big spike in page views at lunchtime!

From 2008 onwards the demise of the Yellow Pages was obvious, Canberra also suffered from distribution problems with the phonebook. One year the phonebook was not the even distributed at all and had been found to be dumped at the local tip!

2008 saw the introduction of online payments. Again, Capital were the first “guinea pig” this new technology, having changed from StorMan to SiteLink Web Edition, the first major group to make a commitment to that software.

On line Payments arrive

Capital immediately started to receive online payments, showing the way for the future that customers would pay. Online reservations were working well and the Yellow pages continued to get smaller.

Capital continually promoted to its customers to reserve and pay online, providing services that competitors did not.

In March 2011, Centreforce provided a new and refreshing website With new technology called “RapidStor’, the first version of giving Customers the opportunity to

RapidStor for Capital – a world first

complete the move in process online. RapidStor was an immediate success With the first online move in for the Queanbeyan store, 22 minutes after going live!

RapidStor uses SiteLink’s powerful API function and Centreforce liaised with SiteLink to enhance the API for online move ins with Capital often being the trial site to see if the new technology would work – Luckily it did!

By March 2013 the Internet was in full swing for Capital, delivering daily online move ins and reservations and online payments. Centreforce created an extensive Google Ad Words campaign with specialised landing pages targeting

More Web options highlighted

the most searched terms and this has been updated monthly ever since.

June 2013 saw the current website go live, designed by Centreforce to take advantage of changing consumer demand with more web connectivity and more emphasis on Online bookings.

A recent update has focused on rates Is the market is sensitive to prices but it was always Capital‘s view to be upfront with pricing; there is no point keeping your prices secret and Capital had downloadable price lists from 2006, when competitors thought otherwise.

There are still operators who are concerned about putting their prices on the web and Capital showed the way In the local self storage industry that it was

Mobile a key element for Capital

important to show customers how much your product is. There is no evidence that this is ever hurt Capital’s business.

Centreforce would like to thank Capital Self Storage for their continued business since the Internet really got started and we wish National Storage the new owners all the best with these four fantastic sites.

Centreforce only played a small part in the success of Capital; ultimately Web savvy customers taking the opportunity tor rent space online with over 1,500 Online move ins, proving without doubt that Storage customers we will pay Online, Rent Online and Reserve Space Online and importantly, since 2007  and in Capitals case, want to see prices Online.

Very few sites haver the history for trying new Internet concepts than Capital. Always on the edge pushing for new business. Thank you for your continued business and testing!

The current website

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