RENTING ONLINE SHOULDN’T SUCK

The New Standard for Storage Rentals

Renting a storage unit shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth. But let’s face it, for many customers, the process can still be confusing, clunky, or just too time-consuming. In today’s market, creating a smooth, fast, and frustration-free rental experience isn’t just a “nice to have”, it’s the difference between closing a rental or losing a customer to the competitor down the road.

Here’s what makes a great self-storage rental experience and how we’re bringing that to life through technology and design.

It Starts with the Website: Clean, Clear, and Seamlessly Designed

A good customer experience starts before they ever walk through your gate. Most renters today are booking online, often from their phones, and they want quick answers to a few key questions:

• What size do I need?
• How much does it cost?
• Can I move in today?

But it’s not enough to simply have a website, it needs to be the right website. Clear pricing builds trust, while hidden fees or vague promotions only create frustration and churn. First impressions matter more than ever; low-quality photos, cluttered layouts, or overly transactional designs can send customers running before they’ve even considered renting. And above all, simplicity wins. Renters want a fast, intuitive experience—not a scavenger hunt for basic details or a maze of endless forms.

We designed our website with clarity and conversion in mind. From the very first glance, customers are greeted with a clean, welcoming layout that showcases our properties—not overwhelmed by clutter or buried in confusing options. High-quality photos and a modern interface create a strong first impression, while our value-tiered unit display (think: Good, Better, Best) makes comparison easy.

Units are automatically sorted to show the lowest price first, helping customers quickly find the best fit. Transparent pricing is front and center—no surprises, no vague promotions. Filters by size, features, and availability keep things simple, and once a customer selects a unit, the rental process can be completed in just a few taps. It’s everything they need—without anything they don’t.

And while you’re guiding them through that seamless rental experience, it’s the perfect moment to encourage Auto Pay enrollment. We’ve built it directly into the checkout flow, and over 40% of our customers now check that box during the rental process—making future payments effortless and reducing missed rent for operators.

Renting online is now faster and easier than ever. Most of our checkouts take under a minute, down from an average of five minutes just a year ago. Since launching this streamlined experience, we’ve seen a 10% year-over-year increase in online rentals, and today, 43% of all rentals are completed online—nearly half.

If you’re not already collecting payment in under a minute, it’s time to rethink the process. Customers expect speed, and when you make it simple to search, sign, and pay—they follow through.

No confusing forms. No pop-ups. Just a clean, mobile-first experience that makes renting simple from search to sign.

Checkout Should Be Fast and Friction-Free

One of the biggest reasons customers abandon rental checkouts? A slow, outdated process, especially if it involves clunky PDFs or redirecting to a third-party lease platform. An “abandoned cart” occurs when a customer starts the rental process but doesn’t complete it; often due to long, overcomplicated forms or unclear next steps.

We built our own custom electronic lease process that works beautifully on mobile. Scrollable terms, clear pricing, and easy checkboxes make it simple to complete a secure, legally binding lease in minutes. No printing. No waiting. And yes, payment is collected right then and there.

This isn’t just better for the customer. It means more completed rentals for you.

Rental Funnel Performance Worth Bragging About

Don’t just take our word for it, the numbers speak for themselves. Of all visitors who clicked “Rent”, 76.5% completed their contact info and 39.52% of those same visitors completed the entire rental process, including payment—well above industry averages.

But it doesn’t stop there. Of the carts that were initially abandoned—those that didn’t complete payment—we recovered 54.82%, either directly through our automated recovery campaigns (email/SMS) or indirectly through follow-up in-store or call center assistance.

That’s the power of a frictionless checkout, smart follow-up, and a system built to close.

Same Tools for Managers and Sales Teams

Consistency is key and your staff should be equipped to deliver it.
Your on-site team and sales center reps should be using the same streamlined rental tools your customers do—just with a bit more control behind the scenes. When your platform ties it all together, your team can easily pick up where the customer left off—whether they started the process online, by phone, or in person—and close the rental without switching systems or slowing things down.

Fast rentals. Fewer mistakes. Happier teams.

Optimized Performance Behind the Scenes

Efficiency matters, for both your customers and your team. Our system is designed to keep things running smoothly by prioritizing what matters most. By intelligently loading key details like available units and pricing first, and using real-time data to power every step, we reduce lag, minimize confusion, and keep the rental experience focused and streamlined. The result? Fewer delays, fewer errors, and a smarter, more efficient way to manage self-storage rentals—from both sides of the screen.

For multi-location operators, NOA—our Salesforce-based platform—centralizes inventory, pricing, promotions, and lead tracking in one easy-to-use system. This allows us to build in smart features like value pricing, dynamic specials, and revenue management automation without relying on workarounds or third-party tools.

Final Thought: Rentals Don’t Have to Be Hard

Customers don’t need gimmicks—they need clarity, consistency, and an experience that doesn’t make them question their life choices. A seamless rental flow has gone from “nice to have” to non-negotiable.

We’ve built a system that removes the roadblocks—clunky forms, vague pricing, disconnected tools—and replaces them with clean design, transparent information, and a checkout flow that actually closes rentals. And the results speak for themselves: increased online conversions, reduced abandon rates, and smoother operations across the board.

If you’re ready to ditch the chaos and deliver the kind of experience your customers hope they’ll get, let’s talk. We’d love to show you how simple renting can really be.

Explore the Rental Experience
Visit https://getnoa.com to schedule a demo or see it in action at https://www.aaaaselfstorage.com.

Ashley Shealey
NOA Developer
Packed Planet Self Storage Management
(757) 776-0077   |  Contact Ashley