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Website General Settings
This section of the website CMS settings enables you to make site-wide configurations and modify basic settings that are crucial for establishing consistency, functionality, and branding across the site.
Note: There are many settings in this section that are similar to those in the FMS Initial Setup of Website settings. The difference between these is that the ones in Website General Settings work on a Corporate level, i.e. across all the property pages on the website. In contrast, the FMS Initial Setup settings work on a property level. Changes made to a setting in Website General Settings will reflect across the website irrespective of the property. This is useful when you have to configure a setting for multiple properties in one go.
To configure your self-storage website’s general settings, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Navigate to Website Settings by clicking the settings icon from the left navigation. Then, select Website by clicking the Hummingbird filter icon from the Settings Dashboard and Website General Settings from the left navigation.
- You will see various settings related to displaying blogs and tips on the website, FAQs, sticky banner, Contact Us section, space inventory levels, social media log in, etc. You can make the required changes here so they can be reflected on your website.
Note: Once you change any configurations in Website settings, ensure to click the Save button and then clear the website cache every time for the changes to reflect on your self-storage website. You can clear the cache by navigating to Clear Cache from the left navigation and clicking the Clear Cache button. You will get a success message once it has been successfully cleared.
- Hide Call Button - Control the visibility of a Call button displayed across the website corresponding to each of the unavailable Spaces.
Note: This setting is tagged with the Hide Unavailable Units setting under the Units section of the FMS Initial Setup settings. If you want to see the Call button, uncheck this checkbox and also for the Hide Unavailable Units setting.
- External Pay Bill - This setting redirects tenants to make payments through an external website or payment portal when they choose to pay their bills online via the Bill Pay section in My Account. This setting would be used if you want to redirect ALL of your websites pay bill to an external URL. If it is just for an individual property, then use the external pay bill option under FMS Initial Setup.
- Is Single Property - This indicates whether the website represents a single self-storage property or multiple properties owned or managed by the same company.
When this setting is enabled, you will see the Select a Space tab on the website homepage instead of Storage Locations.
Website view (Is Single Property Enabled):
Website view (Is Single Property Disabled)
- Disable Blog - The Blog section on a self-storage website homepage displays two categories of blogs - Company Blogs and Industry Blogs.
Both these types of blogs play important roles in attracting visitors, engaging customers, and establishing the company's credibility and expertise. The Company blogs primarily center around the self-storage property or brand. They highlight news, updates, and events specific to the company and may include announcements about property expansions, new services, promotions, customer testimonials, etc.
While, Industry blogs delve into broader topics related to self-storage, catering to a wider audience beyond the company's specific offerings. They cover trends, tips, and insights relevant to the self-storage industry as a whole and aim to educate and inform visitors about various aspects of self-storage. For example, providing tips for maximizing storage area in a rental Space, discussing the impact of technology advancements on self-storage properties, analyzing market trends and forecasts for the self-storage industry, etc. The Industry Blog is a no index and no follow page. This means this page is invisible in the eyes of Google and does not contribute to SEO of the site. The Company Blogs are indexed and followed and contribute to the SEO of that domain.
This setting removes the Company Blog section from the website's Blog section and only displays the Industry Blog.
- Disable Tips - Enables you to remove valuable advice or tips provided by the self-storage company to visitors seeking guidance and best practices on storage-related topics like packing, organizing, and protecting their belongings in storage Spaces.
Disabling these tips removes the Company Tips tab from the Storage Tips section of the website and provides only the Industry Tips i.e. a broader array of storage-related tips, advice, or best practices prevalent within the self-storage industry.
Website view (Tips Enabled)
Website view (Tips Disabled)
- Show Career Banner - Controls whether or not a banner advertising career opportunities within the company is displayed on the website.
When this setting is enabled, a "Now Hiring!" button will be displayed on the self-storage website homepage.
Website View:
- Show Partner Properties - Displays the partner properties or affiliated self-storage properties on the website homepage. These partner properties enable cross-promotion opportunities and provide visitors with a comprehensive view of the available self-storage options within the company’s network or partnership.
Enabling this setting will list the partner properties below the various storage locations that can be accessed by clicking See our locations or the Storage locations tab on the website homepage.
Website view:
- Disable Industry Blogs - Enables you to remove the Industry Blogs from the Blog section of the website. The Industry blogs cover trends, tips, and insights relevant to the self-storage industry as a whole and aim to educate and inform visitors about various aspects of self-storage.
This setting will only display the Company Blogs on the website, i.e. those centred around the self-storage property or brand. The Company Blogs highlight news, updates, and events specific to the company and may include announcements about property expansions, new services, promotions, customer testimonials, etc.
Note: If your website only has industry-related blogs and no company blogs, then this setting will remove the Blog section altogether from your self-storage website.
- Disable Industry Tips - Enables you to remove the Industry Tips from the Storage Tips section of the website. These tips focus on general advice, best practices, and insights relevant to the self-storage industry and usually cover topics such as selecting the right storage Space size, packing and organization techniques, security measures, moving tips, legal considerations, and eco-friendly storage practices.
This setting will only display the Company Tips on the website, i.e. those focussing on specific offerings, services, and practices of the self-storage company. These Company Tips may include information about the company's facilities, features, amenities, promotions, special offers, customer testimonials, community involvement, and unique selling points.
Note: If your website only has industry-related tips and no company tips, then this setting will remove the Storage Tips section altogether from your self-storage website.
- Show Mobile Promo Banner - This setting displays a promotional banner on the mobile self-storage website. This banner can be used to highlight special offers, discounts, promotions, or important announcements targeted specifically at mobile users.
- Show Cookie Pop-up Consent - Display a pop-up message to visitors requesting their consent for cookie usage. With this setting enabled, visitors to the website will see a pop-up message at the bottom of the website homepage, typically upon their first visit or when changes are made to the cookie policy.
Website View:
- Expand Size Categories - You can show an expanded or a collapsed view of the different Space types/categories on the website. If this setting is disabled, you will see the collapsed view as shown below:
- Show Inventory Level - It will show the inventory levels or Space availability information on the website’s landing page.
Note: This setting is tied with the Inventory Level Threshold setting. You can set up a threshold specifying a numeric value so that when the number of available Spaces falls below the threshold, the website triggers specific actions and displays alerts to notify administrators and visitors. For example, If you enable the Show Inventory Level setting and the threshold is set to 3, a countdown will get started whenever only 3 Spaces are available for rent, and you will see a message "Only 3 left -rent soon!" on the property landing page.
- Disable Customer Privacy Act - Controls whether or not the website complies with customer privacy regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This act protects visitors' privacy rights, such as obtaining consent for cookie usage, providing data access and deletion options, maintaining transparent privacy policies, etc.
Once you disable the Customer Privacy Act setting, you can no longer see the "Do Not Sell My Info" section in the Privacy Policy & Terms, which can be accessed by scrolling to the bottom of the website's homepage.
- Disable Size Guide - Hides the Size Guide tab from the navigation menu and the “Which Unit Size is Right For You?” section from the self-storage website homepage.
- Disable Management Service - This setting applies to self-storage companies that have third- party management included in their business model along with providing self-storage properties, i.e. they provide their own properties and also manage other third-party ones.
Note: The Management Service setting is disabled by default, i.e. the corresponding checkbox is automatically selected. However, you have the ability to enable it.
If the Management Service setting is enabled, it displays a 3rd Party Management tab in the navigation menu of the website’s homepage.
- Show Insurance instead of Protection Plan - You have the ability to customize the verbiage for coverage options on the website and display the term “Insurance” instead of “Protection Plan”. This is preferred if the property offers insurance options through third-party providers or if visitors are more familiar with and trust insurance coverage for their belongings.
When this setting is enabled, it will show the “Select your Insurance Plan” section on the rental page instead of “Select your Protection Plan”.
Website View:
Similarly, “Protection” will be replaced by “Insurance” at other places too like the My Account section, in email notifications, etc.
Note: With this setting, the verbiage of the coverage plan remains unchanged in the shopping cart as it integrates with the PMS.
- Enable Office Space Rental/Reservation - Allows leads to rent or reserve office spaces along with storage spaces via the website.
- Enable Mailbox Space Reservation/Rental - In case your property provides mailbox services in addition to storage solutions, you can enable the reservation or rental of Mailbox Spaces via the website.
Note: Mailbox and Office Space types apply to Non-Hummingbird properties only.
- Enable Cart Abandonment - This setting applies to leads who show interest in a Space at your property but do not complete the rental. Enabling this option lets the leads abandon the rental halfway. The property managers are notified of cart abandonments, allowing them to recover potential lost sales by re-engaging with leads.
- Use Storagefront tracking number on Website - When a property is onboarded and an associated phone number is specified, it automatically gets tied to a Twilio number. This is mainly done to monitor and analyze incoming calls, track marketing campaigns, and, in turn, enhance customer service.
When this setting is enabled, the tagged Twilio tracking number is displayed on the website instead of the actual phone number and all the call recordings can be tracked from Hummingbird’s Communication Center.
Note: This setting only applies to a property’s Phone numbers and not the SMS Phone numbers that are used explicitly for sending and receiving SMS communications.
- Show Sticky Banner - Enables you to display a sticky banner at the top of the website’s homepage. A sticky banner is an effective way to capture the attention of website visitors and encourage them to take action, whether it's learning more about the property, exploring available storage options, or contacting the property for inquiries.
For example, "Limited Time Offer: Get 40% Off On Your First Month of Storage!", “Enrol in Autopay and go hassle-free with payments”, etc.
Note: This setting is different from the Show Sticky Banner setting in FMS Initial Setup, and it displays the sticky banner on the website homepage. In contrast, the FMS Initial Setup setting affects the website landing page.
Website View:
- Enable Contact Us In Navigation - Provides visitors with the ability to easily access the Contact form via the navigation menu on the website’s homepage. This encourages them to easily reach out to the property for inquiries, support, or other communication purposes, leading to increased customer satisfaction.
This setting displays a Contact Us tab on the website’s homepage. Visitors can click it, provide their details, and click Submit.
Disabling this setting will remove the Contact Us tab entirely from the website.
- Inventory Level Threshold - Specify a numeric value representing the inventory level threshold or limit. When the number of available Spaces falls below this threshold, the website triggers specific actions and displays alerts to notify administrators and visitors. For example, If you enable the Show Inventory Level setting and set the threshold to 3, a countdown will get started whenever only 3 Spaces are available for rent, and you will see a message "Only 3 left -rent soon!" on the property landing page.
- Rate Variance - The difference in rental prices for the Space rates shown on the website landing page (In Store Rate) and the ones on Hummingbird (The Starting At rate on the website). You have the ability to specify the rate variance that you wish to display on the website.
Website View:
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Rate Variance Type - You can choose the method of calculating rate variance and show the rates on the website accordingly.
- Fixed - Adjust the rental rate for a Space by a pre-determined fixed amount. For example, if you enter a value of 10 in the Rate Variance field and select the Type as fixed, the difference between the In Store and Starting At rate would be $10.
- Percent - Adjust the rental rate for a storage Space by a certain percentage. For example, if the Hummingbird rental rate for a storage Space is $100 per month and there is a per cent rate variance of 5%, the adjusted rental rate would be $105 per month.
- Percentage Difference - Set the difference between the rates to a certain percentage. For example, if you want the difference between the In-store and Starting At rates to be 15%, specify the Rate Variance as “15” and select the type as Percentage difference. The Percentage difference rate variance is useful for comparing rental rates across different Spaces or time periods and can help identify trends or outliers in pricing.
- Unavailable Inventory Text - You can specify the text you wish to show on the website landing page when a Space is unavailable for rent or reservation; for example, call the manager for availability. This text will appear on the website landing page below the Call button for each unavailable Space.
Note: This setting is tagged with the Hide Call Button setting in FMS Initial Setup and will reflect only if the Hide Call Button checkbox is unchecked.
- Rent-Reserve Widget Preference - Set the preference to prioritize Rent First or Reserve First based on the company's specific goals and requirements. Prioritizing "Rent First" means encouraging users to proceed directly to renting a storage Space without first reserving it and vice versa for “Reserve First”.
The order of the Rent Online Today and Reserve this Space widgets depends on the preference.
Website View (Rent First):
Website View (Reserve First):
- Career Banner URL - Specify the web address to which you require the visitors to be directed when they click on the career banner displayed on the website. Visitors can access the company’s job openings, career opportunities, or employment information by navigating to this URL.
Note: This setting is tied with the Show Career Banner setting and that must be enabled to display the career banner on the website.
- Storage Location URL - You can redirect visitors to another page when they click the Storage Locations tab on the homepage by specifying the desired URL. This may be required when you have added a new property on the website and the other existing ones appear in a different domain; you can display all of them together by adding a separate Storage Location URL.
- Phone Number - The phone number associated with the self-storage company that allows visitors to easily reach out for inquiries, reservations, and assistance. This number is displayed on the website’s homepage and differs from those on individual property landing web pages.
- Website SMS Phone - if the self-storage company has a separate phone number for receiving and sending SMS to existing tenants, mention that here.
Note: The communications on the SMS Phone are not stored in Hummingbird’s Communication Centre as they are not tied to any Twilio numbers. Only the communications from the company’s primary phone number, i.e., the one specified in the “Phone Number” field, are captured in the Communication Center.
- Property Coupon Ribbon Text - Enables you to customize the messaging for the coupon ribbon displayed on a self-storage website’s landing page that draws attention to special offers, discounts, or available incentives for property and, in turn, encourages conversions. The text can emphasize value propositions, such as discounts on rental rates, free months of storage, or other promotional deals, to entice visitors to take action. For example, “Rent Online” in the following screenshot.
Note: The Property Coupon Ribbon Text is displayed on the website only if a coupon is in place. These coupons are configured from the Coupon section of website settings and appear when no promotions are set. If the property has active promotions, then the promotion banner will take precedence over the coupon ribbon.
- Display Property Name/Address in Message Sending Pop-up - This setting controls whether the name or address of the storage property is included in the message-sending pop-up window on the website. When users initiate a message or inquiry through the pop-up window, they can see the name or address of the property where their message will be directed, providing context and clarity.
- Contact Us Title - Specify the heading text for the Contact Us page of the website to provide clarity to visitors seeking to contact the company for assistance.
Note: This setting is tagged with the Enable Contact Us in Navigation setting. The check box for the Enable Contact Us in Navigation setting must be ticked for you to customize the name and title of the Contact Us page and display it on the website.
- Contact Us Description - Customize the description for the Contact Us page on the website. You can include additional context, instructions, or information like business hours, expected response times, or specific instructions for submitting inquiries or feedback.
- Sticky Banner Link - You can provide a link where you want to direct your visitors when they click the Sticky Banner on your website. A sticky banner is an effective way to capture the attention of website visitors and encourage them to take action, whether it's learning more about a property, exploring available storage options, or contacting the company for inquiries.
Note: This setting is tagged with the Show Sticky Banner setting. The check box for the Show Sticky Banner setting must be ticked for you to customize the link and the button text of the sticky banner and display it on the website.
- Sticky Banner Button Text - You can choose the text for the call-to-action button to show inside the sticky banner. Three options are available: Click Here, Rent Now!, and Learn More.
- Nearby Location Search Distance - With this setting, you can provide valuable information to leads about local businesses and services that complement storage needs and may be useful to them, enhancing their overall experience. Enable this setting and specify the Nearby Location Search Distance, i.e. the search radius or distance (in miles) within which nearby self-storage locations should get displayed.
Website View:
- Sticky Banner Description - Provide compelling messaging for the sticky banner, including details such as announcements, promotions, discounts, special services offered, etc., that encourage interaction and increase conversions.
Website View:
- Rental Heading - This setting lets you customize the title for the rental section of your website.
- Login with Social Media - This setting allows you to enable or disable the ability for tenants to log in to their accounts on the website using their social media credentials, such as those from Facebook or Google.
Selecting a login option displays the respective button on the login screen, enabling users to conveniently connect their social media account and use it for authentication.
Website view:
- Contact Us Numbers - You can specify one or more contact numbers to be displayed on the website's Contact Us page for inquiries, support, or other purposes.
- Contact Us Call Center Hours - Mention the operating hours of the call center or the customer support team so that visitors have clarity regarding the phone support timings. These timings appear on the Contact Us page of the website.
- Own Coverage Text - Provide the content that would appear for the I have my own insurance option in the Select your Protection Plan section on the rental page when leads opt for their personal insurance rather than purchasing it from the property.
- Pay Bill Instructions - Provide instructions or guidance to tenants on how to pay their bills online through the website. These instructions appear in the My Account section of the website.
- Cookie Pop Up Consent Content - Customize the message to be displayed on the pop-up screen requesting visitors' consent to use their cookies.
Note: This setting is tagged with the Show Cookie Pop-up Consent setting, which must be enabled to display the customized cookie consent message on the website.
- Marker Logo Image - You have the ability to upload a marker image, i.e. an image or an icon signifying the self-storage property on the maps embedded on the website. The marker logo image may incorporate branding elements, such as company logos, colors, or symbols, to reinforce brand identity and recognition.
The Marker Logo Image can be located by clicking Map View on a property’s landing page.
Website View:
Click Save.