ALL ABOUT TIME
Extra Space Storage learned early on that—when it comes to booking storage units online—it's all about time. They discovered that the more time visitors spend looking for a storage unit, the less likely they are to actually book one. This led Extra Space Storage to shorten everything. From attempting to create the most efficient rental path possible to decreasing page loading times to milliseconds.
And that's where I come into the story.
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a first time for everything
Extra Space Storage learned something crucial: visitors new to rental storage are daunted by unknowns. "Is there a location nearby?" "What size do I need?" "When can I move in my stuff?" These questions were dissuading a lot of potential renters from committing.
The company asked me to create a path for these users, something to ease them through the unknowns. It had to help these users navigate complex choices quickly, making the process breezy and seamless. So I created the ESS Wizard.
Like most wizards, a deceptively simple interface hides greater complexity. The questions are basic and to the point. Every text option is written using simple language. So where is all this hidden functionality?
It's in what we DON'T show.
Step one is acquiring the user's location. This information is vital for narrowing down our facility options. Once we know a location, the magic can kick in.
Step two shows a list of unit options in conceptual sizes. This helps new users who don’t easily understand the square footage needed to store their things.
Here, we see the visitor has selected the '1 Bedroom or 12-14ft Truck' option. The system now stores all the unit sizes (out of fifteen possible options) that can accommodate a single bedroom’s worth of items.
Step three focuses on specific amenities the visitor requires for their unit. The facilities in our target area might have more options than these five, but we only show the ones that are the most common, excluding options that aren't available at those locations.
Lastly, step four shows the dates when the renter can begin to move their stuff. The system checks when the units that match the requested size and features are free, then updates the calendar accordingly.
Now with all the selections made, the system shows every matching unit in order of closest to farthest. The system is even dynamic enough to prioritize booking units that the storage facility has more vacancies for. For example, if a user needs about 5x5ft of space, the system would prioritize 6x6ft units if there are more of those available than 5x5ft units.
This is beneficial to the facilities as having a wide selection of sizes free allows more options for users who might have very specific size needs.
We display the results with the map collapsed to maximize our display space
The map opens when the visitor either taps the 'View Map' button or a listing's 'View on Map' icon
This wizard was a fun exercise in choice efficiency and path optimization. And this was just one of the flows I designed for Extra Space Storage. I'd be happy to discuss my additional work there further if you’re interested.