How Flexible Storage Turned Stashbee Into Their Best-Converting Lead Channel

Flexible Storage has been in the storage business for over two decades. What started as a small operation has grown into a three-site Essex business with nearly a thousand containers, and David Jones, who has been with the company since 2004, with ambitions to grow further. A fourth and fifth site are actively in the pipeline.

It is a business that has grown by being pragmatic. David tracks everything, measures what works, and cuts what doesn't. That same logic drives how he thinks about marketing.

When the main channel starts costing more

Like most operators, Flexible Storage built their lead generation around Google Ads. It remains the backbone of how they bring in new customers, and David is clear-eyed about why: when someone needs storage, they reach for their phone and search. Getting in front of that moment matters.

But the economics have shifted. Google Ads costs more than it used to, and that trend is not reversing.

• More competitors: The storage market has grown significantly over the last five to ten years, with new container sites opening regularly. More operators bidding on the same terms pushes the cost of every click higher.
• Higher spend for the same results: Flexible Storage has had to put more money into paid search just to maintain the volume of leads it was generating before.
• Seasonal vulnerability: Relying on a single channel means quiet periods, typically over winter, hit harder with no alternative source of leads to fall back on.

"Whatever you try, it all ends up circling back to Google. But the cost has gone up, and that just means you have to think carefully about where else you can get leads in and whether those leads are actually worth having."

The case for a measurable model

Flexible Storage has tried a range of lead generation platforms alongside Google. David's approach to all of them is the same: track the cost per acquisition, monitor the conversion rate, and stay on as long as the numbers hold up.

What drew him to Stashbee, and what has kept him there, is that the model makes that kind of tracking straightforward. Stashbee operates on a pay-per-lead basis. There are no fixed monthly fees, no lump sums in exchange for a vague promise of volume. You pay for each lead you receive, and you know exactly what you are getting.

"I like the model we are on. We pay for the leads we get. I wouldn't want to pay a fixed fee without really knowing what I am getting for it. This way, it holds everyone to account."

Leads that actually convert

The proof is in the numbers. Flexible Storage has been tracking their Stashbee leads carefully, and what the data shows is a conversion rate that compares favourably with their paid search performance.

Since going live with Stashbee, results have been consistent:

• 29% average conversion rate on Stashbee leads in 2026 so far, up from 19% in 2025
• Strong and consistent monthly conversion rates: January: 25%, February: 33%, March: 25%
• Stashbee converts at a rate comparable to Google Ads, and ahead of other lead platforms they use
• Lead quality described as genuine: real customers with real storage needs, not people browsing without intent

"From what we have seen with the leads from Stashbee, they’re great. As long as the cost per acquisition stays in a healthy place, that is good enough for me."

David is disciplined about how he reads those numbers. Cost per lead is a starting point, but what he cares about is whether the bookings that result justify the spend. On that measure, Stashbee consistently delivers.

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A platform that keeps improving

David has tried enough lead generation platforms to know the difference between one that is actively developing and one that has been left to run on its own. It is not a subtle distinction.

"It feels like you are genuinely trying to grow Stashbee and improve it, whereas some of the other platforms are just there because they can be. Their websites have been the same for years. With Stashbee, you are always looking to do something. That puts you head and shoulders above the others."

The upcoming integration with Stora, Flexible Storage's facility management platform, is a good example. Phase one will route leads directly into Stora. Later phases will pull through live pricing and availability, with the eventual goal of allowing customers to self-serve and book directly from a Stashbee listing. For a business that already has one of the highest rates of direct online bookings in the sector, that kind of integration is genuinely valuable.

"I couldn't ask for more, really. It works. And that is the main thing. You want it to work, and it does."

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What he would say to other operators

David's position on Stashbee is uncomplicated. Track your costs, measure your conversions, and keep using the channels that earn their place.

"Why wouldn't you use Stashbee? I cannot fathom a reason why operators wouldn't try and get as many leads as possible into their business. You just have to manage your costs. As long as it’s a worthwhile exercise, there is no reason not to."

For Flexible Storage, the value of Stashbee is not that it replaces Google. It is that it adds a second channel with strong, measurable performance that does not simply duplicate what Google is already doing. In a market where the cost of paid search keeps rising, having a complementary source of high-converting leads is not a nice-to-have. It is how you keep your acquisition costs under control.

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Flexible Storage operates three self-storage sites in Essex, with nearly a thousand containers across their portfolio. From their sites in Chelmsford and Grays, they offer a range of storage solutions for personal and business customers, including managed services for commercial clients. With two more sites in their sights, they are a growing independent operator with over two decades of experience in the industry. Learn more about their facilities.