Tips to a Stellar Professional Auto Repair Shop Website

Does it sound crazy to say that your website might be even more important than the service you offer— not necessarily. Customers will never experience your service if they can’t find you. Okay, this is a bit extreme, and of course, the service you offer is just as important. However, I wanted to impress upon you the magnitude of what your website really does for you and your business.

Long-gone are the days where merely having one was enough. Today, with so many competitors, it is all about beating the competition by having a content-rich, clean website that ranks well. The bottom line is that you have to have a GREAT site to get more sales, but what does “great” really mean. It all comes down to two factors. Below is an infographic that lays out these two factors and some tips on what you need to be the best.

Description text is after the infographic.

SocialCRM

Presents

REACHING MORE CUSTOMERS AND INCREASING SALES

————– WITH ———–

PROFESSIONAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP WEBSITES

Here are some impressive numbers! According to Forrester, “Your website’s conversion rate could increase by 200 to 400% with a well-designed interface”, and IMPACT says, “72% Of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles.” Facts and figures are great, but why do they matter to you and your auto repair shop? It matters because the days of just having a simple site are over. With so much competition to rank highly in search results, your site has to have multiple components intact both on the backend and front end of your site to shine. The combination for success lies below, but first, learn how a good website can benefit your auto shop.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

Increased Credibility: 75% of user judgment about your business’s credibility is based on your website- Go Media

Impressions are everything! In fact, Google says they do it in 50 milliseconds before your customer will move on.

Revenue Growth: There is a $100 return for every dollar that your company invests in your website’s user experience. – Forrester

Ultimately, an optimized and well-designed website will help the prospective customer find your website and lead them to a quicker purchase decision, exponentially increasing your customer acquisition and sales.

HOW A GOOD WEBSITE WORKS?

Finding Your Website Using SEO

If your customer can’t find you, you aren’t getting the business. Websites can be optimized to help increase the likelihood of your website showing up on search results.

Google is the master of search (over 80%), so you need to play by their rules. But they are always changing their algorithm, which is based on over 200 variables. This makes it almost impossible for the DIYer to keep up.
The goal is to show up on the first page of Google’s search results.
So digital marketers use a series of techniques to help increase the likelihood of ranking well based on those variables, such as:
- Rich website content filled with strategically selected keywords
- Community engagement and discussion through customer reviews and social networks
- Local setup, including schema and a Google Business Page
- Smart linking, including back-linking
- Webpage load speed
- Back-end website construction for search engine crawling

Attracting New Customers with a Great User Experience (UX)

After the customer has found your website due to your awesome SEO, you need to set a good impression and grab their attention immediately! This means offering all the information they need to make a decision in a well-crafted layout.

95% of users indicated that a positive user experience is the most important factor when they visit a website. – Econsultancy
Think mobile first! Google is putting more importance and favor on sites that are optimized for mobile use and responsive
Several factors on your website can affect your ability to convert the prospect to a customer, like button placement or navigational setup, but there are 6 general factors that can push someone to make an appointment with you. These include:

1.) Actionable – Tell them not only why they need your repair and maintenance services, but clear actions they can take to access your services.

2.) Credible – Make your case for why you should be trusted, and let them know about your experience.

3.) Original – People don’t want to read the same thing over again. It is boring and reduces your credibility. Create your own custom content.

4.) Easy-to-read – Attention spans are low these days, so get to the point, and make it easy to read. Avoid long text, break your content into sections that are easy to scan and be obvious on the purpose of your page.

5.) Valuable – Continue creating value on your site by offering content that will bring current and future customers back.

6.) Intuitive – Customers want convenience and accessibility, so give it to them. Make your navigation intuitive. Often various elements, even the smallest ones (like a button’s placement or color) can affect if a customer follows through with making an appointment. So experiment and test your website.

Just the right combination of SEO + UX = Appointments + Increased Sales

Bonus: More engagement on your site and conversions means you do better in Step 1.

HOW SocialCRM PULLS IT OFF?

Using the perfect blend of SEO and UX optimization techniques, like the ones listed above, Social CRM’s LocalSearch by Mitchell 1 both builds and maintains professional auto repair shop websites for auto shop owners.

These are just a few of the techniques SocialCRM uses to optimize your professional website.

Automated Blog Content – Rich content generated from real repair orders and 5-star reviews to improve SEO.
Keywords and Meta Data – Automotive related keywords and description research, implementation and optimization
Phone call tracking – Using local call tracking numbers to track & record inbound website leads
Engaging graphics and intuitive navigation – for quick conversion based off of proven research.
Responsive design – with a mobile-friendly focus
Extensive reporting – for business assessment and planning
Custom content – to drive customer conversion
Local SEO – Using strategic tactics to target local customers

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