It seems like a pretty captain obvious statement that in 2023 it’s important for your auto repair shop to have a great website that looks professional and has authoritative content, or is it?
Furthermore, would consumers trust your auto repair shop, if you did not have a traditional website and instead used social platforms like Facebook and Instagram to connect with consumers online?
First, we asked 2,000 vehicle owners the following:
How much does a professional looking website
design and its content influence you to use an Auto Repair Shop?
The results are quite clear, with 61%, almost 2 out of 3 drivers surveyed, reporting their decision to choose an auto repair shop is influenced “A lot” by a professional looking website design and its’ content.
Next, to gain more insight on whether consumers would trust your business, if you did not have a traditional website and instead used social platforms like Facebook and Instagram to connect with them online,
We asked the same 2,000 vehicle owners the following:
Would you trust a business that DOES NOT have a website, but DOES have social media pages (ex. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) ?
The results are almost split down the middle with a slightly higher percentage 53% of consumers reporting they would Trust a business that does NOT have a website but does have social media pages.
However, with nearly half 47% reporting they would not trust your business, it is clear having a website is critical. I cannot think of any business owner that would decide not to have a website, knowing that 46% or almost one of out every two potential customers would not trust your business otherwise. In addition to the Trust factor, there are many other even more compelling reasons to have a professional looking website with the right content, with the biggest being simply found on search engines like google.
For some additional insight we asked auto repair website and digital marketing expert Tony Mercury (Vice President of Revenue ) for Autoshop Solutions on his thoughts.
Focusing on the website itself, make sure it is up to date and has the services you provide on it. You also want to make sure that your phone number and address are easy to find. When looking at it, take in mind where your call to actions are. A call-to-action is going to be buttons like “ Click here to Schedule” or a clickable phone number. The goal of your website is to turn visitors into leads. If you answered no, or don’t have this, to any of these, you’ll want to look at rebuilding it.
A website goes further than just helping you get more new clients; it also plays an important role in hiring and recruiting. Just like a consumer looking at your site for information about getting their vehicle repaired, prospective new hires are also looking at it. I would recommend building out a careers page that breaks down why your shop is different from everyone else. Do you offer healthcare and 401k? Are you closed on the weekends? This is also a good spot to put in some of the culture you do there (think team breakfasts, celebrating birthdays and milestones).
Your website is also going to be a great place to link over to your social media platforms. This will further support what kind of shop you are, what vehicles you work on, and your shop’s personality. This alone can be a deciding factor for someone to choose to do business with you.