Mar 2, 2023 | PPC
Running an auto repair shop can be a rewarding business, but it’s not without its challenges. One of the biggest challenges is attracting new customers. When people experience car trouble, they typically start looking for a local expert who can diagnose and fix the problem quickly and affordably. However, with so many options out there, it can be tough to stand out from the competition. How, then, can you market your auto repair shop to bring customers in?
In the past, traditional advertising methods like billboards and direct mail were popular ways to reach potential customers. But today, things are different. With the constant rise of digital marketing, most people turn to search engines and social media platforms when they need information about local businesses. That means if you want to succeed in the auto repair industry and generate auto repair leads, you need a solid online marketing plan that leverages these digital channels.
So, how can you generate more auto repair leads online?
A strong web presence can assist auto repair businesses in generating leads.
In today’s fast growing digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for any business. This is especially true for auto repair shops, as customers increasingly turn to the internet to find local businesses. According to a 2022 BrightLocal survey, 76% of customers read online reviews before choosing a company to do business with. This means that having a strong online presence can make all the difference when it comes to becoming a customer’s first choice during a crisis or the next time they need assistance.
To stay ahead of the competition and protect your business from falling behind the tough competition, you need efficient auto repair marketing techniques that will help you generate leads, raise brand awareness, bring in new clients, and maintain a strong relationship with current clients.
Fortunately, there are several strategies you can use to strengthen your business’s visibility and attract new customers online. In the following sections, we’ll outline five effective techniques for generating more auto repair leads. By implementing these strategies, you can grow your business and stay competitive in the crowded auto repair industry.
Ways To Get More Auto Repair Leads Online
1. Stay Connected with your Customers via SMS Marketing
While cold calls are frequently avoided by prospects as spam and emails only have a 20% open rate, text messages have an astonishing 98% open rate, with 90% of texts being read within three minutes. Given that customers are almost always using or close to their phones, it is safe to predict that marketing text messaging will play an increasingly important role in marketing campaigns for auto repair shops. You can strengthen your relationships with customers through SMS marketing, which will also help you in boosting conversion rates and drastically reduce missed appointments.
Here are some quick tips to keep in mind:
- Remind existing customers of scheduled appointments
- Advertise a limited-time offer
- Send first-time service discounts to new prospects
Only 39% of businesses are currently using SMS Marketing to contact their customers, even though 75% of customers find it convenient to receive appointment reminders via SMS. By using this low-cost strategy to stay connected with your current auto repair customers, you can stand out from the competition and ensure that your clients will think of you the next time they need auto repair services.
Two simple ways to start building your SMS list are by asking for customers’ consent while they’re in your shop or offering them a small discount in exchange for joining. After providing a service, sending a quick thank-you SMS can encourage customers to leave reviews and refer others for example:
Through SMS, you can give customers targeted, individualized reminders and promotional offers like:
- A free service when you purchase another service (free tire rotation with tuneup)
- Discounted service when another service is purchased ($10 oil change with tune-up)
- Percentage discounts (10% off on oil change)
- Seasonal discounts ($15 off of AC maintenance in May)
- Limited Time Special Offer (15% Discount on all services from 10th to 12th March)
When used in conjunction with appropriate targeting, these powerful offers can help you grow your automotive customer base and promote repeat business through your SMS marketing strategy.
2. Educate Customers through Informative and Engaging Content
As auto repair shop patrons are often skeptical and repairs can be costly, they want to ensure that they have chosen the right shop. One of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise and build trust with potential customers is by offering educational content such as blogs, infographics, webinars, and videos that position you as an authority in your field.
54% of customers favor video marketing over any other form of advertising, making it one of the most compelling content formats. Auto repair shops can benefit from making videos of vehicle maintenance for both new and current customers. Following that, these videos can be shared on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. Additionally, you can pair off the video content with your blog content. Your auto repair company blog, which is presently ranked as the fifth most reliable source of online information, is a potent tool for improving your Google ranking.
The most significant element is that your blog content should be of a high standard, skillfully written, and relevant to the target audience. How-to websites are among the more popular lead magnets. Here are a few instances:
- High-Quality aftermarket accessories for your SUV
- How to prepare your car for winter
- The best way to replace your windscreen wipers
Additionally, you can write blog posts addressing standard auto maintenance issues or posts responding to frequently asked questions. Building trust with both potential and current customers by incorporating engaging and digestible content into blogs is a fantastic way to boost lead generation. Since every piece of content you create for your website improves its searchability, it can also help your company become more authoritative, which will increase customers’ trust in your services.
3. Optimize your website for search engines
When someone in your area needs an auto repair service, they’ll likely start by typing a query into a search engine like Google. If your website doesn’t appear on the first page of search results, you’re missing out on potential business. That’s why it’s crucial to optimize your website for search engines.
Search engine optimization (SEO) involves making changes to your website to improve its visibility and ranking in search results. Some key factors that influence auto repair SEO include the quality of your website content, the speed of your website, and the number of high-quality backlinks pointing to your site.
By investing in auto repair SEO, you can ensure that your website appears at the top of search results when people search for auto repair services in your area. This will help you generate more traffic to your site and ultimately bring in more leads and customers.
4. Run targeted Ads on Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are excellent places to connect with potential customers. These platforms allow you to run targeted ads that are shown to people who are likely to be interested in your services. You can target ads based on factors like age, location, interests, and behaviors.
By running targeted ads on social media, you can reach a highly specific audience and generate more leads for your business. Just be sure to create compelling ad content that resonates with your target audience and encourages them to take action.
5. Boost your Visibility by Utilizing Online Review Platforms
Publishing reviews about your business is yet another method to use to connect with more customers. It’s no secret that the majority of customers research companies online before employing auto repair services. Customer testimonials are crucial components of effective auto repair marketing because they foster confidence and persuade potential clients to employ your services.
While it’s one thing to boast about your accomplishments, another effective approach is to let your customers speak on your behalf. Implementing procedures that encourage previous customers to leave reviews and displaying them on your auto repair shop’s website can help attract new clients. You can accomplish this by:
- Static testimonials in your website’s content
- Links to review websites such as Facebook, Yelp, and Google My Business
- Live feeds from review solicitation tools like Grade.us or GatherUp
Maintaining a positive ranking in search engine results requires consistent positive reviews. However, it’s equally important to address negative reviews and use them as an opportunity to improve your relationship with your customers. Show your customers that you’re actively listening to their feedback, value their opinions, and are committed to resolving any issues they’ve raised in their reviews. By addressing negative reviews in a positive and constructive manner, you can strengthen your relationship with your customers and improve your online reputation.
Ready to Generate more Leads for your Auto Repair Business?
Thriving in difficult times can be challenging for auto repair businesses. To achieve this, you need both a loyal customer base and effective lead-generation strategies. The lead generation techniques mentioned above can help you stand out from your competitors and attract potential customers.
Need Further Assistance?
To learn how to effectively implement the aforementioned lead generation tactics for your auto repair company, schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with the digital experts at Hyperlinks Media today.
Oct 2, 2018 | PPC
You visited one page on the internet one time and all of a sudden, you’re seeing ads for it on every other website you visit.
Sometimes these ads are for the exact product or service you were looking at, and that exact ad is plastered on multiple websites you visit.
These ads are actually a form of digital marketing called “remarketing”. Remarketing is the perfect marketing tool to use if you want to keep your business relevant in the eyes of prospects who engaged with your website but didn’t convert.
This helpful tool allows you to advertise to people who have previously viewed your website through something called the “Google Display Network”.
What is the Google Display Network?
The Google Display Network, in summary, is a system that reaches over 90% of all existing internet users.
The Google Display Network is responsible for displaying your ads on carefully chosen websites based where your prospects frequent most. The network can reach users while they shop, browse, or read and show them relevant ads across the web or when they search on Google.
Remarketing allows you the advantage of reaching out to customers and clients who visited your website but didn’t purchase anything. The Google Display Network activates remarketing ads after an initial visit to your website. For 30 days after the initial visit, those prospects see your remarketing ads sprinkled across the various websites they visit causing them to be enticed back to your website.
Can Remarketing Really Increase My Leads?
Yes, hands down! Website visitors who are targeted with remarketing are 70% more likely to convert. Even more than that the click-through rate (CTR) of a remarketing ad is 10 times higher than the click-through rate of a display ad.
The term ‘remarketing’ comes from the idea that you have already drawn a customer to your website using marketing, though it didn’t end in a sale. Therefore, you are leading them back by ‘remarketing’, allowing them a second chance to purchase from you while you are afforded a second chance to sell to them.
How Do I Start a Remarketing Campaign?
First, you want to set a budget for your remarketing campaign. This budget will allow you to set certain goals for your campaign. The bigger the budget, the wider the reach your ads will have. This is important to consider when setting a budget so you get the absolute most out of your ads.
Next, you’ll need a digital marketing company to create your ads for you. The marketing agency chooses the demographic to target with your ads according to the interests associated with your market. Typically, with a graphic designer in-house, the marketing agency will be able to design these ads to reflect the product or landing page you wish to advertise for. The graphic designer ensures that the ads are the correct length & width for the different website’s they will be displayed on.
Then you need to decide what landing pages you want to target. In choosing your landing pages, make sure that the CTA’s (Call-to-actions) on each page are bold, easily noticeable, and attractive so those who visit the web page can easily identify where to purchase your products or inquire about your services. A piece of code will be added to each of the selected pages on your website, activating the remarketing campaign. Because each ad will be customized according to the specific page it is assigned to, you are capable of reaching different niches within your target audience.
For example, let’s say you sell shoes online. You offer Nike, Adidas, and Gucci, all of which have their own separate pages on your website. Your target audience is people who are shopping online for shoes. If you have ads specific to each web page, however, you can target those who are looking to buy each brand of shoe you offer, sending them to its corresponding web page on your site.
If a prospect is on a website within the Google Display Network searching for a brand of shoe your website offers, and you displayed an ad for the same shoe he or she is looking for but at 20% off through your website, it would be fairly hard for the prospect to NOT click on your ad.
By customizing your ads to the specific pages you want each ad to highlight, you are able to attract target audiences within your target audience. This, in turn, creates more online sales or conversions for your company.
Remarketing Can Be Even More Beneficial than Marketing
prospects can return to your website wanting even more than they did before
Depending on your specific remarketing campaign, you could benefit even more from remarketing than you would if your prospects had bought from you initially. Giving your prospects some time to look around at other options or think about the purchase more could result in them buying more from you than they would have originally. Likewise, they will be inclined to visit your site more often to check if you are currently running any specials, and what they might be, which will result in more traffic for your website and boost your SEO ranking.
follow-up with your prospects
Remarketing allows for extra publicity and advertisement for your business. It is similar to following-up with customers after an initial meeting. Your ads continually show up in the Google Display Network of everyone that has been to your website in the last 30 days. This allows you the opportunity to keep your company’s name in front of your potential customers, especially if you replicate your remarketing ads in an email blast campaign advertising the same products or services.
Together, they help you get your name out to people that may not have visited your website in a long time. This will help remind them of your name and entice them to visit your website to scope out any new deals you may have implemented since the last time they visited.
Ready to Increase Your Leads with Remarketing?
A remarketing campaign is a highly recommended way to increase your company’s overall sales and your website’s traffic but can be hard to enact a successful campaign without the insight of a professional. If you are ready to run a remarketing campaign that will skyrocket your leads, contact us to see what our results-driven remarketing pros can bring to your business.
