Are you looking for a way to gener\ate more customers for your auto mechanic shop? If so, you need to use the internet to help you. Most people use the internet when they are looking for a product or service they require. This includes car parts and automotive assistance. Therefore, you need to have a strong online presence as well. If someone is looking for an auto mechanic shop in the local area, you want your name to pop up.
Therefore, what are a few marketing tactics you need to use if you want to improve your online presence? Take a look at a few key marketing tactics below. Please keep in mind that we don’t go over online automotive advertising in this article, just automotive marketing tactics. Read more about automotive PPC advertising at https://automotive-marketing.com/ppc.
1. Build a Strong Website
Now, it is probably obvious that you need to have a website; however, you need to have a strong website that is an accurate reflection of the products and services you offer. Your name, logo, address, phone number, and hours should be front and center on your website. That way, search engines will have an easier time figuring out where your business is located.
Then, you must make sure you have a website that loads quickly. If your website does not load quickly, potential customers are going to get frustrated. They will leave and go somewhere else before the website finishes loading, which can drive up your bounce rate. Did you know that if your website takes two seconds to load, your bounce rate is about 9 percent? Then, did you know this climbs to almost 40 percent of your website takes five seconds to load? Make sure your website is responsive to keep your visitors happy.
2. Use Google My Business
Google is still the most popular search engine in the world, so you need to use Google My Business as one of your most important digital marketing tactics. Through Google My Business, you can create a listing that includes your name, address, phone number, and hours. Then, you can update your information on Google My Business, allowing this information to be immediately reflected in search results that include your listing.
You need to make sure you include photos in your Google My Business listing. On average, business listings that include pictures receive more than 35 percent more clicks.
3. Use an Email Marketing Campaign
You should incorporate an email marketing campaign as a part of your overall digital marketing campaign. You should encourage potential customers to sign up for your email list. You may want to give them a slight discount on their next purchase as they do so.
Then, you can use their email addresses to keep in contact with them. You can send them information about new products you have, potential services you are offering, and specials you might be running. On average, for every $1 you spend on an email marketing campaign, you should generate more than $40 in return. Use this online marketing strategy to help you.
4. Encourage Customers To Leave Reviews
One of the most important online local marketing strategies you have to use is reviews. Encourage your customers to leave reviews. Some of the benefits of leading reviews include:
- You increase transparency related to your business, which improves your trustworthiness.
- Positive reviews can help you improve your Google results rankings.
- You let your customers know you care about their feedback, which increases brand loyalty.
Because more than 93 percent of customers are influenced by reviews, you should incentivize your customers to leave positive reviews. Then, share these reviews on your social media platforms and your website.
5. Use Photos To Drive Engagement on Social Media
There are hundreds of millions of people who use social media on a daily basis. You should use social media to drive user engagement as well. For example, you may want to set up an Instagram profile where you share before and after photos of some of the work you’ve done on your cars. A picture is worth a thousand words, and if you can show pictures of amazing car transformations, you will have an easier time convincing people to pick up the phone and call your auto repair shop. You can also tag your photos with local zipcodes and town names to improve your local search results.
6. Use Nextdoor
One of the most popular applications for neighborhoods is Nextdoor, and you can advertise your business for free online. Your business might already have a page on this platform, so you need to claim it and make sure the information is accurate. You can use this platform to build a powerful, transparent network of trust with some of your local customers. This will also provide you with a direct line of access to your local market. You can encourage existing customers to recommend your shop, and you can promote your auto repair service.
7. Partner with Other Local Businesses
Finally, you should set up partnerships with other local businesses. You may want to consider linking to other local businesses in exchange for them linking back to your website. For example, if you direct your customers to another location for tires, you might want to set up a digital partnership with that tire shop. Then, they might refer more customers in your direction. This is a great way to generate local links that can improve your online visibility.
Focus on Your Local Online Presence
These are a few examples of online local marketing tactics you need to use if you want to attract customers. Most people use the internet to find what they’re looking for, so you need to make sure your auto mechanic shop shows up. If you are having a difficult time managing your digital marketing campaign, you might want to reach out to a professional service that can help you. That way, you can focus on helping your customers while online marketing experts manage your digital marketing campaign. This can make it easier for you to compete against some of the other auto mechanic shops in the local area.
