RobMax Web SolutionsYou will get remarkably better results from any type of advertising if you have a great reputation in place and make it easy for vehicle owners to find the information they need to become your customer.
The process of creating successful auto repair shop marketing is similar to preparing a meal. Like with cooking there is a specific order in how to prepare for good advertising results.
Before you can eat you need to buy the ingredients, then prepare the ingredients, and then cook the food. Doing these three steps in the wrong order, or skipping one step, will cause your meal to be a failure, or at least will not be very successful... It is the same with auto repair advertising.
With auto repair advertising you need to:
- have a solid online reputation that communicates Credibility;
- have company Background information on your website;
- Advertise in ways or places where you find the customers you want to attract.
Doing these three steps in the wrong order, or skipping one step, will cause your advertising to be a failure, or at least will not be very successful...
All too often auto shop owners make the mistake of starting with advertising and then find it doesn't work very well. An awful lot of advertising budgets get wasted. The problem is doing advertising before the supporting information that vehicle owners want to see is in place.
Notice the order of these tasks when preparing for doing auto repair shop advertising. There is a very important reason for that order!
ABC's of Auto Repair Marketing
To better understand how to maximize your auto repair advertising it will help to understand the steps vehicle owners take in becoming your customer. Below is a quick summary. For full details please read our article on ABC's of Auto Repair Marketing.
A = Awareness (Attraction ): advertising to make people aware of your business and what you do.
B = Background (Your story): The "who, what, and where" about your business on your website.
C = Credibility (Reputation): Customer testimonials and reviews. They are the "proof" of your company background story.
You need to prepare steps 'C' and 'B' before you spend any money on 'A'. Not doing steps 'C' and 'B' will only lead to poor auto repair advertising results and significantly higher advertising cost. My recommendation is to stop advertising (wasting money) and get your reputation and company information online!
P.S. If you know your current advertising is not working, but can't afford to lose even the minimal new customers it produces, you may benefit by switching to online ads on Google, Bing, or Facebook. Online ads can be very expensive, but they do work.
3 Steps to Maximize Advertising Results
First Step
C-B-A, or Credibility, Background, and then Advertising, is the process to follow when preparing for successful auto repair advertising. Notice that the order is reversed from the ABC's of Auto Repair Marketing. There is a good reason for this reversed order.
Start with your reputation and credibility, "C". Without a solid online reputation the results from your advertising will be significantly lower. Your online reputation is what closes the deal and makes vehicle owners who need your auto repair services to become a paying customer. Your customer reviews are simply a reflection of the health of your business. And vehicle owners know that... A good reputation is a powerful sales tool.
From your reviews and customer feedback you will discover what your customers like, and what they don't. You need to fix any concerns customers have with your business operations before doing any advertising. Fix anything about your operation that people complain about. Then get your customers talking about all the great things you help them with. Happy customers will become your greatest salesperson.
Step Two
Step two is placing your company background information or 'story' on your website. Tell your story so vehicle owners know what they can expect when they come to your business for their vehicle service needs. What type of vehicles you work on, what type of work you do, or don't do, the skills of your auto repair technicians, the equipment you have, and what can you do that your competitors can't, or won't. Brag, but don't exaggerate. Be honest and truthful. That creates trust that will be expressed in customer reviews about you.
Step Three
The third and final step in your auto repair marketing process is advertising. Making vehicle owners aware of your business and what you do can be done in many ways. Advertising can range from handing out your business card to television ads. One of the best advertising values are search engines like Google. A good auto repair shop website and quality Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has great long-term marketing value.