More often than not, people looking for an auto shop online are going to be using their mobile device, which means that it’s a mistake to have a website that only works well on a desktop computer. Plus, Google recently released its page experience update, making it more important than ever to your organic visibility to offer a fast, mobile-friendly experience to your visitors.

Your website needs to look good and be fully functional for all of your users. That means that you need to have a responsive design, which will automatically reconfigure itself to provide the best experience for the device being used.

If your website isn’t up to par for mobile users, they will end up clicking the back button and finding another auto shop website that meets their needs. Test your website on multiple devices to ensure the best possible experience.

In most places, there are a plethora of auto shops to choose from when you need auto repair or maintenance. With so many options available, people need a reason to choose you instead of one of your competitors.

What is it that makes you different? If you were a customer, why would you choose your auto shop rather than one just down the road? What makes you different is your value proposition, and you need to make it crystal clear on your website.

Your value proposition shouldn’t be great customer service or anything else that every other auto shop in town claims to have. It needs to be unique, like in the example above.

According to Wikipedia, “Social proof is a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy the actions of others in an attempt to undertake behavior in a given situation.” In other words, people take cues from others when making decisions about what to buy, which local businesses to work with, etc.

The strongest example of social proof is reviews. People don’t like to go in blind when they work with a new auto shop, which is why they will often read your reviews before they decide whether or not to give you their business.

One of the best ways to make your website more convertible is to harness the power of social proof by displaying testimonials from your best customers. There’s nothing more convincing to a consumer on the fence than a previous customer’s great experience.

People rely on their vehicles, and the last thing anyone wants is to entrust their vehicle to an auto shop that will pull the wool over their eyes or provide a shoddy repair that puts their safety at risk.

Building trust is incredibly important for your auto shop website. The more you can build trust, the more visitors will convert and become leads, and one easy way to build trust is by using trust badges.

Trust badges, like in the above example, can help to build trust by showing that you’re certified by brands and organizations your visitors are familiar with. They show that you’re the real deal and give visitors more confidence in you.

When your visitors are finally ready to convert and become leads, it behooves you to make the process as fast and as easy as possible for them. The longer it takes and the more steps to convert, the more likely you are to lose leads.

Some of your leads will prefer to schedule an appointment by phone, some would rather fill out a contact form on your website so you can call them and others will prefer to take matters into their own hands and schedule their own appointment.

Whatever your leads prefer, it’s important to give them the option that works best for them. That means that you need to have easy-to-find contact information, online appointment booking and a contact form, like in the example above.