Robyn Rivera
When someone needs auto repair or maintenance, the first place they often turn is online, where they can compare and contrast multiple auto shops in their area.
In order to get those leads, you need an auto repair website that stands out.
Here are a few tips for designing one.
The busier your auto repair website looks and the more you try to cram above the fold (the visible part of a web page without scrolling), the less professional it will look. When you’re building your auto shop website, the rule of thumb is the simpler the better.
Focus on one thing at a time when designing your website, and avoid including too many elements in each section. One tool you can use to accomplish this is white space, which can help you draw your visitors’ attention where you want it to go.
By focusing on one element — one message — at a time, that message will be loud and clear, and you’ll be able to direct your visitors to take the action you want them to take.
Most people looking for a local auto repair shop will start their research on their smartphone, and it’s a mistake to leave these users out of your website design. Make your website mobile-friendly by choosing a responsive design.
Responsive design means that your website will reconfigure itself automatically for the screen it’s being viewed on and retains the look and functionality of your desktop site on any device. In the example above, you can see how a responsive auto shop website looks on a desktop vs. a smartphone.
In addition to choosing a responsive website design, format your website properly for mobile users. That means leaving lots of space around clickable elements, like buttons, and breaking up your text into shorter paragraphs and lists.
People who visit your auto repair website will typically be looking for something specific. They may be wanting to learn about your expertise or experience, the services you offer, your hours, contact information, etc.
It’s incredibly important that you make it as easy as possible for your visitors to find what they’re looking for, whatever it may be. If they can’t, there’s a strong likelihood that they’ll click the back button and turn to one of your competitors instead.
One of the best ways to make your site easy to navigate is through the navigation itself. A simple menu-style navigation is user-friendly, easy to use and highly recommended for your auto shop website.
If there’s one industry where trust is imperative, it’s the auto shop industry. No one wants to put their trust in a shop that will take advantage of them or try to hoodwink them. And, you can help to provide peace of mind to your visitors through the design of your auto shop website.
People will trust what your past customers have to say about you a lot more than what you have to say about yourself. Harness the power of customer testimonials and reviews by displaying them on your website, like in the example above.
In addition to highlighting individual testimonials, consider adding a reviews widget to your website, like the Top Rated Local® widget, which will display your Rating Score™ and make it easy to access your reviews from across the web.
When a visitor finds your auto website and decides to take a chance on working with you, you want to make it as easy as humanly possible for them to do so. The first step to doing this is making your contact information easy to find on every page.
In addition to making it easy for your visitors to contact you, it’s also a good idea to have a contact form on your website. Not every customer will want to reach out. Some will prefer for you to reach out to them. A contact form makes that possible.
Also, consider offering online booking on your website. Scheduling software, like the Marketing 360® Scheduling app, allows your customers to book appointments themselves and frees up more of your time to focus on auto repair.
Every auto shop needs an effective, conversion-based website, and the Websites 360® auto repair website builder makes it easy to build your own. Get started today by choosing a website template.
Originally published on 7/1/21