When Kyle Adams moved his custom body and repair shop from Milwaukee to Winter Garden, Fla., he gave up a customer base that he had built up over a number of years. But his business in Florida hasn't suffered a bit, and he largely credits his success to having a well-designed Web site.
"I probably get three quotes a day through the Web site alone," Adams says. "The site gave me a huge boost in getting work back in the door. I've only had the business going since July, and I have more work than I can handle."
Adams was lucky enough to have a business partner (his cousin) who happens to be a Web designer, so he was able to optimize the site for all the major search engines and incorporate a number of technologies that help draw potential customers into the site – including videos of past repairs, a live video stream so customers can check on the progress of their vehicles, a "quick quote" service, a link to the shop's Twitter feed, before-and-after photos of his work, and a calendar of upcoming events.
But many collision shops don't have a Web site at all, which is a huge mistake, says former shop owner David Moore, founder and president of CollisionBuilder.com, a Web site design firm. According to Moore, more than 80 percent of consumers between the ages of 33 and 54 research online before they buy a product or service, so if you have no online presence you could be missing opportunities.
"They don't realize how vital a Web site is," Moore says. "I consider the Web site to be the foundation of any good marketing program."
How do you get a useful site? Since most body shop owners aren't Web designers by trade, you'll probably have to hire an outside firm or a freelance Web designer. It's just as important to promote the site so customers know it's there. Put the Web address on your sign, your business cards and all of your advertisements.
Make sure your site is registered with all of the major search engines, and utilize meta tags and keywords to help boost your search profile.
Also, make sure the site works properly. "One of the big mistakes I see is the shop will have a Web site that gets partially finished, and it doesn't function properly, or they get one designed by someone that doesn't know how to do it so the links don't work. That really reflects poorly on your business."
Keep in mind what your customers are looking for on the site. The home page is often their first impression of your business. The site should include the shop's location, all of the contact information and the shop's certifications and qualifications.
A gallery of before-and-after photos can show potential customers the quality of your work. It's also a good idea to have some photos of cars being repaired in the shop, even if you have to stage them. But be careful to take a look around before snapping a picture.
"It's okay to show guys working, but there shouldn't be three weeks worth of dust on the ground, and big piles of masking paper in the corner," Moore says. "Clean the place up." (And if you include photos of any customers or employees, be sure to get signed releases from them before posting the pictures.)
A good Web site also can include a history of the shop, profiles of the technicians (again, including their certifications), and testimonials from customers.
"That's really important, because customers want to know that you are qualified," Moore says. "They are looking to find a shop in their area that is qualified to fix the car, and they want to know what kind of training you have and what kind of warranty you offer. It gives the customer a safe feeling from the start."
Watch out for putting too many bells, whistles and do-dads on the site. Flashing lights and pulsating graphics can distract customers from actually seeing the information they are looking for.
Video and audio elements, however, are increasingly easy to add to a site, and can be used very effectively in the autobody industry. Provide links to video content on YouTube, or utilize Ustream to provide live, streaming video from the shop.
"We have a live Web broadcast every day," Adams says. "The customers can check and see what stage their vehicle is in. People love it. I have a laptop in the shop with a web camera hooked to it. You sign up for Ustream and that's pretty much it."
Adams also schedules tutorials that customers can watch on the Web site to see how to perform certain repairs. He also provides DVDs to customers that chronicle the restoration of their vehicles.
"People don't really read Web sites, they scan them," Moore says. "But if you have video on a site, you are going to decrease the 'bounce' rate. People will stay on a page for the full length of the video. One shop I've worked with has posted some radio spots they did on the site. People will stop and listen to that entire message."
The site should also be updated periodically to make sure the information is current and all of the links work.
"The Internet is not like a billboard," Moore says. "As browsers change, the way they interpret the code in your site changes, too. What looks fine one day will look different as time goes by, and those links need refreshed."
If you're not sure where to start, find out what your customers think. "Ask your customers what they want to see on a Web site," Moore says. "They'll tell you what they're looking for. Put yourself in their shoes."
"When people find out about your body shop – or maybe they've had an accident and they don't even know about your body shop – they've Googled and they found your shop and they go to your Web site," Moore continues. "They've never met you, they've never seen your building. They're looking at your home page. If your home page is broken, then they are more than likely going to click right off and go on to the next guy that's got a Web site that's not broken and they are going to pursue that. Remember, that's your first impression, and you only get that one chance to make that first impression."
