What Makes a Great Website for an Auto Body Shop?
Having a strong online presence for your auto body shop seems like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised to learn that 27% of small businesses don’t even have their own website.
Whether you’re looking to build a website for the very first time or you’re thinking about giving your current site a makeover, it’s important to know what makes a great auto body website design.
The right web design can help you get found by your ideal customers and convince them to give you a call, stop by your shop, or become a customer. You can think of your website like a salesperson who never needs to take a coffee break.
Keep reading to find out the 11 elements that your website needs if you want it to be truly great.
1. A Professional Design
We’ve all come across ugly websites that are disorganized and look outdated. Honestly, it’s almost better to have no website at all than an ugly website that reflects poorly on your brand.
It takes a fraction of a second (0.05 seconds, to be exact) for someone to form an opinion about your website, and you want that opinion to be favorable. One of the best ways to make a great first impression is to have a site that actually looks good!
A clean and professional design starts with having brand consistency across all pages, high-quality images, and an intuitive interface. If you get this right, you’re well on your way to having the elements of a great website.
2. Mobile Responsiveness
More than 58% of Internet traffic comes from mobile devices (including smartphones and tablets), so it is absolutely essential that your website looks just as good on a mobile device as it does on a desktop or laptop.
What many business owners don't know about mobile traffic is the high purchase intent. Specifically, searches for local businesses are the highest on mobile devices. This is when someone is on the go or running errands, and they remember they need an autobody shop. You want this traffic, and more importantly, you want it to convert for you.
To ensure your website has a responsive design that looks great on smaller screens, you should focus on short-form text with a larger font, clear call-to-action buttons, and a simple design.
3. User-Friendly Navigation
When someone lands on your body shop website, be sure that you make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for. Typically, this means having information about your services, pricing, and contact details in a place that’s easy to get to. At a minimum, have a clear menu at the top of your home page and links in your footer to helpful pages on your site.
4. SEO-Friendly Content
SEO (search engine optimization) is a process that involves improving where your website ranks on Google and the other search engines.
SEO can get very technical, but in a nutshell, it starts with having quality content on your site that includes the keywords that your target audience is searching for. We recommend having a home page with plenty of content along with blogs that help you build awareness, showcase your expertise, and encourage people to take action.
As a local business, you will also definitely want to prioritize local SEO. A key indicator that you've been successful with local SEO is when your website shows in the Google Maps 3-pack. This section of Google appears at the top of search results (directly below sponsored ads), and it gets about 44% of the clicks. So, as you might have guessed, being here is pretty important.
There are several ways to increase your chances of showing up in the 3-Pack, including optimizing your Google Business Profile, getting lots of customer reviews, getting listed in relevant directories, and creating content that’s relevant to your local community.
5. High-Quality Images
As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and if you want to know what makes a great website, pictures are the name of the game.
We recommend having an image gallery on your home page where you show before and after photos of some of your best work. This allows a website visitor to immediately see the quality of your work so that they have confidence that you’ll make their vehicle look as good as new.
Not only do images convey your expertise, but they can be more interesting than reading a bunch of text. As a result, people will be more engaged with your website, which, as it turns out, is helpful for your SEO efforts. The reason is that Google rewards websites that keep visitors on the page longer.
6. Clear Calls to Action
When someone visits your website, what do you want them to do?
For most auto body shops, the answer is to book an appointment, request an estimate, or call your shop to get more information.
If you want visitors to take these actions, you have to make it easy for them to do so. That means including clear calls to action.
At a minimum, your website should include the following:
- Click to call elements
- Buttons to get an estimate
- Buttons to book an appointment
- A contact form for later follow-up
- Buttons to learn more about your services
- Search options to find a nearby location (if applicable)
The contact form can be incredibly helpful for follow-up. For example, if someone fills out the form in the research process but doesn’t book an appointment, you’ll have their contact information, allowing you to check in with them later and potentially close the deal.
You can also include buttons or links to view your services, learn about your team, subscribe to your newsletter, read FAQs, refer a friend, follow you on social media, or download a free guide.
7. FAQs
Short for frequently asked questions, an FAQ section on your site is designed to address common inquiries about what to expect when they book a service. You can also include information about pricing, insurance claims, or other questions people tend to ask you when they call your shop.
By answering these questions in advance, you can free up your phones for more serious inquiries, while creating goodwill and providing people with the information they were looking for when they came to your auto body shop’s site.
8. About Us Page
Ultimately, people do business with each other, not faceless organizations. Therefore, your website visitors want to know who you are. This page can share the history of your business, what makes you unique, photos of your shop, and team pictures.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be authentic. Your About Us page should answer why someone should choose you instead of a shop down the street or a big corporation.
9. Social Proof Elements
If someone has never done business with you, their first impression of your auto body shop will likely be formed by what they read about you online, including your website. That’s why we encourage our clients to have as many social proof elements on their websites as possible.
These elements include:
- Customer reviews and testimonials: Share your most positive reviews online (including reviews with pictures). Not only does this build trust, but it can also help with your SEO efforts!
- Licenses and association memberships: If your state requires various licenses and permits, you can note that you have those on your website. You can also highlight membership in other organizations like the BBB (Better Business Bureau).
- Press mentions: If you’ve ever been featured in a news story (either televised, print, or online), be sure to highlight your appearance.
- Social media mentions: If you’ve been tagged on social media for doing top-quality work, you can also share that on your website.
10. Online Appointment Scheduling
If your system allows it, adding the option to schedule an appointment directly from your website can take the friction out of closing a deal over the phone. As a culture that prioritizes convenience and saving time, this feature can be a game-changer for your shop.
11. Fast Loading Times
As you add all of the elements discussed above to your site, make sure that you keep an eye on your website’s loading speed. There are tactics that you can use to ensure that images aren’t too large (without compromising quality) and that your website code doesn’t bog down the speed of your site.
Google takes loading time seriously, so if you want any chance of ranking at the top of the search engines, your auto body shop website has to be fast. Pleasing Google isn’t the only reason to have a fast website. Your visitors don’t want to sit around waiting for a page to load, either.
Put a Fresh Coat of Paint on Your Auto Body Shop Marketing
Don’t leave your online presence management to chance. When you talk to us, you’ll get a comprehensive audit, complete with SEO keywords and a custom strategy plan.
Are you ready to take your auto body shop marketing to the next level? Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation consultation today.
