If you're a business owner in the automotive mechanic space, performing quality work is likely your main focus. Handling demanding customers, complicated jobs and the stresses of running a business leaves little time to manage your online presence.
But successfully putting your best face forward online doesn't need to be difficult or time consuming at all. You are not an island, and there are plenty of resources that you can take advantage of right now that won't cost you much money or time, and will put you ahead of your competitors.
Here are 3 simple things you can do that your competitors probably aren't:
1) Facebook shortcut - You want to make sure your Facebook page is active. This means that there are posts on your page regularly, not a page that's just sitting dormant collecting dust. But not many people have time to sit in front of the computer and come up with questions to ask your audience, or pictures and articles to post.
There's a simple solution: use other people's content! People who write about your industry usually have one goal in mind: get people to read their work. Pick some websites that are relevant to your industry, then like their page on Facebook. Every day, log into your Facebook account, pick an article, picture, or post from one of the pages you've liked, and click 'share.'
This will keep regular content flowing to your Facebook fans, showing that you're actively managing your page. The benefit to YOU is that you're staying in front of potential customers by regularly posting, and, more importantly, any potential customer who checks out your page on Facebook will see that you're putting in the effort to communicate with them, which goes a long way when deciding where to do business.
We encourage you to like Mechanic Advisor on Facebook and to share our content as often as you'd like, since it's already geared to potential automotive customers.
2) Increasing Your Search Rankings - If you want new customers, you must, must, must show up on the first page of search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! But how can you do that when you're competing with hundreds or even thousands of other local businesses?
You can spend thousands of dollars and hire an SEO (Search Engine Optimization Expert) and hope that whatever they do brings your page higher in the rankings.
Or you can use a shortcut and let other people do the hard work for you.
Make sure that your shop is listed with all of the major review sites such as Yelp, Angie's List and, especially in the automotive repair industry: Mechanic Advisor.
Since these websites are so big, they are usually the first to pop up when doing an online search, which is how your potential customers will be searching for a local shop.
Once your shop is listed correctly, showing your services, hours and contact information, you still need to respond to negative reviews. Believe it or not, politely responding to any poor reviews and trying to remedy the situation will go far in building trust with potential customers.
3) Tell Your Story - The absolute best way to set yourself apart online is by telling your story.
What does this mean?
Many shop owners will reference how long they've been in business (Since 1974 etc.) because it shows that the business has stability and trust. But nearly all businesses leave out the most important part of the story; the one that everyone wants to know.
People want to know why they should trust YOU. So tell them! Don't tell them with promises, tell them by letting them know who it is they'll be trusting. How did you end up in the business? Why did you choose the automotive profession? What is your favorite part of the job? What do you do when you're not working?
Telling your story is literally the most compelling way to present yourself online, and doesn't cost you a penny more than you're spending already. And the best part is that most people in the industry don't do it, so when someone is making a decision between different shops, the one with the story will be the obvious choice.
