Repair Shop Websites has recently completed its survey of more than 200 independent repair shops across the United States, and we can announce that shops are prioritizing online-related marketing activities in their budgets, and that they remain happy with the return on investment of these activities. The survey was conducted over April and May of 2018, and focused on the marketing activities undertaken by independent shops, the financial impact of those activities, and how they plan to adjust their spending for marketing activities in the coming years.
Shops were asked to rank how much they spend on each of seven categories of marketing, with 1 being the highest and 7 being the lowest. Online related activities, such as website development, online review platforms and online advertising was by far ranked the highest expense among respondents. Email platforms and social media activities ranked second, and all other non-online activities were ranked behind these two.
In terms of satisfaction, 60% of respondents report being very happy or mostly happy with their return on investment for activities in the Online Search category. Ninety-four percent of respondents used some form of online search marketing for their repair shop, even if that was just a one-page website. Only six percent reported being unhappy with their return on investment for those activities, with a further six percent claiming they don’t use online marketing at all.
It’s been two years since VistaPrint commissioned a study which found that nearly half of the public wouldn’t do business with a company that had a badly designed website, including 95% of Millennials. An online presence that checks the basic boxes (such as the shop’s location, the services provided and usability on a mobile device) has become an essential part of attracting new customers. While it’s still easy to spend too much on Google Ads or custom design services, great organic search results are extremely valuable for any shop who needs to increase their car count, and there’s no better way to do that than having a great website.
The National Independent Automotive Repair Shop Marketing Survey covers many more topics, including most commonly marketed services, differentiators used in marketing, and seasonal marketing trends. Stay tuned as we release more information on how independent repair shops market their services!
To learn how Repair Shop Websites can provide a powerful and affordable way to attract new customers to your shop, call us at 866-665-1605 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.