If you don't have a web site for your shop yet, I strongly suggest you get one. Why? Because millions of people use the web every day to get information, and this medium is constantly growing. The average automobile owner has an accident approximately every 7 years, so it is usually a new and unpleasant situation for them. More and more of these people will go online to research their options. Many of these people are new to your neighborhood, or they are newer drivers that have never had an accident. Others may have used a shop years ago, but still want to look at their options in the area. Even if the insurance company tries to steer them to another shop (or your shop if you are on their Direct Repair Program), they may want to quickly and easily check out their options online before they decide where to go. They will often use the web to see what shops are in their neighborhood. They want to gather as much information as possible to help them take care of the damage right. They want directions, hours of operation, DRP affiliations, estimate appointments or charges, what to expect, and qualifications of the body shop. If your competitor down the street has this information readily available on his web site, they will probably choose his shop.
You should also make sure your shop appears on the first page or so of all the big search engines (Google, AOL, etc..). This is called Search Engine Optimization. Most people won't look past the first page or two when they look online.
Web site design and hosting are one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available today.
For more information on setting up your web site, please contact me at 973-493-2421 today!
