At 1 Stop Coder, we have helped many auto body shops achieve success. Our trick? Build a top tier website that attracts customers and offers them convenient features. So buckle up, today we will dive into the world of auto body shop websites.
Design: Have a Cohesive Brand Identity
What constitute brand identity?
Fonts, colors, logos and icons.
If you look at Queen City Auto Rebuild's website, you'll notice very quickly the red and black theme, the serif fonts, and the luxury vibe.
Your website should accurately convey your brand identity to your customers.
Are you a gearhead? Are you into classic cars? Are you into exotic sports cars?
Communicate that to your customers via your website.
Functionality: Have Online Estimate
Online estimate is popular these days. As more and more gen-zs starting to own vehicles, the higher the demand for online functionalities such as online payment, online appointment, and online estimate. So for body shops, online estimate is a great tool for attracting younger customers.
I know what you are thinking:
"But it doesn't work with our estimate system!"
"I'd rather have them call me!"
We totally get it. Online estimate, if done wrong, can be a hassle to shop owners.
That's why we took a middle ground approach. Instead of having a full blown online estimate system, we built an online estimate REQUEST form. The customer fills it out and the website will convert the whole request into an email and send it to the shop owner, including a photo of the damaged area.
We believe this will improve the estimating process because you as the shop owner will know the VIN number, customer's contact info, and see a picture of the damage. Steve, the owner of Queen City, simply replies to the customer with a link to their estimating system, in addition to calling the customer. Not to mention, you can copy and paste the customer info from the email into your system.
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| An example of the online estimate request email |
Steve now on average receives about 10 of these estimate request emails daily. He said it has helped streamline his workflow tremendously.
Reputation: Have Reviews, Before & Afters Displayed on the Site
Reviews and testimonials are crucial these days. If you have 50+ reviews on Google averaging 4.5 stars and up, you will have a much easier time attracting customers.
On Queen City website, we are displaying their reviews on every single page.
Customers also love to see before and afters. We have this cool sliding effect on the before and after displays.
Actions: Have call-to-actions to Reviews on Google & Yelp
Having call-to-actions to reviews on the website is a great way to drive up the quantity and quality of your reviews on either Google or Yelp.
On the Queen City website, we have two call-to-review buttons fixed to the bottom of the website. This has done wonders for the shop. Ever since the launch of the new website, they have seen an increase of 25% in 5 star reviews!
Management: Have Consistent Updates
Website is not a one and done deal. It needs to be consistently managed. In the context of auto body shops, you need to consistently add new before and after images, new reviews, etc. So it's important to have a professional web development company to do all these work for you so you can stay successful.
That is actually what separates us, 1 Stop Coder, from the rest of the industry. We build a relationship with you. Every client has direct contact with their account manager via text, call and email. Anytime the client requests an update, our account manager will hop on it in a timely manner.
So if you are an auto body shop owner and think you can benefit from having a better website, don't hesitate to reach out to us here.
