The Drive to Digital Marketing for Auto Body Shops

At Web-Est, we don't just sell collision estimating.  We are always trying to help shops get more business through marketing.  There are a great number of shops that we speak to that are still relying heavily on word-of-mouth marketing for their business model.  This works great for alot of auto body shops, especially the ones that have been around for a while.  But for those starting out or losing to the competition, utilizing the Internet is integral for an auto body shop marketing strategy.  See the statistics below.  The number one thing to note is simple: America is now going online to search for products and services.  Long gone are the days of phone books, effectiveness of traditional advertising, and the challenging referral marketing for those just opening up.  If you're brick-and-mortar business doesn't figure out how to market online, you put yourself behind the competition, as well as the future generations figuing out how to beat the shops that have been around for a while.

Here's a couple of takeaways from the graphic below:

• 80% of the US population uses the Internet.  That's 250 milliion people.
• Every month, 100 million users conduct online searches for auto boy shops
• Online searches for local business has increased 200%, with 64% of searches for local services
• 88% of American companies are using social media to build their brand and facilitate referrals.

Word-of-mouth marketing still works, but our culture is moving...it has moved...online for business activity.  Don't get left behind!