Why Your Auto Repair Shop Needs Online Directories

Remember when customers used phonebooks to find you? You know, those brightly-colored yellow books that used to be our go-to resource for local services? For years, simply paying for your listing in the yellow pages was enough to keep the business coming in. It seems like that all changed overnight, as there is no arguing the Internet forever transformed the way customers search for, find, evaluate and ultimately decide on a local service provider to do business with.

It’s easy to understand why your customers have started using the Web as their default option for finding your shop (and why more of your customers are doing this via their smartphone) – it’s faster and more convenient than phonebooks ever were. What might not be as obvious is how often your customers are using online directories like Yelp or Google My Business to read what other customers have to say about their experience – and how valuable or harmful the information shared via online directories can be for your business.

Online directories have become the new yellow pages today. As such, there are literally hundreds of online directories competing for their share of the lucrative local business market. It’s too much for the average local business owner to manage on their own, which has created opportunities for companies like Localeze or Yext to flourish (both vendors provide services to help local businesses to manage all their listings across hundreds of directories, review sites, maps and local business listings in one place).

All of these services – whether the individual directories or directory management services – have the same business model. If you pay them for a premium listing in their directory, customers will see your listing and beat a path to your door. While expected results are typically exaggerated or overly-optimistic at best, it’s hard to argue against being listed in a place potential customers are looking for auto repair or maintenance solutions. At the same time, few local businesses have the time and money to maintain listings across all directory sites, which is why it’s important for you to understand which services are most-effective and therefore the highest priority for your auto repair shop.

Not All Directory Sites Are Created Equal

Online reviews are just as important (perhaps more) to your potential customers than the information you have on your website – such as your location, hours of operation, or phone number. According to a 2016 study from BrightLocal, 47% of individuals clicked on a business listed in Google’s top three results because of the positive star reviews – the ratings customers give you on your shop’s Google My Business Page.

Reviews are powerful and have more influence over whether or not a customer chooses your shop than recommendations from friends or family. Obviously, this makes it a requirement that you dedicate some time and attention to monitoring, reviewing and responding to customer ratings and reviews – whether positive, negative or neutral in sentiment. Your customers now have a public voice, and they will use it to either recommend your shop or warn future customers against doing business with you.

Most directories have a form of review management once you create your listing. The ability to manage your reviews allows for you to respond to positive, negative and neutral reviews as they are written. This is just as important as getting the review itself.  Responding to reviews builds a relationship with your customer that can be influential to future customers reading about your shop as well (letting them know you are actively involved in customer service issues).

68% of consumers trust reviews more when they see both good and bad scores. Of course, no one wants a bad review, the goal is for 100% satisfaction. If a customer does have a bad experience, and they choose to share their frustrations online, the best response is to be friendly and understanding. If there is merit to their complaint, offer to make it right somehow. If there’s nothing you can do to make the situation better, a sincere apology can do wonders for attracting future customers to your shop.

The 10 Most-Important Online Directories for Your Auto Repair Shop

Reviews should be a priority for growing your business and maintaining a relationship with current customers. Don’t try to manage your listings across hundreds of different online directories at first. The best approach we have seen is to focus on the ten most-popular directories to start. Once you’ve mastered managing your listings and customer interaction via these directories, you can gradually expand to add more and more services you believe are valuable for your shop’s needs.

Here are the ten online directories we believe are most important for auto repair shops to leverage today:

1. Google My Business  : Manage your business information on Google Search, Maps and Google +. Be the first to know when people are talking about your business, respond to them as the business owner, and track your ratings over time.
   • Pro Tip: Use the Insights tool to see how customers are interacting within your verified page.
2. Yelp : Yelp provides you with a free suite of tools to showcase your business and connect you to the Yelp community.
   • Pro Tip: Promote a Yelp Deal once they use the Yelp check in! 
3. Facebook Business : Facebook Business pages can help you market your business, and is a place where customers can learn about your products and services.
   • Pro Tip: If you’re including a link in a post on your Facebook page, place it before the 5th line of text, otherwise your link will be hidden by the “See More” tab.
4. Aabaco Small Business from Yahoo! (formerly Yahoo! Local): With business listings on more than 60 sites, you’ll tap into a network of 150 million local searches per month.
   • Pro Tip: Quickly change and update information on your page and easily track your performance. 
     
5. Angie’s List : Verified reviews and ratings in hundreds of categories help you find the best companies to help you complete your projects.
   • Pro Tip: Review your active list with your Angie’s List representative to see your company’s stats and your top rated competitors.   
6. Bing Places for Business : Bing will use listings added on Bing Places for Business to show the right business information to customers searching Bing and Bing Maps on their PCs and mobile devices.  
   • Pro Tip: Upload detailed information about your business in the dashboard including payments accepted, parking information and photos. 
7. YP : YP is a leading local marketing solutions provider in the US dedicated to helping local businesses and communities grow.
   • Pro Tip: Businesses with a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation will now see the seal on their YP listing. BBB accreditation helps customers make informed decisions when looking for a nearby auto shop. 
8. Foursquare : Consumers leave brief tips and photos at their favorite local businesses to let others know what they love most at each place.
   • Pro Tip: Create custom badges for customers to collect each time they check-in at your shop. Make their experience social and fun while providing an incentive. 
9. Citysearch : Citysearch helps you find local businesses in your city and neighborhood. We focus on local businesses and community and, most importantly, bringing the two together.
   • Pro Tip: Citysearch offers more than 2,500 different business categories. When filling out your business description, be as detailed as possible when choosing categories to best represent your shop. 
10. RepairPal : RepairPal independently certifies auto repair shops nationwide for superior training, quality tools, fair pricing and a minimum 12-month/12,000-mile warranty. 
    • Pro Tip: RepairPal provides access to an array of resources relating to vehicle recalls, common questions and car problems. 
11. BONUS – Waze : Put your business on the Waze map to reach a community of millions of drivers and everyday commuters.
    • Pro Tip: More and more businesses are using location to find a nearby business. Reach a new audience by advertising your shop on Waze and see the results from your activity.

Some directories listed above may seem outdated, but they consistently receive regular visits monthly. Below is a snapshot of a few benefits of top directories:

• Google gives business owners the ability to update their ‘verified’ listings with photos, coupons and respond to reviews. Google reviews are easy to spot in searches which makes the #1 search engine an obvious choice for your business to be listed.
• Yelp is a top contender for reviews. On average, Yelp receives 26,380 reviews every minute. A listing on Yelp is free and can be completed in a few simple steps.
• Bing receives an average of 76.1 million users per month. While Google still reigns supreme as the largest search engine, Bing still drives a large group of visitors.
• Angie’s List is a paid business listing that has a reach of 2 million users. Since users must be a member to read and review businesses, this directory is considered to be more trusted.
• RepairPal is a designated online directory for auto shops that manages listings and reviews. Having a listing on a trusted auto directory will give your shop the credibility it needs in the industry.

Get the Most Out of Your Directory Listings

Personalize Your Listings

All of the above directories allow you to personalize your page once it’s created. This will be eye catching for potential customers. Think of it in terms of your auto shop’s storefront – would you open your shop without a sign? If your listing doesn’t have photos of your shop or branding materials, how will customers know what to look for when they drive by? The directory listing acts as a sign for your shop and a reference for your customers. Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire in Woodbridge, VA uses many of the personalization features on their Google My Business page which has helped get them over 50 reviews and over 730,000 total views.

Measure the Results

Once you start using directory sites more actively, you’ll want to monitor which sites drive the most business for your shop. You’ll notice which communities are most-active through your conversations with customers, but you’ll also want to monitor which directories drive traffic to your website or phone calls to your shop. If you have the budget, we suggest using a unique call tracking number for each directory website – so you can track how many phone calls are generated from each website. Using a service like CallRail makes this simple – and individual tracking numbers cost as little as $30 per month. This may sound like an unnecessary expense, but knowing exactly how much business each directory is generating for your business is the smartest investment you can make.

Update Your Listings Regularly

Similar to how you enjoy seeing new social posts, your customers enjoy seeing updates to your business listings. Obviously, your business name, address and phone number cannot change monthly. By updating photos and posts, you’re showing users that you are staying current and reaching out as often as possible.

Don’t Be Alarmed, Start Small

Directory listings can be overwhelming when you consider that there are hundreds available to choose from. Finding the right ones to market your auto repair shop is the best way to spend your time and money effectively. It’s no question that customer reviews are essential to influencing future customers to do business with you. You’ll also learn a lot about your business and how you can improve through the process.