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Is a Web page worth the investment?


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Quick Answer: They are crucial and well worth it.

 

Long Answer: Websites are vital in this day and age. However, just having one is not enough. I used to think, "I'm paying $50 / month (I used to have motorev too), for this website. Why would I do that if I can make my own for $150 / year?"

 

Now, don't get me wrong, if you love SEO, building your own site, keeping up with it weekly, if not daily and have all of that time on you hands then by all means go for it. I don't.

 

That being said, a website is USELESS if it doesn't do anything for you. You have to treat your website as a marketing piece. You have to know that your website is working for you. My problem with motorev was that I didn't know what it was doing for me. How do you know how many calls your website is bringing in? Out of those calls, how many people came in? What did they bring in terms of revenue?

 

A website, you have to track just like any other marketing piece. Right now I'm paying about $190 / month for my website. But I have a tracking number on it, I know how many calls I get from it, how many of those come in, and that my INVESTMENT is well worth it, so I have no issues paying that much.

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  • 2 months later...

Quick Answer: They are crucial and well worth it.

 

Long Answer: Websites are vital in this day and age. However, just having one is not enough. I used to think, "I'm paying $50 / month (I used to have motorev too), for this website. Why would I do that if I can make my own for $150 / year?"

 

Now, don't get me wrong, if you love SEO, building your own site, keeping up with it weekly, if not daily and have all of that time on you hands then by all means go for it. I don't.

 

That being said, a website is USELESS if it doesn't do anything for you. You have to treat your website as a marketing piece. You have to know that your website is working for you. My problem with motorev was that I didn't know what it was doing for me. How do you know how many calls your website is bringing in? Out of those calls, how many people came in? What did they bring in terms of revenue?

 

A website, you have to track just like any other marketing piece. Right now I'm paying about $190 / month for my website. But I have a tracking number on it, I know how many calls I get from it, how many of those come in, and that my INVESTMENT is well worth it, so I have no issues paying that much.

CarER

 

This is a great insight. A website is essentially the new phonebook. Many customers find shops through services like Yelp and Google searches/reviews. So if your site is dialed in to reach your preferred customer it will be well worth the investment.

 

I would also add that social media can be a benefit as well- although it should be part of a long-term plan because it will take some time to see results. Maintaining a social media presence can contribute to your image as a business and boost your reputation. You can post special offers but otherwise just reposting existing content such as car care tips can educate your customers, add value, and give them the feeling that you care which, in turn, will increase the amount of repeat business and customer referrals.

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I use sitebuilder.com, $77 prepaid for one full year. The templates you can use to choose from are sweet and really easy to use. I buy all my domain names from go-daddy. I own almost 40 names that are all forwarded to our site. It's still under development here:

 

http://www.nealeyauto.com

 

AJ

Checked out your web page, and it looks good overall but I would consider removing some of the text over your main image on the home page. It is a bit overwhelming and it is also all information that could be on your about page. If you simplify it will resonate more effectively with a customer. You can sum up everything there with your second paragraph...

 

"We are a purpose driven, professional and full service auto repair facility. We pursue excellence in everything we do. From the moment you make that phone call or arrive at our business all the way through picking up your vehicle and follow up phone calls, you'll know you have made the right choice when it comes to your automotive service needs!"

 

If you change the first sentence to read "We are a purpose driven, professional and full service auto repair facility located in beautiful Edgewater, MD." You can effectively reduce your text, it will be more visually interesting because the image will not be completely covered and your message is still the same.

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Your website is extremely important this day in age. But not only the site, you need to be easily found while searching for service in your area. It is worth it to spend a little extra to have a company that can handle it all effectively for you. We use net driven and have been very happy. Www.autodrx.com

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         3 comments
      Got your attention? Good. The truth is, there is no such thing as the perfect technician pay plan. There are countless ways to create any pay plan. I’ve heard all the claims and opinions, and to be honest, it’s getting a little frustrating. Claims that an hourly paid pay plan cannot motivate. That flat rate is the only way to truly get the most production from your technicians. And then there’s the hybrid performance-based pay plan that many claim is the best.
      At a recent industry event, a shop owner from the Midwest boasted about his flat-rate techs and insisted that this pay plan should be adopted by all shops across the country. When I informed him that in states like New York, you cannot pay flat-rate, he was shocked. “Then how do you motivate your techs” he asked me.
      I remember the day in 1986 when I hired the best technician who ever worked for me in my 41 years as an automotive shop owner. We’ll call him Hal. When Hal reviewed my pay plan for him, and the incentive bonus document, he stared at it for a minute, looked up, and said, “Joe, this looks good, but here’s what I want.” He then wrote on top of the document the weekly salary he wanted. It was a BIG number. He went on to say, “Joe, I need to take home a certain amount of money. I have a home, a wife, two kids, and my Harly Davidson. I will work hard and produce for you. I don’t need an incentive bonus to do my work.” And he did, for the next 30 years, until the day he retired.
      Everyone is entitled to their opinion. So, here’s mine. Money is a motivator, but not the only motivator, and not the best motivator either. We have all heard this scenario, “She quit ABC Auto Center, to get a job at XYZ Auto Repair, and she’s making less money now at XYZ!” We all know that people don’t leave companies, they leave the people they work for or work with.
      With all this said, I do believe that an incentive-based pay plan can work. However, I also believe that a technician must be paid a very good base wage that is commensurate with their ability, experience, and certifications. I also believe that in addition to money, there needs to be a great benefits package. But the icing on the cake in any pay plan is the culture, mission, and vision of the company, which takes strong leadership. And let’s not forget that motivation also comes from praise, recognition, respect, and when technicians know that their work matters.
      Rather than looking for that elusive perfect pay plan, sit down with your technician. Find out what motivates them. What their goals are. Why do they get out of bed in the morning? When you tie their goals with your goals, you will have one powerful pay plan.
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