Congratulations on opening your new auto repair shop! Now that all of the stress of purchasing your auto shop is over, it is time to sit back and relax, right? Not quite yet!

The CarCareCONNECT team wants to help ensure that everyone in your area is aware of just how outstanding your auto repair shop is. Creating a strong online presence for your auto repair shop is the best way to make sure that potential customers near you know all the details about your up-and-coming auto shop. While there are many things you can do to improve your auto shop’s online presence, the CarCareCONNECT team has narrowed it down to three of the first things all new auto shops need to do to increase brand awareness.

1. Get Listed on Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that Google offers to businesses so that they can manage their online presence across all Google platforms, like Google Search and Google Maps. As detailed in CarCareCONNECT’s blog “Google My Business Tips For Auto Repair Shops,” if your auto repair shop isn’t using Google My Business it is almost impossible for potential customers to find your shop in Google search results.

Google My Business allows you to manage the information that comes up about your shop on Google search results pages, interact with potential customers, and expand your online presence (and understand where that expansion is coming from). According to Google, “businesses that verify their information with Google My Business are twice as likely to be considered reputable by customers.”

Google My Business is not only effective and easy to start, but it is also completely free to use. With all of these awesome benefits and zero cost to your business, you have no excuse to not be using Google My Business for your auto repair shop.

2. Claim Your Auto Shop On Yelp

With over 78 million monthly visitors, Yelp has quickly become one of the largest reviewing websites in the world and serves as an excellent platform to let those near you know just how great your auto repair shop is. Once you claim your business on Yelp, you give customers a way to publicly rave about their experiences with your auto repair shop.

With an overwhelming 88% of consumers who trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, it is of paramount importance that potential customers have a way to see what kind of experiences your customers are having with your auto shop. By having an excellent reputation on Yelp you’re already starting to build trust with potential customers and they will feel more comfortable coming into your new shop. If you’d like more tips on how to make Yelp work for you, visit our blog about How Yelp Reviews Help Grow Your Shop.

3. Create a Facebook Page For Your Auto Shop

Over 1.23 billion people use Facebook every single day, so we think it’s safe to say that having a Facebook page for your local business is one of the best ways to reach copious amounts of potential customers. Being a social network, Facebook is a very interactive way to get in touch with people in your area.

We mentioned several different ways to engage potential customers in our blog, “Facebook Tips & Tricks for Your Auto Shop,” but we believe that one of the best ways to grow a Facebook following is by offering advice in with your posts. For example, if your auto shop’s Facebook page posts a weekly tip about how to improve the value of your car, Facebook users will be inclined to check your page more frequently. By engaging with potential customers through Facebook, your auto shop will remain on their mind and they will be more likely to think of your auto shop the next time their car needs a tune up.

Getting online traction for a new business can be hard, but improving your online presence is a whole lot easier when you utilize these three platforms to their full potential. If you start by checking off these three tasks, you will be on your way to online success.

We plan on continuing to  equip you with all the necessary information to get started on beefing up your shop’s online presence. Subscribe to our blog to get the next few steps towards local online marketing success. It’s time to get the word out about your awesome auto repair shop!

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