Four Changes Made to Google My Business That May Affect Your Auto Repair Shop’s Listing

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Google, perhaps the most widely-used website around the world, was created in 1996 by two Stanford University Ph.D. students named Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Since 1996, the search engine has blown up and is the No. 1 search engine to find anything and everything on the internet. 

An important factor in search engine optimization for your auto shop lies in Google’s local listings, called Google My Business. The mission of Google My Business is to attract new customers with a free local listing on Google. This listing appears when people are searching directly for your business or for a local listing similar to it. It is a great way to get the word out about small business and also is helpful in your search engine ranking. Since the beginning of 2017, Google My Business has undergone some changes. Check out are four changes that will affect your auto shop’s Google My Business listing: 

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Trends in the Auto Repair Industry: Part 1 – They Don’t Make Horses Like They Used To

Auto Repair Trends_1 (1).jpgWhere do you start a report about the state of auto repair marketing today? It makes sense that we should first explore how we got here in the first place – so bear with us as we recap a brief history of the auto repair industry (and if you’re interested in a more-extensive overview of the history of auto repair in the U.S., you may want to check out our separate report, The History of Auto Repair in America). 

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CarCareCONNECT Featured in NAPA AutoCare Insight Magazine

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CarCareCONNECT is excited to be featured in this quarter’s NAPA AutoCare Insight magazine.

The CarCareCONNECT team contributed an educational article to the magazine titled, “3 Marketing Misconceptions.” The article lists the most common reasons automotive repair center owners typically state for NOT wanting to launch a website or invest in online marketing.

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Turn Your Auto Repair Shop Into a Social Media Hotspot

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In the past two years the “geofilter” has completely taken over social media – mainly on Snapchat and Instagram. Geofilters are location-based overlays that can be used for both personal and business use. Snapchat is constantly producing geofilters that their 150 million daily visitors can use, and now, just recently Snapchat enabled their users to be able to make their own. Following the rapid geofilter trend, Instagram created the “sticker” in December of 2016. The sticker can also specify your location to it’s more than 1 million monthly users. Both of these can be used for an incredible localized form of marketing.

 

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Improve Communication With Your Auto Repair Shop’s Customers

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What does a businessman, an auto shop owner, and a baby all have in common? Although they may seem like polar opposites, all must use excellent communication skills in order to achieve an ultimate goal. Whether it be a booming business or simply a toy out of reach, communication is key to success. By building a strong communication between your auto shop and your customers you can get better customer feedback which will result in better business for your shop. So how exactly how do you improve communication with your auto shop’s customers? These 4 steps will help you achieve excellent  communication skills which will yield happy customers..

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How to Train (and Retain) Millennial Mechanics

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In the year 2020, it is predicted that nearly half (46% to be exact) of the United State’s workers will be millennials. With that being said, you’ll be hiring mostly millennials in the very near future. Born between the 1980s and 2000s, this rapidly growing population is taking over the business world. They are entrepreneurs, technologically-minded, and value knowledge and experience over a degree. Millennials, who are often considered lazy by their elders, are actually go-getters that look for more efficient ways to get things done. They live their lives around quick, 140 characters of information. 

For business owners who manage millennials, we often see mistakes such as only offering limited content, not explaining how training is relevant, providing limited feedback, or simply not coaching at all. So how exactly do you train this new breed of mechanics and employees for your auto shop? Here are some tips to training millennial mechanics. Continue reading “How to Train (and Retain) Millennial Mechanics”

How to Get Stellar Reviews from Customers

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Think about the last time you searched a product. You most likely did not purchase it cold turkey. Almost everyone researches and reads reviews before making a purchase online or visiting a shop for a particular service. Without reviews it would be like purchasing a house without even stepping foot through the door. Reviews give us a little more insight on the history of the product or service and it’s effectiveness amongst past customers. For an auto shop owner, reviews are valuable to the growth of the shop and provide feedback for advancing product offerings and customer service. So how does one get their customers to not only visit their auto repair shop, but leave a review on their experience as well? We’ve got you covered with a step-by-step guide to getting stellar reviews for your auto shop. Continue reading “How to Get Stellar Reviews from Customers”