The beginning of the year marks a good time to revisit just how much your business is impacted by the quality of your online presence. In 2017, a strong web presence requires more than just a website with your contact information – as the online competition grows, you need to be more impactful in more places to earn customers’ attention.
The Importance of a Web Presence
Clutch surveyed small businesses of all types in 2016 to find out if they had a website. Of the surveyed companies, 78% had or planned on soon having a website. Because this includes all types of businesses, it’s reasonable to assume the percentage is far higher for companies selling directly to consumers.
Unfortunately, people will talk about your business online whether or not you have a website. Consumers will review your shop, talk about your service quality, and tell the world how your shop operates – and they won’t always do it accurately. A website offers shop owners an opportunity to ensure that people see a positive view of your shop, rather than only the information that reviewers post online. This is one of the major reasons that almost all businesses have websites today.
The Importance of a Mobile-Friendly Website
In 2015, it was important to have a mobile-friendly site because many people used their smartphones to browse the web. By late 2016, the majority of the world’s internet use was occurring on the phone.
In the US, computers are still the most common device accessing the internet, but not by much. The chart below shows that 42% of all internet usage occurs on the phone, and this is rapidly moving towards 50%. By the end of 2017, your website will be accessed mostly on mobile phones – it’s extremely important to have a mobile version of your site with a click to call button and a navigation link.
The Importance of a Social Media Presence
Facebook continues to grow. The service has grown from 130 million North American active users in 2008 to about 230 million in 2016. Over 100 million people in the US and Canada log into Facebook every day.
Because it’s the primary online destination for so many people, it’s powerful for auto repair shops to have an active presence here, so users can become used to seeing who you are and what your shop does. There are more than 50 million small businesses with pages on Facebook trying to engage these potential customers, so if your shop isn’t there yet, you should definitely consider it!
To learn about how Repair Shop Websites can provide you with a professional, web presence that will bring you new business, give us a call at 855-219-7506 or email us at Team_RSW@repairshopwebsites.com