By Colby Horton
Shop Site of the Month
Atomic Auto Body Inc. - Richland, Wash.
www.atomicautobody.com
This site offers a nice home page that presents a good summary of what can be found on the rest of the Web site. The "Check Vehicle" section allows customers to see their vehicle throughout the repair process using a specific vehicle ID number. A "Shop Tour" section allows consumers to see the body shop, paint shop and office before stepping foot in the shop. Request forms for estimates and rental cars make this site interactive for the visitor.
Web Wise
Tips on Creating a Pay-per-click Ad: Part 2
Last month, Net Worth discussed the first steps of creating an effective pay-per-click (PPC) campaign for your shop. If you missed that topic, you may view it online at www.autoinc.org. This month, we'll continue the discussion on implementing your campaign, and more importantly, some tips on how to attract Web visitors to your online ad.
Once you've selected your keywords for your campaign, as described in last month's column, it's important to create an ad to get those searching to click. One of the easiest ways to get Web surfers' attention is to try and use their keywords in the title of your campaign. According to industry statistics, click-through rates increase by 50 percent when subscribing to this tip.
Here's how it works. If the potential customer is searching for "engine repair," and the title of your PPC campaign begins with "engine repair," you've already grabbed their attention. They see that your shop fits their needs without going much further into the search process.
Now, you can get more specific with your title. Using something like "engine repair foreign cars" would definitely decrease your click-through rate, but it certainly targets your ad to a more specific audience. It all comes down to analyzing and adjusting your campaign to meet your needs.
Besides creating a click-worthy title, you must also differentiate your ad from your competitors. If there are a lot of shops in your area that perform engine repairs on foreign cars, you may want to find something unique in your business to make your shop stand out. Perhaps using "customized engine performance" might make your ad stand out more than your competitors.
Once you've compiled a good title, you must experiment with the description. This is where it gets a little frustrating for first-time PPC campaigners. Your description must attract a potential motorist while letting them know that your shop is exactly what they are searching for. And, it must be done in as few words as possible. Try a couple of combinations and then check your PPC company's analysis tools to see if they are working. If the campaign is underperforming, try tweaking the description a little. Be patient and get input from others.
Finally, it's a good practice to add a "call to action" at the bottom of your PPC ad. This means that you're prompting the Web user to click on an ad or take some sort of action. Try using "Click here to see what we're about" or "Click here to schedule an appointment" in your campaigns.
Small- to medium-sized repair facilities are not fully using pay-per-click campaigns. This could be a great benefit to you. It will help you run a successful campaign without shelling out a lot of money.
Net Numbers
Online sales this year are on track to increase 23 percent over last year to $33 billion in the fourth quarter.
Source: Retail Forward
ASA Web Ways
Looking for a holiday gift for your techs, office staff? Look no further than ASA's Online Store. Within the Members Only area of ASA's Web site, www.ASAshop.org, members can purchase ASA apparel - including outerwear, hats and shirts - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Online Store offers complete e-commerce capabilities, including a shopping cart mechanism and secure online credit card transaction capabilities. Outside of ASA apparel, members can also purchase brochures, business aids, books, videos and gift subscriptions to AutoInc.
