AutoInc., the official publication of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), recently selected its annual “Top 10 Automotive Repair Websites,” which are featured in the magazine’s February 2014 issue. Since its inception, AutoInc.’s Top 10 feature has been a guide to help shop owners understand the capabilities of the Internet in the automotive repair industry.
AutoInc.’s “Top 10 of 2014” includes (in alphabetical order):
• Artistic Collision Center Inc., Rancho Cordova, Calif., www.artisticcollision.com
• Atlantic Motorcar Services, Wicasset, Maine, www.atlanticmotorcar.com
• Certified Transmissions, Draper, Utah, www.certifiedtrans.com
• Dillon’s Automotive, Katy, Texas, www.dillonsautomotive.com
• Kinney’s Automotive, Hurst, Texas, www.kinneysauto.com
• Mike’s KARS Inc., Gettysburg, Pa., www.mikeskars.com
• One Stop Auto Care, Los Angeles, Calif., www.onestop-autocare.com
• Rabbit Row Repair, Wilson, Wyo., www.rabbitrowautorepair.com
• Rad Air Complete Car Care, Strongsville, Ohio, www.radair.com
• Valley Automotive Repair and Electric, Maple Valley, Wash., www.valleyautoelectric.com
“These ASA members have demonstrated the importance of having a Web presence to effectively compete in the digital age. It is no longer acceptable to hope that customers will ‘find’ your business; you have to proactively promote yourself and these are excellent examples of cost-effective digital marketing. Congratulations to all the honorees for setting a great example,” said Dan Risley, ASA executive director.
Each year, AutoInc. judges review scores of website submissions and narrow the field to what they consider the best. The goal is to help other shops employ the Internet as a powerful tool and show them how fellow shop owners use the Web to improve productivity, enhance marketing programs and, ultimately, increase their businesses’ bottom lines.
Cheryl Hart, owner of Hart Marketing LLC, who served as one of this year’s judges, said: “One aspect that made the top websites stand out for me was the personal element that was used to reach the client. Testimonials and interactive tools really made me feel that I could trust them. Facilities that used social media stood out as well. It told me that they were in touch with today’s world of advertising and marketing; therefore more in touch with client needs. In all, the winning sites certainly achieved the goal of clearly communicating their marketing message to the reader.”
Judges use set guidelines and a scoring sheet to evaluate specific features of each site uniformly. Qualifying websites were evaluated on nine criteria: 1) First impression/visual design, 2) Objective/purpose, 3) Innovation, 4) Credibility, 5) Navigation, 6) Encourages action, 7) Consumer friendliness, 8) Technical and 9) Social media involvement.
Aaron Clements, AAM, former ASA chairman and owner of C&C Automotive, Augusta, Ga., also served as a judge this year. He said, “It was an eye-opener. I had no idea that the quality of websites in our industry had moved to such a high level. Having the opportunity to look at so many great sites made me very proud to be in this industry.”
The entire Top 10 feature story, with information about each shop’s site, will soon be available online at www.AutoInc.org.
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