Most customer buying journeys begin with search. Whether you are or aren’t already investing in search engine marketing as a channel, I often hear business operators say they don’t know exactly what search marketing is or how it actually works. If you have been in business for even a short amount of time, it’s a good bet that marketing companies have reached out to you to discuss advertising on Google through their SEM product called “Adwords.”

The reputation you’ve built for years can be torn down with a single poor online review, especially when you don’t respond to it. Google reviews are the most important because of the impact they have on local search visibility and the ranking boost it can give your website. Many third-party review sites are out there as well – Yelp, for example, and even some in-industry sites.

There is no doubt that digital advertising is here to stay. And while there are a plethora of options available to businesses, Google and Facebook have undeniably become two ubiquitous players in the digital landscape. Marketers from all types of industries, including tire and auto service providers, are finding substantial value with these two providers.

Technology, specifically for marketing our businesses, doesn’t always come naturally. This month, I decided to get out of my own office and get a better understanding of the challenges and pitfalls facing new shop owners as they try to build awareness and clientele, says Jeff Phillip, Digital Development Manager, Babcox Media.

With more and more women making primary automotive-related purchasing decisions, including service and repair decisions, forward-thinking shops are trying to better educate this important clientele base. So, in recent years, many shops have decided to host women’s car care clinics as a means to educate customers.

When most people think of connecting via mobile devices, they think of apps. Then they subsequently think, “I can’t afford to build an app to connect with my customers.” The good news is that there are several ways to take advantage of your customers’ growing use of mobile technology to market to them on a more personal basis.

The purpose of having a presence online is to get more cars to fix. Anything else is ancillary to that. But there are robbers and extortionists, metaphorically speaking, who can hold you back, cost you too much and stand in the way of getting traffic to your website and brand exposure from your social media accounts.
