It\u2019s 4:45 p.m. Adam is on his way back home when his check engine light flashes. He takes out his phone and quickly searches for \u201cauto repair shops near me.\u201d Your shop comes up. He taps the listing and notices that your shop is only open until 5 p.m., when in fact it\u2019s open until 6. Adam calls the phone number to double-check whether you\u2019re still open, but no one picks up. He is already moving on to the next shop on the list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adam doesn\u2019t leave a voicemail or an angry review, so you never hear about him. You\u2019ve simply lost a customer you never knew you had a shot at. Here are five auto repair shop online marketing <\/strong>gaps that cause this, and how to fix them<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) Your Google Business Profile is wrong, or someone else edited it <\/p>\n\n\n\n A potential customer will usually look your shop up online first. Your Google Business Profile is what comes up. If the information on your listing isn\u2019t correct or up to date, you\u2019re losing customers. Google says customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable<\/a> when they find a complete profile, and 70% more likely to visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But there\u2019s actually a detail that most shop owners miss. Google lets users suggest changes<\/a> to a business\u2019s details, so your hours, phone number, and even your category can change without you touching them. Google reports<\/a> that users suggested roughly 80 million updates to business hours, contact details, and other information across Maps in 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Google may send an email or display an alert on your dashboard to let you know about a suggested edit, but sometimes such alerts are easily forgettable when you\u2019re running a busy shop. You have four days to accept or reject the changes. Once those four days pass, Google may publish the changes automatically<\/a> if other public information, like your website, supports them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t have to spend hours on this. Just set aside 10 minutes once a month to go through your Google Business Profile. Make sure your hours, holiday hours, phone number, and category are all updated. Also keep an eye on your email so you\u2019ll know if any changes have been suggested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Your website isn\u2019t built for phones <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about Adam. He didn\u2019t have access to a laptop when his car had trouble. All he had was his phone, and this is true for a lot of your future customers. About 73% of consumers began their most recent search for a local business on a phone.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your customers should be able to easily find the services you offer, price estimates, timing, and an online booking form. Slow loading, a lot of pinching and zooming to see details, and copying your phone number by hand are inconveniences that are likely to prompt a customer to close the tab without a second thought. Google\u2019s often-cited research from 2016, The Need for Mobile Speed<\/a>, found that 53% of mobile visits are abandoned when a page takes longer than three seconds to load. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Open up your website on your phone right now. Can you find your hours, your services, a tap-to-call button, and a way to book without scrolling too far down? If not, these need to go on your to-do list immediately. You can also ask family, friends, and staff to go through the website and point out any issues they find. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) There\u2019s no online form or booking option <\/p>\n\n\n\n Plenty of people look for a repair shop at 9 p.m., long after you\u2019ve closed. And while the phone is still the most popular way to reach a business, YouGov found that only 35% of Americans<\/a> prefer it for customer service, which means about two-thirds would rather reach you another way. A booking form gives these customers an easy way to reach you, even after hours. According to research from Cox Automotive, reported by SalesFuel<\/a>, 76% of dealership service customers who booked online said they\u2019d likely do it again. The study focused on dealerships, but it still points to something worth paying attention to. Customers appreciate being able to book a service appointment online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Place your booking form where visitors can see it easily and not just on the \u201cContact Us\u201d page. Also add your booking link to your Google Business Profile. Make sure someone checks it daily. An automatic reply that goes something like, \u201cThanks, Adam! We\u2019ve got your request. Your appointment is confirmed for 10 a.m. tomorrow,\u201d will give your customers a more personal experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4) You have missed calls you can\u2019t track <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, those 35% will still choose to call your shop. They might have an emergency or an inspection deadline, which means they\u2019re already looking to book. Marchex analyzed 8.7 million calls to aftermarket auto service locations in its 2019 Auto Services Industry Report and found that 13% of calls never connected, and 68% of callers who didn\u2019t reach a business on the first try didn\u2019t bother to call back<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n