Running any business is an art and a science. There are tons of daily and long-term decisions you have to make to continue growing your business.
As a shop owner, you have to make sure your employees and customers are happy, that repairs are efficiently getting through the door, and that your shop is profitable.
The Art of Running Your Business
Intuition and emotional intelligence are what make up the art of running your shop.
Your intuition will steer the split-second decisions you make when it comes to things like helping technicians work through a challenge, answering customer questions, exploring business opportunities, and networking with partners. Intuition can be a good thing—after all, it’s the culmination of the experiences you’ve had before. For example, the bad gut feeling you get about a potential business partner can save you from a world of frustration.
Your emotional intelligence is also a crucial part of running your business. As a leader, you have to be there for your team, which means knowing when someone is having an emotionally off day so you can help them work through the situation. Your emotional intelligence is a guiding compass for your team's emotional responses to each other and to customers.
Some days, you or your service advisors will run into customer challenges. Your service advisors will follow your lead, so if you use your emotional intelligence and show empathy and understanding when a customer is having a bad day, that positive example will rub off on your entire team. Your service advisors will show patience and grace in similar situations.
However, while intuition and emotional intelligence are valuable, you can’t rely on them alone. You also need to test your business decisions—your business “hypotheses,” if you will—with data so you can know whether or not you’re on the right path.
The Science of Running Your Business
Running a business is like using the scientific method. You observe something related to a problem, brainstorm a hypothesis, test that hypothesis, and then come up with a conclusion that helps you tweak that hypothesis as needed.
By gathering data, you can test your various hypotheses and see if your decisions are paying off. For example, you might start running a particular deal to get more customers in the door, but when you analyze the data, you see that the deal is actually cutting into your profit margins, and with that knowledge, you can stop running that promotion.
Data might prove your intuition right. For example, your gut feeling (and observations) might tell you that your shop isn’t getting repairs finished fast enough. You look at your technicians’ time logs and see that repairs are taking longer than usual. From there, you might conclude that you need to hire an additional technician to better distribute repair work.
Or, data might prove your intuition wrong. Sometimes, what we think is our intuition is really a fear of change or a fear of trying something new. Perhaps you keep pushing back the timeframe to move your shop to a bigger, better location. However, once you examine your finances, you see that you do have enough money to successfully make the move.
Data can also help you lead with enhanced emotional intelligence. Consider this: some people are hard to read, or have valid reasons for putting up a wall. You might ask one of your technicians if they’re doing well, and they say they’re “all good.” But once you look at their technician efficiency data, you see that their productivity has been steadily declining. From there, you can sit down with them and address it. Maybe they’re burned out, need a break, or are dealing with something in their personal lives. Once you find out what’s going on, you can see what you can do to help them.
Stop Manually Crunching Numbers
As a shop owner, how many times have you found yourself crunching numbers after hours at your shop, missing out on that family dinner, football game, or just good old rest and relaxation?
Data is useful, but manually getting the numbers you need can be a time-consuming, headache-inducing, error-prone process. Without real-time reporting tools, you may have to manually calculate your gross profit for a given month by sifting through every repair order for that month, adding up the total payments, and then subtracting your total parts and labor costs from that total! This likely takes hours and hours of extra time at your shop.
Not to mention, when you’re adding and subtracting by hand, it can be easy to accidentally leave out a number—and end up with an inaccurate total! And arguably, the only thing worse than making business decisions based on zero data is making business decisions based on the wrong data.
But luckily, there’s an easier way for you to get crucial data on your business: with reporting tools inside of your repair orders software.
How Repair Orders Software Simplifies Data Collection and Analysis
At a basic level, repair orders software with real-time reporting tools will store information every time a service advisor writes a repair order and automatically crunches the numbers behind the scenes, generating easy-to-use reports you can access by logging into the system. As a side note, repair orders software is commonly referred to as a shop management system or shop management software, especially the aspects of those tools that assist the repair orders process.
When you look at most of the details your service advisors put into the shop management system when writing repair orders, they connect to your two main drivers of income: parts and labor. When your service advisors use repair orders software to write and close out repair orders, they’ll naturally be adding details like the parts ordered, the labor rate, and the final repair cost.
Meanwhile, in the background, the software is humming along, automatically synthesizing that data, crunching the numbers for you to generate different reports. You can then analyze those reports to gain key insights into the health of your business.
Knowledge is power—when you analyze the data, you’ll uncover insights that will help you make more strategic daily and long-term business decisions, like whether or not it’s time to:
The type of reports you’ll get will depend on which repair orders software you use. But generally, the reports will fall under four categories:
Finances: such as the End of Day, Sales Details, and Sales Tax reports in Tekmetric
Employee Activity: such as technician efficiency and service writer sales
Customer Activity: such as job history, declined jobs, and lead sources
Parts Activity: parts ordered and parts usage (for parts reconciliation purposes)
Let’s dive into some of the real-time reports that Tekmetric generates and explore the business insights you can gain from them.
1. End of Day Report
Think of the End of Day Report as a holistic overview of how effectively your shop has been selling repair work during a given time range (you’re not limited to just viewing your shop’s stats on a day-to-day basis!). In other words, the End of Day Report breaks down your shop’s overall shop metrics for the time range of your choosing.
Tekmetric’s End of Day Reports
The data you’ll find in the End of Day Report ties back to your shop’s sales and profits during a time range of your choosing:
Total ROs: the number of repair orders posted at your shop
Hours Presented: the total number of hours your shop showed customers
Hours Sold: the total number of hours your shop sold to customers
Close Ratio: the ratio of the total dollars your shop sold compared to the total dollars your shop presented to customers
Effective Labor Rate: the ratio of the labor dollars your shop sold compared to the labor hours your shop sold
Average RO (Sales): the total dollars sold on all posted ROs divided by the total posted ROs
Average RO (Profit): total profit dollars on all posted repair orders divided by the total posted ROs
Average RO (Profit Margin): RO profit divided by RO sales
Gross Sales: total sales dollars on all posted ROs divided by total hours sold on all posted ROs
Gross Profit: total profit dollars on all posted ROs divided by total hours sold on all posted ROs
How Real-Time Data Powers Decisions
The data found in your End of Day report can power various short-term and long-term business decisions that help you maintain a profitable shop over time.
For example, if you see that your gross profit dipped over the previous month, you can check a few other data sources to find the root of the problem, like how many new customers your marketing efforts have yielded and your current parts and labor rates. From there, you can determine how to get your shop back on track, such as by refining your marketing efforts to bring in more new customers or adjusting your shop’s parts and labor matrices. The scientific method in action!
Or, if you notice that your close ratio is hovering around 80%, you can sit down with your service advisors and brainstorm strategies to get it closer to 100%.
Tek-Tip: You can access the End of Day Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Financial Reports” in the top column, then clicking on “End of Day.”
Tekmetric’s End of Day Report breaks down your shop’s metrics by all sales—as well as your shop’s sales without tires and batteries. Additionally, the End of Day Report breaks down:
RO Summaries
Sales after Discounts
Gross Profit by Labor, Parts, Sublets, and Fees
Payment Details (Methods and Advance Pay)
2. Profit Details Report
The Profit Details Report gets into the nitty-gritty of the profits you’ve made across all repair orders during a given time period, as well as within individual repair orders.
Tekmetric’s Profit Details Report
In Tekmetric’s Profit Details Report, you’ll be able to see the total profits you made on repair orders over a time range of your choosing. You’ll also be able to see the profits you made across the board on labor, parts, sublets, and fees. If you want to see how your total profits, as well as your profits on labor, parts, sublets, and fees, played out within individual repair orders, you can do so as well. And that’s not all! If you want, you can view your shop’s average profits and profit margins as well.
You can even filter the report by specific service advisors, so that you can see their individual performance.
How Profit Detail Data Powers Decisions
Understanding where your profits are coming from, and the ratio of your profits, over time, enables you to adjust your pricing for parts, labor, sublets, and fees so you can strike better profit margins and investigate anything that looks off.
For example, you might see that your total parts profit was only a couple hundred dollars during a particular month. If this number is lower than what you’re used to seeing, you can start reviewing individual repair order details to try pinpointing the reason behind the lower number. You may discover that coincidentally, the repairs your shop had that month were more minor than usual, and didn’t require expensive parts. Of course, you don’t want to sell customers expensive parts that they don’t need, but you could ever-so-slightly adjust your parts matrix to make several cents more on less expensive parts.
Tek-Tip: You can access the Profit Details Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Financial Reports” in the top column, and then clicking on “Profit Details.”
You can get a visual of your labor profit, parts profit, sublet profit, fees profit, and total profit over a certain time range in either line graph form or bar graph form.
You can even click into individual service advisors using the dropdown menu at the top of the page and see the profit details associated with their repair orders on your graph type of choice.
Viewing this data in a line graph or bar graph gives you a clearer overview. You can visualize exactly when your total profit dipped and on when it started to climb back up, and pinpoint the reasons why.
3. Sales Details Report
How much have you sold in parts and labor over a given time range? How much money have you collected from sublets, fees, and taxes? What’s the dollar amount of the discounts you’ve given customers? These are the questions that Tekmetric’s Sales Details Report can answer for you.
Tekmetric’s Sales Details Report
Tekmetric’s Sales Details Report gives you the rundown of the total sales you’ve made in a specified time range, breaking down the dollar sales amount of your shop’s labor, parts, sublets, fees, and taxes. You can see how many dollars of discounts you’ve given, too.
How Sales Details Data Powers Decisions
Of course, profit will always give you a more accurate understanding of how your business is doing financially since it reflects your business’s bottom line. But your sales (revenue) numbers will give you a picture of your top line: exactly how much money is coming in.
You might see, for example, that you have high revenue, but in comparison, your profits are low. That gives you a clue that your business expenses might be too high. From there, you can start looking into ways to get higher profits, such as by adjusting your parts markups and labor rates.
Tek-Tip: You can access the Sales Details Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, and going to the “Financial Reports” column, and selecting “Sales Details.”
If you don’t want to toggle between the Profit Details Report and the Sales Details Report to compare your total sales and gross profits, you can view both types of data in the End of Day Report.
If you want to work with the Sales Details Report, you can also view your data in terms of averages, rather than totals. Just go to the gray bar titled “Sales Details Report,” select the second dropdown menu, and click “Average Sales.”
4. Realtime Service Writer Report
As a business owner, it’s good practice to have a solid understanding of each of your service advisors’ productivity and skills, so you can do things like provide them with additional training, know which new hires to pair up with them for training, and help them connect better with technicians (such as by using their emotional intelligence to help a typically productive technician whose productivity has dipped).
Tekmetric’s Realtime Service Writer Report gives you a window into how your service advisors are performing.
Tekmetric’s Realtime Service Writer Report
With the Realtime Service Writer Report, you can set a customized time range and view information such as:
The monetary value of all the repair orders each service advisor has written
The dollar amount each service advisor has sold
Each service advisor’s close ratio
The total number of hours each service advisor has written, including unsold hours
The repair order hours sold by each service advisor
How Service Writer Data Powers Decisions
Knowing how your team is performing is crucial to maintaining a smooth-running business where employees can thrive.
By keeping an eye on your service advisors’ productivity, you can better invest in them. For example, maybe you notice that one of your service advisors who historically had the best close ratio at your shop has been falling behind. Their unusual drop in productivity could indicate that something is going on in that service advisor’s personal life, and you might decide to have a heart-to-heart with them to see what’s going on and if there’s any way you can help.
Service advisor data is also great for training purposes. By knowing how well each service advisor is performing, you can identify who needs more training. You could, for example, have your most successful service advisor work with your newest service advisor so the new hire can learn all the tips and tricks of the trade.
Tek-Tip: You can access the Realtime Service Writer Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Employee Reports” in the top column, and then clicking on “Realtime Service Writer Report.”
Once you access the Realtime Service Writer Report, you can view the data in terms of hours or in terms of sales. Simply navigate to the dropdown menu at the top left of your screen and select one of the two options.
Within the Realtime Service Writer Report, you can view data sources by:
Active repair orders and posted repair orders
Active repair orders
Posted repair orders
Created repair orders
To select your data source, navigate to the dropdown menu on the top right of the screen. And of course, you can choose the time range by using the dropdown menu on the furthest right of the screen.
Additionally, based on the filters you choose in the Shop Dashboard, you can view this data there, too.
5. Realtime Technician Report
Knowing how your team members who turn the wrenches are doing is important, too! After all, they’re the ones who, during the inspection process, uncover repairs that customers might not have even been aware of when they walked in.
Tekmetric’s Realtime Technician Report
Tekmetric’s Realtime Technician Report will show you the sales and hours associated with each technician in a given time frame. You can learn details like if there’s a particular technician who has more sold dollars than the others, if one is more productive than the others, and more.
How Technician Data Powers Decisions
Just like with the Realtime Service Writer Report, the data in the Realtime Technician Report helps you enhance your employee management and training.
For example, let’s say that a technician has been assigned 40 hours of billed time for the week, but it’s the middle of the week, and you or a service advisor notice that the technician hasn’t reached the halfway point for their hours. That’s when you or the service advisor can either redistribute the work to make sure it gets done on time, or check in with that technician to see if they need help with a particular job.
Or you might notice that one of your technicians has a high number of hours, but a relatively low car count. To help that technician get up to speed and improve their efficiency, you can pair them up with a senior-level technician.
Tek-Tip: You can access the Realtime Technician Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Employee Reports” in the top column, then clicking on “Realtime Technician Report.”
Like with the Realtime Service Writer Report, you can view the data in the Realtime Technician Report in terms of hours or in terms of sales. Just navigate to the dropdown menu at the top left of your screen and select one of the two options.
Within the Realtime Technician Report, you can view data sources by:
Active repair orders and posted repair orders
Active repair orders
Posted repair orders
Created repair orders
To pick your data source, navigate to the dropdown menu on the top right of the screen. And of course, you can choose the time range by using the dropdown menu on the furthest right of the screen.
Additionally, based on the filters you choose in the Shop Dashboard, you can view this data there, too.
6. Technician Hours
If you want a quick snapshot of how your technicians are doing, you can look at your Technician Hours Report.
Tekmetric’s Technician Hours Report
Tekmetric’s Technician Hours Report will crunch the numbers associated with technician efficiency and calculate your technicians’ total efficiency for you. In Tekmetric, technician efficiency is calculated by sold hours divided by hours clocked. So, that means you get a snapshot of each technician’s total billed time, total actual time, and car count during a given time range.
How Technician Hours Data Powers Decisions
Technician efficiency, when viewed in comparison to your shop’s car count, is a crucial metric for determining whether or not it’s time for you to hire additional technicians.
For example, if your shop’s car count doubled in the past year and technician efficiency across your entire tech team was cut in half, that’s a sign that your technicians are overworked and you need more hands on deck. Or, if you notice that one technician has consistently had lower total efficiency than the rest of the team, you can have that technician shadow the team member with the best total efficiency, so they can become faster on the job.
Tek-Tip: You can access the Technician Hours Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Employee Reports” in the top column, and then clicking on “Technician Hours.”
Once you access the report, in addition to filtering the data by individual technicians, you can filter the data by job category. You can see how your tech team as a whole—or even individual technicians—are faring on alignments, standard oil changes, tire rotations, transmission flushes, and other jobs.
Sifting through this data can help you better optimize repair work.
You might notice that some technicians are more efficient than others at alignments, and instruct service advisors to prioritize giving incoming alignment work to those technicians.
Additionally, if you pay your technicians a flat rate, you can easily export your technician’s billable hours (from the Technician Hours Report) to your payroll software.
And if you pay your technicians hourly and incentivize them on their completed billable hours and efficiency, the Technician Hours Report can play a major role in that process.
7. RO Marketing Source
What’s working for your shop, marketing-wise? An RO Marketing Source Report will answer that question for you.
Tekmetric’s RO Marketing Source Report
When your service advisors write repair orders in Tekmetric, they can ask customers how they heard about your shop and add that information to the repair order.
An RO Marketing Source Report sums up this data for you, breaking down which sources have led to the most sales at your shop in a specified time range.
How Marketing Source Data Powers Decisions
When you know which marketing methods are the most effective, you can direct your resources to those efforts instead of spending time and money on marketing initiatives that aren’t sticking.
When analyzing the RO Marketing Source data, perhaps you realize that those Facebook ads you’ve been putting out have only generated $1,000 in new sales the past month. But, Google Ads have been more effective, generating $3,000 in new sales over the past month. With that knowledge, you might decide to prioritize the Google Ads.
Tek-Tip: You can access the RO Marketing Source Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Employee Reports” in the top column, and then clicking on “RO Marketing Source.”
Once you access the report, you can go to the dropdown menu on the top left of the screen and choose which data you want visualized on the line or bar graph:
Total RO Sales by Source
New Sales by Source
Repeat Sales by Source
Avg. RO by Source
GP$ by Source
GP% by Source
Close Ratio by Source
To make your data analysis easier, you can also use the search bar underneath the graph to look up a particular lead source.
8. Declined Jobs Report
It’s an understatement to say that customers don’t always approve every line item on their estimates. There are some repairs that they want to save for later. The Declined Jobs Report helps service advisors keep track of each “no” so they can reach out to that customer later and get a “yes.”
Tekmetric’s Declined Jobs Report
When technicians put together digital vehicle inspections in Tekmetric, they use a color-coded system to indicate the severity of each repair. Once customers get their DVIs, they can approve or decline individual line items. If they see that a repair is marked “yellow” (meaning, it can wait for the next visit), they might decline it.
Every line item that they decline, Tekmetric keeps track of and compiles into a Declined Jobs Report, where you can see which customer declined which job, and when. You can see other details, namely the RO number and subtotal of the declined work, as well.
How Declined Jobs Data Powers Decisions
It’s easier to sell work to existing customers than to sell work to new customers. It’s like that proverbial saying, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
When a customer declines a job that’s not pressing, service advisors gain a natural conversation opener. When the time for that repair rolls around, a service advisor can contact that customer, say the time has come around for that repair, and ask them if they’d like to come into the shop. Bam, that’s a sale!
Tek-Tip: You can access the Declined Jobs Report in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Customer Reports” in the top column, and then clicking on “Declined Jobs.”
Tekmetric users can categorize the data in the Declined Jobs Report by individual service advisors or technicians, and select a date range of their choice. That way, service advisors can easily follow up on the declined jobs in the repair orders they’ve written.
Additionally, you can quickly export the declined jobs report and add those customers to an email or physical mail list, then send marketing assets related to those declined jobs to existing customers. For example, if several customers decline tire rotations, and your shop is about to send out flyers for a tire rotation promotion, the data in the Declined Jobs Report is a great way to know who to send the flyers to.
9. Parts Purchased and Usage Reports
A lot can happen when you’re buying and selling parts. You might end up ordering more parts than you end up using, you might lose a part in a deep dark corner of your shop, a part might get stolen, or a part might just accidentally get left out of a repair estimate.
When used together, Tekmetric’s Parts Purchased Report and Parts Usage Report can help you and your team keep track of the parts in your shop. You can see if you’ve actually been using what you’ve been buying and make adjustments as needed.
Teketric’s Parts Purchased and Usage Reports
Tekmetric’s Parts Purchased Report will show you the following details:
Name of the part
Vendor
PO#
RO Source
Date Purchased
Quantity
Unit Cost
Total Cost
Ordering Employee
These are some of the details that Tekmetric’s Parts Usage Report will show you:
Job Title
Job Category
RO#
Customer/Vehicle
Technician
How Parts Purchased and Usage Data Power Business Decisions
Used together, the data in each parts report will help you identify any discrepancies with your parts that show up during the accounting and repair process.
For example, if the Parts Purchased Report indicates that your shop purchased 50 units of a particular part last quarter, but only five of those units were used, you have a starting point to figure out if your shop just didn’t happen to need those parts that quarter or if something else is going on, like a former employee ordering those parts on your shop’s charge accounts.
Tek-Tip: You can access both of these reports in Tekmetric by clicking on “Reports” in the sidebar, selecting “Parts Reports” in the top column, and then clicking on either “Parts Purchased” or “Parts Usage.”
If you use QuickBooks alongside Tekmetric’s reports, your accounting will be easier than ever. You can compare that data in QuickBooks and Tekmetric and see if it matches.
Thanks to a tool called Accounting Link, The Back Office sends the data on your shop’s sales, payments, and purchases from Tekmetric to QuickBooks. With the data in these two reports, you can easily reconcile vendor statements.
Make Decisions Backed by Data
When you make business decisions based on real-time data, you have peace of mind that the numbers are backing you up—that yes, it’s time to hire three new technicians or install another bay. Sometimes the data will show you things you don’t like seeing, but it’s important to be aware of the bad, too, so you can start turning things around. The faster you can identify a problem, the faster you can find a solution before the issue gets out of hand.
Support, validate, and challenge your intuition and emotional intelligence with data. While we all have experience we can lean on, everyone is prone to being wrong about a feeling, even the most successful business leaders. We all have times and days when we can be off. The data will show us for sure if we were right or wrong to feel or think something. After all, remember the saying that wise people “know they know nothing.”
When you use data, intuition, and emotional intelligence in harmony, you’ll have a winning formula for business success that lifts everyone—you, your team, and your customers—up to new heights.
FAQ
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In the world of tires and engine diagnostics, the most powerful tool in your automotive shop might not be in your toolbox—it might be online. For the modern auto repair shop, a professional website is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. It’s your 24/7 receptionist, your most compelling advertisement, and your digital front door.
But where do you start? The world of web design can feel as complex as a modern car's electrical system. This guide will navigate you through the complexities of website building and best practices to drive customers to your shop.
Why a website is essential for mechanics
In an age where the first step to solving a problem is a Google search, your customers are looking for you online. When a check engine light flashes or brakes start to squeal, their phone is the first thing they reach for. If you’re not there to be found, you’re handing business to your competitors.
1. Building trust: A professional car repair website acts as a digital handshake. It tells visitors that you are a legitimate, trustworthy auto repair business.
2. 24/7 Marketing engine: Your shop has closing hours, but your website works around the clock. It provides essential information like your location, auto services, and phone number. You can even add online booking features so you never miss a customer when they are ready to book.
3. Local search and SEO: A well-optimized website is critical for local SEO optimization. When someone searches "car repair near me," search engines like Google prioritize businesses with informative and mobile-friendly websites. A strong online presence puts you at the top of those results, making you the default choice for local customers in need. More on SEO later.
Key features for your auto repair shop website
To be effective, your mechanic website needs more than just a pretty face. It requires specific features and functionality to meet the needs of your customers.
1. Contact information and hours
Your phone number, address (with an embedded, clickable map), and business hours should be prominently visible on your homepage, preferably at the top and bottom of every page. A simple and memorable automotive shop name can also help you be easily remembered when the next check engine light comes on.
2. Add service pages
Don’t just say "we fix cars." Create distinct auto repair service webpages listing all of your car repair services: oil changes, brake repair, engine diagnostics, transmission services, tire rotation, auto care, etc. This not only informs customers but also provides valuable keywords for search engines and helps customers know if you perform the service they need. You can also include your prices if you think it is a selling point.
3. Online appointment booking and payments
Convenience is king. An integrated booking system that allows customers to select a service and schedule a time slot is a game-changer. It reduces phone tag, streamlines your workflow, and improves the overall customer experience.
Tek-Tip: Overwhelmed? Tired of boring website templates? Let Tekmetric build you a custom website that is tailored to your business. (Must be a Tekmetric customer).
4. Customer testimonials and reviews
Social proof is incredibly persuasive. A dedicated section for reviews from satisfied customers builds trust and validates your quality of work. An easy place to start is by managing and responding to your Google reviews.
5. Mobile-Friendly design
The majority of local searches happen on mobile phones rather than desktops. Your website must be optimized for mobile devices and fully responsive to provide the best user experience.
6. Blogs
Writing blogs about topics your customers care about can be an easy way to drive online engagement and new customers. Make your blogs specific to your geographical area such as “How to fix a flat tire in Houston, Texas” or “What to do when your check engine light comes on in Denver, Colorado”.
7. Search engine optimization
Stop what you are doing and search for your key automotive services in Google. Does your shop show up on the first page of Google? If not, you likely have an opportunity to optimize your SEO strategy and online presence.
8. Clear goals
Your website should make it easy for customers to contact you or to book an appointment. Whether you add a contact form or online booking functionality, make it easy for potential customers to start the process.
9. Your story
Is your shop veteran or family owned and operated? Sharing your story and what makes your shop unique can be a big selling factor for potential customers.
The best website builders for your shop
You don’t need to be a coding expert to build a website. Modern website builder platforms offer intuitive tools that make the process straightforward.
Tekmetric: If you are tired of boring website templates and are already a Tekmetric customer, Tekmetric will build you a custom website design that matches your brand and services. You can even add SEO support and online bookings so you can waste less time on marketing and spend more time with your customers. Best of all, everything syncs with your Tekmetric platform so everything stays in one place.
CAUTION: building your own website can be time consuming, expensive, and lead to poor results. Most website builders do not have automotive industry experience and may not know the best practices. Let Tekmetric build you a custom website that is tailored to your business. (Must be a Tekmetric customer).
Wix: If you want to invest the time and manpower to create your own website, Wix is known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. It offers a wide selection of website templates, including many designed for the automotive industry.
Squarespace: Squarespace is another great option if you want to build your website yourself. Squarespace is known for its clean and modern website design templates.
Best auto repair website templates
Choosing a website design is about finding an aesthetic that reflects your brand and serves your customers' needs. Look for designs that are clean, professional, and easy to navigate. Here are a few of our favorite automotive websites:
The KARR website offers an engaging video on the home page paired with a bright aesthetic. It stands out to prospects with clear call-to-actions, customer testimonials, services, and contact information.
The Anderson website grabs your attention immediately with high-quality shop images with a minimalist aesthetic. We loved the easy to use online booking tool and embedded Google map for easy directions.
Hansen Auto Repair has done a great job making their website easy to navigate and incorporating clear call-to-actions. They added specific service level website pages to maximize SEO performance and even added coupons/warranty information. The theme is patriotic while also being professional.
The last website to make our list was an RV repair shop showcasing that all types of repair shops need a website to drive business. This website also stood out because they added a link to their merchandise store and helpful FAQs.
How to choose the right website design for your shop
With so many options, how do you pick the web design that's right for you?
Define your goals: What is the single most important action you want a visitor to take? Is it to call you? Book online? Visit your shop? Your entire design should guide them toward that goal.
Customer first: Are you serving busy parents who value convenience, or car enthusiasts who appreciate technical detail? Your design, from colors to fonts, should speak their language.
Brand identity: Your website is an extension of your physical car mechanic shop. If your shop is known for being modern and tech-forward, your website should reflect that. If you're a third-generation family business, your site should convey that heritage and trust.
Budget and resources: Consider both the initial cost and the long-term maintenance of the website.
Prioritize functionality: A beautiful website that is slow, confusing, or broken is worse than a simple website that works perfectly. Ensure the website template you choose is fast-loading and provides a seamless user-friendly experience for your visitors.
Final thoughts
Building a modern auto repair website is one of the single best investments you can make in the future of your automotive business. It establishes your credibility and works 24/7 to attract new clients.
👉 If you need further assistance with building your website or want to explore Tekmetric, you can [Book a Demo Here]
Thought Leadership
Shop Management
How to Build an Auto Repair Website (The Complete Guide)
Looking for the best automotive industry conferences and events for 2026? This guide will help you navigate the most impactful automotive conferences and trade shows slated for 2026. We will dive into what makes each event unique, price, location, and more.
Key Automotive Conferences and Trade Shows
When it comes to elevating your auto repair business or career, knowing which events to prioritize is crucial. Each of these conventions offers a distinct experience, catering to different roles in the shop. Let's explore the big events you can’t miss in 2026.
1. Tektonic
What: Tektonic is a brand new automotive conference for 2026. Whether you're leading the business, managing the front desk, or turning wrenches in the bay, Tektonic offers tailored training to elevate your skills, connect with peers, and drive your career forward in a space built for you.
Come for the shop-tested fixes. Leave with the horsepower to hit top-gear growth. Tektonic is a three-day event built for every shop, no matter your size, brand, or business model. Expect industry-first content, with Tekmetric-backed know-how.
What: The SEMA Show offers an attendee experience like no other automotive trade show on the planet. It's the best place to see thousands of the newest automotive performance products from new and iconic exhibitors, discover the latest product and vehicle trends, and develop essential skills by attending any one of the 99+ free education sessions – all of which are led by top industry professionals.
The SEMA Show is the premier auto show geared to help small businesses thrive and succeed. The trade-only event enables automotive specialty equipment manufacturers to display alongside automotive manufacturers to debut new, innovative products and connect with industry buyers from all over the world.
When: November 3-6th, 2026
Where: Las Vegas Convention Center - Las Vegas, NV
What: Only AAPEX gives you the training, products, and insights to help you stay ahead today and prepare for tomorrow — all while you connect with the entire industry under one roof! Live, interactive demos. Expert-led business education. Our most robust training program yet. It’s all here to give you a jump on every new advancement and the knowledge to tackle your biggest challenges.
Where else can you come face-to-face with the world’s part suppliers showcasing innovations that give you an edge in the here and now — and global perspectives on where the industry is headed next? Spend three days at AAPEX Las Vegas and make sure you’re ready to steer your business toward success!
When: November 3-5th, 2026
Where: The Venetian Expo & Caesars Forum - Las Vegas, NV
What: NADA Show offers a full program of innovative products, emerging trends and networking opportunities. Four full days of outstanding education, emerging trends and networking opportunities for all areas of your dealership.
When: February 3-6th, 2026
Where: Las vegas Convention Center - Las Vegas, NV
What: The ASTA Expo is an annual event that brings together professionals from the automotive aftermarket industry for training, networking, and discovering the latest innovations. Anyone is welcome, including shop owners, managers, technicians, service writers, and anyone in the automotive service and tire industry looking to grow their knowledge, network, and business.
What: The annual Shop Hackers seminar provides owners and staff in the independent automotive repair and collision/body industries with: Top-tier knowledge, life-changing personal connections, actionable strategies, increased motivation, one unforgettable experience.
With over a thousand attendees, a large array of vendors, and world-renowned industry leaders, this auto conference is unlike any other in the industry. You may laugh, you may cry, you will eat well, and one thing is for sure — you will walk away changed for the better.
What: VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo, provides the opportunity for you to expand your knowledge and gain new skills, all while networking with leading automotive service industry professionals. Choose from more than 100 cutting-edge management, technical, and educator training courses. VISION also features a 60,000 square-foot exhibit hall showcasing the latest tools, equipment, and technology.
When: March 5-8th, 2026
Where: Overland Park Convention Center - Overland Park, KS
What: Learn how top-performing shop owners are navigating today’s economy and running more successful, profitable businesses. Our world-class speakers and informative sessions will equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to thrive.
SuperConference is not just about learning; it’s about community. Engage in interactive, team-building activities with the most supportive community of shop owners in the industry. Build relationships that will last a lifetime and grow your network with high-performing peers and professionals.
Now that we’ve explored some of the top 2026 events, let’s zoom out and consider the benefits of attending automotive conferences.
Networking opportunities
Imagine walking into a room filled with hundreds, even thousands, of people who share your passion, understand your challenges, and are dedicated to the same industry. That's the power of networking at automotive conferences. These aren't just casual conversations; they are opportunities for mentorship, partnerships, collaboration, and mutual growth.
Industry trends and insights
The automotive industry moves at lightning speed. What was cutting-edge last year might be standard this year, and obsolete next. Attending conferences gives you visibility into the future of auto repair. You’ll gain firsthand knowledge of the emerging trends and critical insights that will shape the industry for years to come.
Final thoughts
Finding the right automotive conference for you can be challenging but we hope this guide was helpful. Whether you are just starting your business or have spent your whole life fixing cars, there is an event for you.
In today's digital world, relying solely on word-of-mouth is like trying to change a tire with a pair of pliers—it’s inefficient and frustrating. You need a modern tool, a solution designed to attract new customers to your shop. That tool is Google Ads, a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising platform allowing you to target new customers when they need you most.
If you've heard the term but aren't sure how it fits into your business plan, you're in the right place. This comprehensive guide will break down everything you need to know about Google Ads for your auto repair business.
What are Google Ads (PPC)?
At its core, Google Ads is a Pay-Per-Click, or PPC, platform where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Think of it as renting a prime piece of real estate on the first page of a search engine like Google or Bing. Instead of trying to earn those top spots organically through Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which can take months or even years, you're essentially paying to jump the line.
Types of Google Ad Campaigns
Search campaigns
Paid search ads are the most common type of Google Ad campaign, allowing auto repair shops to target based on keywords. Shops can find new customers by bidding on keywords like “Oil change near me” or “Transmission shop Denver, Colorado.” This campaign type is effective because you can target local customers at the moment they are searching for help.
Display campaigns
Display PPC campaigns are another effective campaign type that shops can use to target customers with more creative ads. Display ads offer a visual component that could be a static image or a short video. Display ads can show across a wider audience and are not confined to just Google search.
Retargeting campaigns
Retargeting campaigns are exactly what they sound like. Mechanic shops can target prospects who have visited their website with ads that can display on other websites. For example, a customer could have visited your website (YourShop.com) and then bounced to Forbes.com. You can then show an ad on Forbes.com (and other websites) as they browse the web, so your shop can stay top of mind.
Video campaigns
Video campaigns are mainly used by auto repair shops to target customers on YouTube. You can target automotive DIY videos where users may run into issues and look for a shop instead.
How to set up your first Google Ad campaign
Open a Google Ads account (if you haven’t already). Fill out your business information and attach your payment method. This is also a good time to delegate account access to other employees if needed.
Start your keyword research. Identify the search terms your potential customers are typing into Google when they need help (e.g., “brake repair near me,” “check engine light diagnostics,” “mechanic in Houston”). If you need help finding the right keywords, you can start by asking the next customer who walks in your door, “How did you hear about us?”.
Finalize your budget and bidding. Set the maximum amount you're willing to pay for a single click on your ad. This bid, combined with the quality and relevance of your ad, determines your ad's ranking position.
Find your audience. Select which geographical areas you want to target with your ads. Most shops select a radius around their physical location to ensure they are targeting customers nearby.
Add extensions. Extensions show up beneath your ad and can include your phone number or service-specific pages of your website. Extensions help you take up more room on Google and increase your chances of attracting a click.
Publish. Once you publish your ads, your ads will go through an approval process and either go live or be rejected. You can always make edits and resubmit your ads if they are initially rejected.
Monitor and analyze. Once your ads are running, you will be able to see clicks, impressions, cost, and other data in the Google Ads platform. You can even set up conversions and UTM tracking to see how many new customers are booking online appointments with your shop.
Should Mechanic shops use Google Ads?
The short answer is an emphatic yes. While many forms of marketing cast a wide net, hoping to catch a few fish, PPC marketing is like using a high-tech fish finder. For an auto repair shop, the "when" is just as important as the "who," and Google Ads excel at connecting you with customers at the moment of their highest intent.
Consider the mindset of a person who needs auto repair services. Their car is making a strange noise, a warning light is on, or worse, they're stranded on the side of the road. They aren't casually browsing; they have an urgent, specific problem that needs an immediate solution. What do they do? They pull out their phone and perform a Google search for a local mechanic.
This is where auto repair PPC shines. It allows your auto repair shop to appear at the very top of the results for those high-intent searches. You're not interrupting their day with an ad they don't care about; you are providing the exact solution they are actively looking for. This makes Google Ads one of the most effective marketing efforts for service businesses, especially in the emergency-driven auto repair industry. It levels the playing field, allowing dedicated local shops to gain immediate online visibility and compete effectively against large national chains.
Tek-Tip: Don't have enough time to run marketing campaigns? Learn more about Tekmetric Marketing, featuring online appointment booking, SEO-optimized websites, and automated review management.
Benefits of PPC Marketing for Auto Repair Shops
Integrating a well-managed PPC advertising campaign into your marketing strategy can deliver a host of powerful benefits that translate directly into more customers and higher revenue.
Immediate Traffic: Unlike email marketing or social media, a PPC campaign can start to drive traffic and generate phone calls almost overnight. Once your ad campaigns are approved, your shop can be visible to potential customers within hours, which is crucial when you have empty bays to fill.
Precise Targeting: PPC platforms offer incredibly granular targeting options. You can show your ads to people based on:
Location: Target users within a specific mile radius of your shop, in certain zip codes, or in an entire city. This ensures you’re not paying for clicks from people who are too far away to become customers.
Keywords: You target the exact automotive services you offer, from a simple oil change to complex engine issues.
Time of Day: Only want to run ads during your business hours to ensure someone is there to answer the phone? You can do that.
Device: You can bid more for mobile users, who are more likely to be in need of immediate help and use click-to-call features.
Budgetary Control: Worried about a runaway budget? With PPC, you're in the driver's seat. You set a maximum daily or monthly ad spend, and you'll never pay more than that amount. You can start small, test the waters, and scale your investment up or down based on your return on investment.
Measurable Results: This is a major advantage over traditional advertising. Every aspect of your PPC campaigns can be tracked. You can see exactly how many people saw your ad, how many clicked it, and how many of those clicks resulted in a phone call or a contact form submission.
Increased Brand Awareness: Even when users don't click on your ad, seeing your shop's name at the top of the search results builds familiarity and trust. When they see your name repeatedly for different service-related searches, you become a recognized authority in your local area. This boost in brand awareness is a valuable byproduct of a consistent PPC presence.
Effective PPC Strategies for Auto Repair Shops
Launching a campaign is easy; launching a profitable one requires a solid strategy. Simply throwing money at Google Ads without a plan is a quick way to burn through your budget. Here are the essential strategies to ensure your PPC ads deliver results.
Keyword Research
This is the foundation of your entire campaign. You need to get inside the heads of your target audience and think of keywords they would search for. Your keyword research should include:
Service-Specific Keywords: "brake pad replacement," "transmission repair," "car AC service."
"Near Me" Keywords: These are huge for local service businesses. Google often appends "near me" automatically for mobile searchers.
Negative Keywords: Just as important is telling Google what not to show your ads for. Add negative keywords like "jobs," "training," "DIY," "parts," and "free" to avoid paying for irrelevant clicks from job seekers or people looking to do the work themselves.
You should note that each keyword has a different cost per click average depending on location and number of competitors. Bid on keywords that are important for your shop and fit your budget.
Compelling Ad Copy
Your ad copy is your 3-second elevator pitch. It needs to grab attention and persuade the user to click.
Highlight Your Strengths: What makes you different? Mention your ASE-certified technicians, warranties on parts and labor, free loaner cars, 5-star reviews, or your years of experience.
Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Be direct. Use phrases like "Call Now for a Free Estimate," "Book Your Service Online," or "Get a Quick Quote."
Use Ad Extensions: These are extra snippets of information that make your ad bigger and more useful. Use call extensions to add your phone number for easy click-to-call, and location extensions to show your address and link to Google Maps. Sitelink extensions can direct users to specific service pages on your website.
Optimized Landing Pages
A click is wasted if the user gets to your website and is confused or unimpressed. Your landing pages must be designed to convert visitors into customers.
Relevance is Key: If your ad promises "Brake Repair Services," the landing page should be all about your brake repair services, not your homepage.
Mobile-First Design: The majority of auto repair searches happen on mobile phones. Your page must load fast and be easy to navigate on a small screen.
Clear Contact Information: Your phone number and address should be prominently displayed and clickable.
Build Trust: Feature customer reviews, testimonials, photos of your shop, and logos of any certifications (ASE, AAA Approved, etc.).
Bidding and Campaign Management
Google Ads is not a "set it and forget it" strategy. To truly succeed, you need to actively manage and optimize your campaigns.
Structure Your Campaigns: Create separate PPC campaigns for each major service category (e.g., Brakes, Engine, Transmission, General Maintenance). This allows you to tailor your ads and landing pages for maximum relevance, which Google rewards with a better Quality Score and lower CPC.
Track Everything: Implement conversion tracking to monitor not just clicks, but actual leads—phone calls and form submissions. This is the only way to measure true campaign performance.
Continuously Optimize: Regularly review your metrics. Pause keywords that aren't performing, test new ad copy, and adjust bids to focus your ad spend on what drives the best conversion rates.
How Much Should Automotive Shops Invest in Google Ads?
This is the most common question, and the answer is: it depends. The right budget for your shop is influenced by several factors, including your location's competitiveness, the specific services you're advertising, and your overall growth goals. A shop in rural Nebraska will have a much lower cost per click than one in downtown Los Angeles.
Instead of focusing on a magic number, think about your investment in terms of objectives and ROI. A good starting point for a small to medium-sized auto repair shop might be anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per month. This initial investment allows you to gather enough data to see what works.
The most important metric isn't the upfront price; it's the return on investment. If you spend $1,000 on Google Ads in a month and it brings in five new repair jobs that generate $4,000 in revenue, your marketing efforts have delivered a 4x return. From that perspective, the initial cost is more than justified.
For shops new to this space, partnering with a digital marketing agency that specializes in Google AdWords services can be a wise investment. They have the expertise to avoid common pitfalls, maximize your budget, and accelerate your path to profitability.
Final Thoughts
In a competitive market, standing still means falling behind. Pay-per-click advertising is the fuel your marketing strategy needs to accelerate past the competition. It offers an unparalleled ability to connect with customers at their moment of need, providing immediate, targeted, and measurable results.
By conducting thorough keyword research, crafting compelling ads, building high-converting landing pages, and diligently tracking your campaign performance, you can transform your online presence from a sputtering engine into a finely tuned machine that consistently delivers new customers. It’s time to take control of your lead generation and explore what a well-executed auto repair PPC campaign can do for your shop.
Shop Management
Thought Leadership
Google Ads for Auto Repair Shops: Free Guide + Strategies
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