9 Things That Are Missed When Shop Owners Develop Sites On The Cheap

Feature   |   Posted: 04/24/2023
Posted by: Motorhead Digital

Your shop deserves a website. Without a website, you won’t be able to reach nearly as many clients as you would have with one.

Not only does a lack of a website prevent you from getting more leads, but it also makes your business look untrustworthy. Every business has a website these days; without one, your shop will look dodgy and unfriendly.

If you’ve decided today that it’s time to make a website, then it’s essential to know what to include on your website so it works the way it should as your 24/7 salesperson.

But, if you’ve already made a website on a budget, you might need to include some of the most important aspects of a good website.

Why?

Because a cheap website never works out as well as you’d hope.

That’s why today we’re going to go through all the essential elements your shop’s website might be missing and what you should include when creating a new website.

Take a look to ensure your website is as professional as possible.

9 things you might be missing from your auto shop’s website

A lot of things go into creating a perfect website, and it takes effort and detail to make a website right for your shop.

So many things need to be implemented on a site to make it work the way it should, and if your shop is missing some of them, you could be in trouble.

Let’s closely examine these six vital elements your shop’s website should have.

1. A user-friendly navigation system

There’s no point in investing in a website if your navigation isn’t going to suit the needs and requirements of your audience. With clear and easy-to-understand navigation, your user will know what they’re supposed to do, where they should go, and how to find your services. 

With a clear, easy-to-use, and simple menu bar, you’ll be able to give your website visitors a stress-free experience when visiting the website. But, if your navigation is difficult to understand or your potential client needs help finding what they’re looking for, you’ll only cause frustration.

Your visitor might even decide to leave before they’ve had a chance to check out what your auto restoration shop offers.

Remember, your navigation might work perfectly fine on your desktop but it also has to work well on mobile. Make sure you test your site on your mobile device, as a lot of small-budget websites tend to not work on mobile.

If your website was designed with a poor navigation system, now is the time to change it!

To make straightforward navigation, make sure to keep it basic. Have all the necessary pages on a navigation bar at the top of the screen. You should also make sure it’s easy to find the contact page!

A proper footer and footer menu are also very important to proper website navigation. Having a clear, readable footer and footer menu is also great for usability. Make sure to include links on the footer to all the important sections of your website. You wouldn’t believe how many sites our team has found that didn’t have a proper footer!

Top Tip: Your navigation doesn’t just have to be accessible on a desktop. It also has to be usable on mobile. Double-check to see if your navigation works on mobile devices too.

2. Interesting & engaging website copy

Without engaging website content, your website will lack everything it needs to convert potential clients. Your website won’t be able to attract clients because anybody who visits your website won’t understand what you’re offering them.

If your website is currently missing a lot of informative copy, then now is the time to act and hire a content agency that can provide you with a high-quality, informative, exciting, and valuable copy for every one of your web pages.

How do you know if your website copy is good?

Good website copy should:

• Tell your audience what you do
• Show them the benefits of what you’re offering
• Explain to them how it’ll help improve their lives
• Demonstrate how they can work with you
• Lead them to the next stage of the buyer journey

Your website copy is also crucial for SEO. Without it, your website won’t get anywhere near the top of the search results. So make sure the copy on your website is optimized for search engines!

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3. An attractive and user-friendly design

Nobody wants to work with a company with an unattractive or unfriendly-looking website design. It’s unfortunate, but people judge a book by its cover or, in this case, a company by its website.

If someone loads up your shop’s website and sees an untrustworthy-looking site that hasn’t been updated in a few years – they’re going to guess you’re out of business.

Having an unattractive or outdated-looking website will drive clients away. It only takes 7 seconds for a visitor to form an opinion about you, and most of their opinion is based on the design of your website alone. 

Some cheaper websites tend to be simple templates made to fit your brand’s colors. Even though they’re affordable, they won’t do your company any favors. To ensure you’re attracting and retaining as many leads as possible, make sure your website is:

• Nice to look at
• Easy to use
• Loads quickly – the average load speed is 3 seconds 
• Interesting to read
• Safe to use

Remember! Your website doesn’t just have to look nice. It has to work too. So make sure your website is secure, working the way it should, and all your links go to where they should and not to a 404 page.

4. Engaging calls to action

Another critical element of your website that might need to be added is an engaging call to action.

CTAs are crucial for the success of your website, and without them, your user isn’t going to know what to do next.

You should have a clear call to action on every page that tells your potential client about their next step. Whether this is to get in touch with you, book a consultation, or sign up for your newsletter – your CTA must be clear.

5. Social proof

Social proof is another part of a website that should always be included. Without it, you won’t be able to prove you’re a legitimate business providing high-quality service.

These days people are suspicious of working with companies online. By giving them social proof, you’ll be able to offer them a sense of security. 88% of people trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Social proof includes:

• Testimonials
• Case studies
• Awards
• Certificates
• Publications

Social proof is also great for highlighting your fantastic auto restoration and performance projects!

6. Resources for your audience

Many companies see this section as unnecessary sometimes. But we promise you’re missing out if you don’t have a resources section or blog on your website.

This section allows you to publish blogs, upload articles and give your audience access to free resources they’ll find useful. Offering expert advice and tips to car enthusiasts will position you as a reliable and trustworthy business. . .

Please head on over to the Motorhead Digital Blog for the rest of this article.

The Motorhead Digital team are digital marketing expert with over 25 years of experience. They’re focused on supporting automotive aftermarket restoration, performance, and race shops. Their signature Site, Location, and Maximizer™ programs will supercharge your digital marketing including website design, social media, SEO search engine rank, content marketing, and your entire online presence so you attract better leads who want to spend more money with you. You can reach Motorhead Digital at (585) 766-9785, via email, or online at MotorheadDigital.com.