Cleveland Automotive Marketing

If you have an automotive business in Cleveland, Ohio, an optimized Cleveland Automotive Marketing plan is key to standing out from the competition. A Cleveland automotive website is the key to attracting more customers online and add credibility to your business. A well-designed website shows that you value your automotive shop and want to provide quality information to your customers. So what can a professional web design agency do to create a high-quality, professional automotive website for your business? What type of website will appeal to customers and show up on Google for your target audience? In this article, we will discuss four ways a website can help your automotive company grow in the Cleveland, Ohio market. Remember, without a website you can't focus on any of the marketing tactics detailed below. Your website is the most important piece to your marketing strategy!

Here is what we will cover in this blog post:

1. Attracting new customers through local search engine optimization
2. Contacting clients through your website
3. Adding chat to your site for instant communication
4. Linking to your website via social media and pay-per-click ads

Local SEO for your automotive Website.

There are thousands of automotive companies in the United States. And the companies that invest the most in online marketing show up in the top results on Google. So how can we make sure your Cleveland automotive website shows up at the top? The answer is to optimize your website for local search. If you target searches coming from your local business area, your website will have a better chance of appearing on the first page of Google. 

Local Search Terms

Tips for targeting local search queries in the automotive industry:

• Use regional keywords such as "Bedford Automotive Repair" or "Brooklyn Heights Ohio Automotive Specialists" on your web pages.
• Write blogs about your services and target specific locations. For example, "5 tips to prepare your cars for the Parma, Ohio winter."
• Claim your Google Business Profile so that potential clients can find you on Google Maps.
• List your website in local Cleveland business directories 

When you use local keywords, your website has a better chance of showing up for searches from your geographic area. Local keywords also help to filter out leads that would not make sense for your website. If you only work in Cuyahoga County, you do not necessarily want to show up for searches from Cincinnati. Bengals fans are great people, but they are not Browns fans!

Blog articles target long-tail search terms. Long-tail search queries are terms that are 5-8 (or more) words long and are used for specific search intent. Here are some examples of long-tail keyword terms:

• "5 DIY automotive tips for Bedford Ohio residents"
• "How to detail your SUV like the pros"
• "10 ways to protect your vehicles from theft"

If you have any questions about how SEO works, check out our page that focuses on Cleveland SEO.

Google Business Profile for the Automotive Industry

Your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is an essential tool to benefit from local search results. Without a Google Business profile, you'll miss out on Google Maps searches. Did you know that you can even rank your profile to appear higher on Google Maps searches?

I typed Cleveland Ohio business directories in Google Search to get a list of local directories in Cleveland, Ohio. These directories are another way to increase your reach on the internet. Internet users sometimes have a preferred directory when searching for local service providers. It is always helpful to cast a wide net on the internet.

If you want to attract shoppers to your website, you need to make sure they can find it. All of these tactics for local search will help your Cleveland automotive website get more leads and sales!

This image shows a search result for "automotive repair Cleveland". There are literally millions of websites returned by the search engine. An optimized Google Business Profile will help you show up higher on these search results.

Connecting With Customers Through Your Cleveland automotive Website

Your Cleveland Automotive website serves two primary purposes:

1. To provide users with helpful and accurate information.
2. To allow customers to contact you about automotive services.

In this section, we will discuss how to use your automotive website to connect with customers. Automation is important to help streamline user interaction with your website. Please send us a message if you have any questions about the automation tips below. Also, check out our page on Cleveland website design to learn more about building a new website.

Set up Automated Contact Forms

A contact form is a simple tool that customers can use to get in touch with you. Most forms for automotive websites include a name, phone number, car make/model, email, and message field. If your website does not have a contact form, you should set one up as soon as possible. The possibilities that stem from a well-developed contact form are endless. But for automotive companies, collecting this information and storing it in a free tool like Google Sheets can help you streamline your lead management and take some of the stress off your office staff. 

Most contact form software comes with automated emails. When a user submits a form, the message is automatically sent to your inbox. Email submissions are a good first step for automatically capturing lead data, but we can go further!

We use a tool called Fluent Forms to link website form submissions to Google Sheets. When a user submits the form, the form data is sent to a spreadsheet stored in the cloud. Your office staff can use this spreadsheet to track and report on the lead. Tracking leads that result in sales is the most important step in calculating return on investment on your website!

Here is an example of a "contact us" pop up form:

Call-to-Action Icons On The Mobile Website View

If users like the information on your website, you want them to take action. Make it easy for the customer and place call-to-action elements in a highly visible location.

Call-to-action icons could prompt the customer:

• to call your office 
• to fill out a contact form
• to request directions to your shop

An easy way to help users get in touch with you quickly is to prominently display call-to-action sections. This example shows a clear call-to-action that prompts the user to fill out a contact form to learn more.

Another example to help generate leads is a fixed navigation/call-to-action bar on mobile devices. The image below was taken from a website project Aperture Digital completed for Shoreline Immigration Lawyers. The idea behind it is to give the user instant access to all the controls and "contact us" mechanisms on the website. The user does not have to figure out how to contact the law firm's office. Check out the bottom of the cell phone image to see all the options the user has to contact the law firm at a moments notice.

Add Chat Functionality to Your Website

Some users prefer to online chat instead of making phone calls or filling out forms. A chat feature can be a great tool to generate leads, but you must have someone to answer chats. If you do not have employees responding to chat messages, a chatbot can do the job. Chatbots can get users to submit callback information or fill out a form. We use a tool called WP Social Ninja to respond to chats. It has many other features besides chat. So take a look at what Social Ninja has to offer.

Your Website connects your marketing channels

Social media platforms, pay-per-click ads, and email campaigns should all be connected to your website.

Social Media

Your automotive shop should frequently post on social media. When you are designing posts for social media, you should link people to the right page on your website. The homepage is not always the best page for prospective customers. For example, if your social media post is about a specific service, you should direct customers to the appropriate service page on the website. On the other hand, if the post is about a specific topic that you covered in a blog post, you could link to that blog post. If there is no page that directly matches your social media post, you can always link to your homepage or contact page.

Google Ads and Facebook Ads

When you run pay-per-click ads, the ad links to a special web page called a landing page. This page can be one of your service pages or a page created specifically for the ad campaign.

So why are landing pages important? The goal of a landing page is to encourage the user to engage with the service and convert them into a prospect. If you are running an ad about repairing an oil leak, the landing page should include all the details about the service offered and how to contact you. 

Remember, step 1 in running pay-per-click ads is to convince the user to click on the ad. Step 2 is much more important (and difficult). It should persuade the user to take any action, such as completing a website form, making a phone call, or scheduling a consultation with your office. 

If possible, you should host your landing pages on the same server as your website. That way, your landing pages are yours and you can reuse them whenever you need them. If you hire a web design agency to create and host your landing pages, be sure to find out what happens to them after the contract expires. Do you own them or does the marketing agency? Sometimes technology, project timelines, or other factors play into whether you create the pages with your existing technology or hire an agency to develop the landing pages.

Email Campaigns

An email campaign can include a monthly newsletter, a new product offering, or an upcoming promotion. You will need to create an email distribution list and schedule emails to be delivered to your contact list.

Importantly, before running these types of marketing campaigns, you need a quality website. Your marketing tools will direct prospective clients to your website for more information. Your website is such a powerful tool just waiting to be unleashed!

Remember all that talk about contact form submissions and PPC ads? Well, all of these marketing initiatives can be used to grow your email campaign contact list. When you collect forms, you can add those email addresses to your mailing list. It's important that all of your marketing funnels work together.

Cleveland Automotive Website Conclusion

The most effective websites are designed to do one thing: sell. They are a crucial way to promote your work and make money from it. And your automotive website does not sleep. It's open 24/7 to generate leads for your Cleveland, Ohio, automotive company. The design and content of your website must be appealing, informative, and easy to navigate. All of your marketing strategies can and should mesh together like a well-oiled machine. If you have any questions about the topics in this article, feel free to contact us! We are always here to answer your questions. 

Cleveland Automotive Website FAQs