AUTOINC., an Automotive Service Association (ASA) publication, recently selected its annual “Top 10 Automotive Repair Websites” honorees. Since its inception 12 years ago, this feature has been a guide to help shop owners understand the capabilities of the Internet in the automotive repair industry.
AUTOINC.’s “Top 10 of 2010” includes (in alphabetical order):
• Auto Pro to Call, Chapel Hill, NC, www.autoprotocall.com
• D&H Enterprises, Concord, CA, www.dandhautorepair.com
• Dowdy’s Automotive Service, Boise, ID, www.dowdysauto.com
• Dynamic Diesel & Bear Alignment, Snohomish, WA, www.dynamicdiesel.com
• Encinitas Foreign & Domestic Auto Repair, Encinitas, CA, www.RunCarRun.com
• Evergreen Autoworks, Mill Creek, WA, www.evergreenautoworks.com
• Marathon Automotive, Traverse City, MI, www.marathonauto.com
• University Chevron, Fairbanks, AK, www.universitychevron.com
• Village Auto Works, Roseville, MN, www.villageautoworks.com
• World Wide Automotive, Bloomington, IN, www.worldwideauto.net
“These ASA members have demonstrated the importance of having a web presence to effectively compete in the digital age,” said Ron Pyle, ASA’s president and chief staff executive. “It is no longer acceptable to hope that customers will ‘find’ your business, you have to proactively promote yourself and these are excellent examples of cost-effective marketing. Congratulations to all the honorees for setting a great example!”
Each year, AUTOINC. judges review scores of website submissions and narrow down the field to what they consider to be exemplary sites representing today’s ASA member-businesses. The goal is to help other shops employ the Internet as a powerful tool and show them how fellow shop owners use the web to improve productivity, enhance marketing programs and, ultimately, increase their businesses’ bottom lines.
Judges use set guidelines and a scoring sheet to evaluate specific features of each site uniformly. Sites are evaluated using the following criteria:
• First impression • Objective/purpose
• Visual design • Innovation
• Appearance • Credibility
• Navigation • Interactivity
• Technical • Encourages action
• Consumer friendliness
The entire feature, with more in-depth information about each shop’s website, is available online at www.AutoInc.org. That site also includes winners from previous years, as well as a submission form to enter the upcoming competition. Entries for 2011 can be submitted starting June 1, 2010.