Auto Repair and Body Shop Websites: What to Include

A repair or body shop website should let a driver check four things from a phone: that you fix their problem, how to get an estimate (ideally by sending photos), how insurance work goes at your shop, and when you're open and where to bring the car. If those four are easy to find, the site is doing its job.

Below is what each one looks like in practice, plus a short list of things about insurance you should not put in writing.

Services, in the words drivers use

Describe your services the way a driver would describe the problem:

"The check engine light is on"
"Grinding noise when I brake"
"The AC blows warm air"
"Someone backed into my door"

List the services by name too, but use each service page to say which symptoms it covers. If you do both mechanical and body work, split them, because the customer and the conversation are different.

Mechanical: diagnostics, brakes, suspension, AC, engine and transmission work, scheduled maintenance.
Body: collision repair, dent repair, paintless dent repair, bumpers, paint, frame and unibody work.

If you specialize in certain makes, say so on the home page. Show certifications only if you hold them. The FTC's Auto Repair Basics guide tells drivers to look for shops that display certifications such as an Automotive Service Excellence seal, and also says that certification alone is no guarantee of good or honest work. So display what you have, and back it up with photos and reviews.

Estimate requests with photos

For body work, a photo estimate request is the most useful thing a shop website can have. Ask for:

Year, make and model
Whether the car is drivable
Whether it's an insurance claim or they're paying themselves
Photos: the whole car from a front corner, the damage straight on, the damage from an angle, and a close-up
Name, phone number and the best time to reach them

The customer sends this from the parking lot or the driveway. You see the damage before they come in, and you can tell them whether it's a quick fix, a bigger job, or something you'd rather not take on.

Say clearly on the page that a photo estimate is a starting point. Damage behind a bumper cover or a panel often only shows once the part comes off, and the final number can change. Saying that up front saves a hard phone call later.

For mechanical work, the same idea works with a short description of the symptom, when it happens, and a photo of any warning light on the dash.

The request should reach you right away, as a text or an email someone at the counter reads, not a mailbox that gets checked once a week.

Say how your estimates work

The FTC guide tells drivers to ask for a written estimate, and to make sure it says the shop will contact them for approval before doing work beyond a set amount of time or money. It notes that state law may require this. Whatever your shop does, write it on the site in plain words: written estimates, a call before any extra work, old parts returned on request if that's your practice. A driver who has read that advice will be glad to see it.

Insurance work, explained without legal promises

Someone who just had a collision usually has a claim number, a door that won't close right, and no idea what happens next. Explaining how insurance work goes at your shop helps them. Making legal promises doesn't.

Explain your process, step by step

Write it the way it really goes at your shop. For example:

First, the customer reports the claim to their insurance company and gets a claim number.
Then they send you photos or bring the car in for an estimate.
You write the estimate and send it to the insurer. The adjuster reviews it or inspects the car.
You order parts and schedule the repair.
If you find hidden damage once parts come off, you send the insurer an updated estimate (often called a supplement) and keep the customer posted.
Last, the customer picks up the car and pays the deductible, if their policy has one.

Change the steps to match what you actually do. If you arrange towing or a rental car, add that. If you have direct repair agreements with certain insurers, name only those.

What to leave off

Some lines show up on body shop sites that are worth a second thought:

Statements about the customer's legal rights, like which shop they're allowed to choose, what an insurer can require, or which parts the insurer has to pay for. These depend on the state and on the policy. If you want to point people to their rights, link to your state's department of insurance and let it say what the law is.
Offers about deductibles. Check your state's rules before you put anything about deductibles in writing. The simplest choice is to leave it off.
"Approved by your insurance" or similar wording, unless you have an agreement with that specific insurer.

Hours, location and drop-off

This part is basic, and it still needs care. A driver with a warning light on wants to know if they can come in now.

Hours in text on every page, usually in the footer, and the same as on your Google Business Profile.
Holiday hours, updated on the site and on Google. Google's special hours setting lets you change hours for a holiday without touching your regular schedule.
The address with a map, plus a photo of the front of the building so people recognize it from the street.
Where to park and which door to use, especially if you share a lot or have separate entrances for body and mechanical work.
After-hours drop-off, if you have a key drop: where it is and what to write on the envelope.
Tow-in instructions: what to tell the tow driver, and whether you work with a towing company.
Waiting room, shuttle or loaner cars, only if you really offer them.

Show the shop

Photos of your bays, your equipment and your team. Real ones. If you have a paint booth or a frame machine, a photo of it says more than a paragraph about quality.
Reviews from Google, linked back to your profile so people can check them. If you need more, here is how to get more Google reviews without breaking Google's rules.
Your repair warranty, in writing. The FTC guide points out that there is no standard warranty on repairs and tells drivers to get the terms in writing, so spell yours out on the site.

Status updates, if you already send them

Some shops text customers when the car moves from waiting on parts, to in repair, to ready for pickup. If you already do that, mention it on the site. It answers the "is it ready yet" question before the customer has to call.

A quick checklist

Phone number at the top of every page, tap to call
Services described by name and by symptom
A photo estimate form that sends requests straight to you
How estimates and approvals work at your shop
Insurance steps for your shop, with no legal promises
Hours, holiday hours, a map and drop-off instructions
Real photos, linked reviews and your warranty in writing

More on what we put on a shop website: websites for auto repair shops.

Try it with your shop

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