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KENNESAW, Ga., Sept. 2, 2021 — UpSwell Marketing, a marketing firm that specializes in helping local businesses expand their customer base, today announced the findings of their recent auto shop owners survey. The survey found that only 4 percent of auto shop owners consider themselves EV experts, while 49 percent are either not worried about expanding their shop to include EV services, or only cater to hybrids. The survey provided additional insights into marketing, revenue, and growth plans for auto shop owners.
According to respondents, the top marketing channels that bring in new auto shop customers are Google (42 percent) and Direct Mail (29 percent). However, there was a big split when comparing UpSwell clients with non-clients. A majority, 52 percent, of UpSwell clients reported that Direct Mail is the channel that brought them the most customers, compared to only 18 percent of non-clients.
“UpSwell has a proven track record of helping auto shops develop the best marketing strategies for their business,” said Tim Ross, co-founder and president of UpSwell. “We help our clients deploy the best mix of effective digital and direct mail marketing to bring in new customers and keep their businesses growing.”
The majority of auto shops surveyed experienced growth this year, with 68 percent reporting a revenue increase in 2021. The average repair order (ARO) among respondents was $562.08, with 70 percent of auto shop owners reporting that they have seen an increase in ARO compared to 2019. However, auto shops still face challenges. Finding qualified technicians was selected by 60 percent of respondents as the top difficulty in running their business.
When it comes to the future, the survey produced some promising findings. Seventy-one percent of respondents said that customers are spending more to hold onto their car longer. This lends to more opportunities for auto shops to see higher ARO and attract customers that are looking for the highest quality solutions that are longer lasting rather than the most budget friendly options.
Additionally, 40 percent of respondents are planning to continue running their shop within the next three to five years versus 19 percent of owners who are planning to retire. Twenty-nine percent of respondents are planning to expand their business in the next three to five years. That number is higher among UpSwell clients, with 38 percent planning to expand their business compared to only 17 percent of non-clients.
The survey was conducted in July 2021 and included 209 respondents in the United States. Eighty-nine of the respondents were UpSwell Marketing clients, 104 were non-clients, and 16 had an unknown client status. All respondents were auto repair shop owners. For the full survey results reach out to grow@upswellmarketing.com. Learn more about UpSwell’s work with auto industry clients.
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About UpSwell Marketing
UpSwell is a direct response marketing agency that serves independent and franchise auto shops whose growth is based on their ability to attract customers from their local communities. UpSwell, founded in 2020 through the merger of Muscle Up Marketing and Mudlick Marketing, has more than 13 years of marketing experience serving over 10,000 clients, executing more than 150,000 campaigns, and a track record of helping clients acquire over 10 million new customers and counting.
