A specialist glow plug removal service that had barely been used in three years has become a regular source of new enquiries for Leeds-based Pro-Tech Automotive, after the family-run workshop began working with Garage Services Online (GSO).
The garage had invested in the specialist tooling several years earlier, but with little demand coming through the door, it had remained largely under-used. That changed after Pro-Tech Automotive’s new GSO website began promoting the service to motorists actively searching for it.
“We’d had these specialist glow plug removal tools for about three years and probably had used them two or three times,” said co-owner Lynsey Standen. “We found out people were going absolutely to the other side of the country for this specialist service. So we put it on there, and the tool has paid for itself within a couple of weeks of doing these jobs. I think I’ve had three enquiries this morning just about that.”
The appeal of moving to GSO wasn’t just the prospect of generating more enquiries though. Lynsey says the process of switching to the new website was incredibly easy, largely because GSO already understood the motor trade.
Established in 2013 by husband-and-wife team Barry and Lynsey Standen, Pro-Tech Automotive has grown from a three-person operation into a 15-strong business. The all-makes workshop has moved through three premises as it has expanded, from its original 1,200 sq ft site to a 28,000 sq ft facility with 12 ramps plus a portable ramp.
A Castrol Car Service workshop, Pro-Tech Automotive was also recently named Garage of the Year at the Castrol Awards. The workshop handles everything from motorcycle MOTs through to Class 5 minibuses, alongside more complex mechanical and diagnostic work for local dealerships and garages.
Its previous website had been built by a family friend’s business and, while Lynsey was happy with how it looked, she says the garage had been responsible for explaining virtually everything that needed to be included.
“Our previous website was done by a family friend’s business,” she explained. “The website itself was great, but they didn’t specialise in garages like Garage Services Online do. If you’re using someone who does websites for anything from gardening services to a steelworks company, they’re not specialising.
“With GSO, it was completely different. They found out what we did, what we specialised in, and we had a really good conversation. They put together our website and it was absolutely amazing. There wasn’t a lot that we had to personally do, other than having a nice conversation with someone. They did all the rest for us.
“In the first month or two that I had this website, I probably had more enquiries than I had had in all the time I had had my other website. The proof’s in the pudding that it works. We just get enquiry after enquiry.”
The process also helped Pro-Tech Automotive identify services that were already available within the workshop but were not being actively promoted online. The glow plug removal work is one example, with the specialist tooling paying for itself within weeks after GSO helped put the service in front of customers looking for it.
“Independent garage owners don’t have the time to become website experts or spend hours explaining their workshop to a generalist web developer,” said Jim Lang, Managing Director at Garage Services Online. “Our job is to understand the garage, what it does and the work it wants to attract, then take care of the digital side.
“Pro-Tech Automotive is a good example of that. Lynsey and Barry already had the workshop, the equipment and the expertise. We simply helped make sure that capability was properly represented online and easy for potential customers to find.
“The fact that a specialist service like glow plug removal can go from being used just a handful of times to paying for the equipment within weeks shows the value of getting those capabilities in front of the right customers.”
For workshops looking to improve their online visibility without taking on the work of managing a digital strategy themselves, GSO provides garage-specific website development and digital lead generation designed around the needs of independent businesses.
For further information, visit: https://garage-services-online.co.uk/free-no-obligation-quote/pr/.
