Table of Contents
Introduction
In today’s competitive market, auto repair shops face the challenge of attracting and retaining customers, especially in large cities where the cost per acquisition can become very high.
In this context, we took over the management of a Google Ads account for an auto repair shop, with the goal of increasing the number of calls and appointment requests while reducing acquisition costs. The previous campaign produced very poor results, with a conversion rate of 5% and a rather high cost per call, prompting them to seek our services.
Thus, the main objective was to improve the campaign’s performance to attract more phone calls from interested customers while reducing costs.
Objectives
The campaign had two main objectives essential for its long-term success:
Increasing the conversion rate of visitors into phone calls: The first goal was to convert as many users as possible visiting the website into phone calls to the repair shop. Phone calls are essential for generating appointments and offering personalized advice, so every user choosing to call is a valuable potential client.
With a conversion rate of 5% before optimization, there was immense potential for improvement. The aim was to create a much more accessible and attractive online experience, encouraging users to call immediately after accessing the website.
Reducing the cost per call: The second goal was to significantly reduce the cost the repair shop paid for each call generated by the Google Ads campaign. With a budget of around 15,000 RON per month, only 177 calls were generated, resulting in a cost of approximately 83 RON per call. Although this number of calls was acceptable, the high cost per call limited the campaign’s efficiency.
Thus, we aimed to reduce the cost per call while maintaining or even decreasing the allocated budget. Our objective was to maximize the number of calls generated using the available financial resources more efficiently, ensuring a better return on investment.
Initial Challenges
Previous campaigns generated a decent number of calls, but their cost per conversion was very high, indicating the budget was not used to its maximum potential. Before optimization, the average website conversion rate was of 5%, meaning only 1 in 20 users visiting the website contacted the repair shop. Additionally, the monthly budget of 15,000 RON generated only 177 calls, with a cost of approximately 85 RON per call.
These results clearly showed the need for a fundamental change to optimize the campaign and transform it into a more efficient customer acquisition channel.
Our Approach
To achieve the desired results, we implemented a series of essential changes that radically transformed the campaign’s performance:
Launching a new conversion-optimized website: We created a new website optimized specifically to increase the conversion rate. We considered the user experience, providing quick access to information and implementing clear, visible call-to-action (CTA) buttons. This facilitated the conversion process for each user, both on mobile devices and desktops.
Geographic segmentation of campaigns: We segmented the campaign to target specific areas, focusing on Cluj-Napoca and similar locations. For example, in Cluj, we achieved a conversion rate of 48%, meaning 5 out of 10 people visiting the website called to make an appointment.
Optimizing Google Ads campaigns: The Google Ads campaign was restructured to include well-targeted keywords and dedicated ad groups for each service. Additionally, we optimized bidding for calls, focusing on users actively searching for an auto repair shop, thus reducing clicks with no conversion intent.
Result
After just one week of implementing these changes, we observed impressive results:
Conversion rate increased from below 5% to 30%: Approximately 3 out of 10 people visiting the new website chose to call to make an appointment. This is a significant improvement over previous performance, clearly indicating that optimizing the website and campaign had a positive impact on users.
Exceptional performance in Cluj: In Cluj, where the campaign was separated and the message tailored, the conversion rate reached 48%. This means that more than 4 out of 10 visitors from this area called the repair shop directly. This demonstrates the importance of geographic segmentation and message customization.
Reduced cost per call: Before optimization, the monthly budget of 15,000 RON generated about 177 calls at a cost of 85 RON per call. After implementing the changes, the campaign generated 169 calls in a single week, with a cost of 15 RON per call. This allows us to estimate that, in 30 days, we will achieve approximately 700 calls, nearly quadrupling the number of calls, while reducing the budget by 30%.
More efficiently used budget: We managed to achieve these results despite reducing the budget by 30%, allowing us to allocate resources more efficiently and maximize the number of calls generated at significantly lower costs.
Conclusion
Optimizing the Google Ads campaign and launching a new conversion-optimized website fundamentally transformed the campaign’s performance for this auto repair shop. From a conversion rate of 5% and a very high cost per call, we managed to achieve a 30% average conversion rate. In Cluj, the average conversion rate is almost 40%, outperforming the rest of the country. At the same time, we reduced the cost per call from 85 RON to 15 RON, saving 30% of the initial budget and generating nearly four times more calls.
This case study clearly demonstrates that a well-thought-out strategy, along with continuous optimization of Google Ads campaigns and improvement of the user experience on the website, can deliver exceptional results even for local businesses
