Lichty Brothers Collision

The Problem

Lichty Brothers Collision had built a reputation as one of the premier auto collision repair facilities in the Midwest. With OEM certifications from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, their technical capabilities were unquestionable. However, despite their expertise, they were facing a crisis that threatened their growth trajectory.

The two-location MSO had relied primarily on direct referrals from insurance partners and word-of-mouth for years. But the landscape was shifting. New competitors were opening shops with aggressive digital marketing strategies, and suddenly Lichty Brothers found themselves losing market share to shops with lesser technical capabilities but better online visibility.

Walk-in traffic—a crucial revenue source for collision repair—had declined by nearly 30% over the previous 18 months. Their existing marketing agency was generating leads, but the quality was abysmal. Service advisors were spending 40% of their time following up on inquiries from people looking for $200 scratch repairs when Lichty Brothers specialized in high-end collision work averaging $4,500 per repair order.

The breaking point came when the owner discovered that a competitor less than two miles away was showing up first for “collision repair near me” searches despite having worse reviews and no OEM certifications. The business was at a crossroads: adapt to the digital-first reality of modern automotive marketing or watch their market position continue to erode.

The Strategy

We began with a comprehensive digital audit that revealed the root of the problem: Lichty Brothers was virtually invisible in local search. Their Google Business Profile was only 40% complete, missing critical information like service areas, hours of operation photos, and regular posts. Their website, while professionally designed, loaded in 4.2 seconds on mobile—an eternity in user experience terms that was driving away potential customers before they even saw the facility photos.

Our approach focused on three core pillars:

Local SEO Domination — We completely rebuilt their Google Business Profile strategy. This meant professional photography of both locations, weekly posts highlighting their OEM certifications, and a systematic approach to generating authentic customer reviews. We also built location-specific landing pages targeting “collision repair” + neighborhood combinations that their competitors were ignoring.

Website Performance Overhaul — The existing site was rebuilt with performance as the priority. We implemented lazy loading, optimized all images, and reduced the mobile load time to under 1.5 seconds. The navigation was restructured to guide high-intent visitors toward scheduling an estimate within three clicks.

Targeted Paid Acquisition — Rather than bidding on broad terms like “auto body shop,” we built campaigns around high-intent searches: “certified collision repair,” “OEM certified body shop,” and “luxury car collision repair.” Geofencing around competitor locations captured drivers who were already in decision-making mode.

The Results

The transformation was immediate and dramatic. Within the first 30 days of implementation, Lichty Brothers began seeing results that exceeded even our optimistic projections.

The local SEO efforts paid off faster than anticipated. The combination of an optimized Google Business Profile and strategic review generation pushed them into the top three map pack positions for their primary keywords within three weeks. This visibility translated directly to foot traffic—25 customers explicitly mentioned they had been at a competitor’s shop but chose Lichty Brothers after seeing the reviews and photos online.

The quality of inquiries shifted dramatically. Where previously 60% of leads were for minor cosmetic work, now 75% were legitimate collision repair estimates. The average repair order value increased by 18% because the marketing was attracting the right customers—people with high-end vehicles who valued certification over the lowest price.

Most significantly, the lead volume increase of 22% combined with higher-quality inquiries created a capacity issue: Lichty Brothers is now consistently booked out 8 weeks in advance. They’ve recently signed a lease on a third location, a decision made possible by the predictable, measurable lead flow that digital marketing now provides.

The owner put it simply: “For the first time, I can see exactly how our marketing spend translates to cars in bays. We’re not guessing anymore.”