Calling an automotive locksmith shouldn’t be a stressful experience, which is why Auto Locksmiths founder Al Lijee has developed a new platform that gives drivers greater confidence and access to local, independent automotive locksmiths in the United States.
We recently interviewed Al to talk about Auto Locksmiths and what his new business venture is all about.
Where did you get the idea for Auto Locksmiths?
I developed Auto Locksmiths in order to make it quick and easy for Americans to find nearby automotive locksmiths at affordable rates and with reliable services. There are tens of thousands of locksmiths in the United States, but a lot of the time, they get passed by since drivers will normally call their insurance or AAA to let them send over a locksmith.
What Auto Locksmiths does is leverage SEO in order to boost the online visibility of our member partners, so that customers can quickly get in touch with them. While many of our member partners may have a social media profile or their own website, they often lack the time needed to maintain it, which buries them deep in the Google search results. In today’s day and age, that basically makes them invisible to drivers searching for automotive locksmiths online.
What makes Auto Locksmiths better than calling your insurance provider?
It’s one thing if you’ve got vehicle lockout services as part of your insurance policy or if you’re a member of an automobile club, but it’s a whole different ball game if you have to pay out of pocket. That’s why we only work with reputable automotive locksmiths that offer free quotes and competitive prices as well as dependable services.
Some insurance policies will charge a deductible for emergency lockout services, which can be quite high. It might be significantly cheaper to call a local automotive locksmith and pay out of pocket. A good example of this is when people need replacement car keys. This can cost far less with an independent locksmith than it would cost at your local car dealership.
What is the onboarding process for automotive locksmiths to become members?
We are always looking to expand our network of reliable car locksmiths, so we welcome any to apply on our website. Applicants should note that we are somewhat selective, however. We expect that every prospective member has a commitment to providing customers with excellent service, dependable services, and that they provide customers with a free, no-obligation quote before doing business.
Otherwise, they’re free to operate as they please. I think this is probably the best way of doing things, because quite simply, we specialize in digital marketing and SEO and they specialize in locksmithing, so it’s an efficient division of labor at the end of the day.
Since our members operate independently, this also means that they often have different services, areas of specialization, operating hours, and so on. Generally, most of our members provide emergency vehicle lockout services, cheap car key replacement, and they can also repair your car ignition or reprogram your key fob or transponder key.
What type of customers do you get and why should they use Auto Locksmiths?
We drive traffic to our website through PPC advertising and organic traffic growth. It’s mostly locksmiths looking to become members as well as customers in need of those services, since it’s a pretty specific niche and we do strive to rank highly on search engines for those types of keywords and in SERPs.
From the customer’s perspective, there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. There’s no fee to pay for using our service and we don’t charge any hidden fees or commissions – everything is negotiated between the locksmith and the customer.
Furthermore, customers can request a free, no-obligation quote from any locksmith they find in their ZIP code. This can really help minimize the frustration of calling and waiting for a locksmith to arrive, since the total price of their services will be fully transparent upfront.
Where do you hope to see Auto Locksmiths in the coming years?
I’m hoping that Auto Locksmiths keep growing in the coming months and years and that we’re able to connect drivers in need with genuine automotive locksmiths. Right now, we’re building up our network of member partners and want to keep growing our network so that drivers have greater choice.
