What Should an Auto Detailing Website Include?

Detailing is one of the easier local services to sell from a website, because customers can see the result and the product is packageable. Most detailing sites underperform for two reasons: the packages are vague, and the photos are somebody else's car.

Packages with actual contents

Two to four packages beats a long menu. For each, list exactly what's done — exterior wash and decontamination, wheels and tires, interior vacuum, shampoo or extraction, leather treatment, glass, engine bay, wax or sealant — and roughly how long it takes. "Full detail" means something different at every shop, so define yours.

Price by vehicle size

A coupe and a three-row SUV aren't the same job and customers know it. A small grid of package by size — car, mid-size, SUV, truck, oversized — answers the price question honestly while leaving you room. If you'd rather quote, at least publish starting prices by size so you're not fielding calls from people expecting half. See should I put prices on my website.

Add-ons, listed separately

• •Pet hair removal.
• •Odor treatment or smoke removal.
• •Paint correction or polish stages.
• •Ceramic coating or sealant tiers, with how long each is expected to last.
• •Headlight restoration, engine bay, or trim restoration.
• •Heavy-condition surcharge, with an honest note that heavily soiled vehicles are quoted after a look.

Mobile, shop, or both

If you're mobile, say how far you travel and what you need on site: a parking spot with room to work, and whether you need access to water or power, or bring your own. Those requirements are the top reason a mobile appointment falls apart. If you have a shop, give the address, parking, and whether they wait or drop off. See should my website show my service area.

Before-and-after proof, in volume

This is your best sales tool and it's free. Same angle, same lighting, before and after. Include the hard cases — the kid-destroyed back seat, the oxidized hood, the pet-hair carpet — because those are the customers willing to pay the most. Use your own work only; borrowed photos in detailing are noticed fast. See what photos should my website have and should I use stock photos.

Booking and deposits

Detailing suits real online booking better than most trades: the jobs have known durations, so time slots work. Whether you can offer it depends on your calendar and booking tool, and whether you want condition-dependent jobs auto-booked. A deposit reduces no-shows, which matter a lot when a slot is three hours. See can customers book appointments through my website and can my website accept deposits and payments.

Tell them how to prepare

A short prep list saves time on every job: remove personal items and child seats, take out trash, mention stains or damage in advance, and note that some stains and scratches may not fully come out. Setting that expectation before the appointment prevents the awkward conversation after it.

If you want, send me what you have — before-and-after photos and your package list is the whole site.