Dead River Management

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Auto repair marketing · Business growth

From $20,000/month to $100,000/month in 18 months.

Total Auto Repair was stuck at roughly $20K/month in revenue with inconsistent customer flow and no clear growth plan. We rebuilt their website, launched Google Ads, optimized their Google Business Profile, and set up automated systems to capture and convert more leads.

18 months later, they’re consistently hitting $100K/month and have expanded to a second location.

  • $20K/month → $100K/month (5x growth)
  • Timeline: 18 months
  • Investment: $2,500/month (ads + management)
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The problem

The shop at $20K/month: Inconsistent work, no growth plan.

When Total Auto Repair came to us, they were doing roughly $20,000/month in revenue. Some months were better, some were worse, but there was no predictable system for bringing in new customers.

Their challenges:

  • Website wasn’t mobile-friendly (60% of traffic was mobile)
  • Google Business Profile wasn’t optimized (they weren’t showing up in "near me" searches)
  • No paid advertising (relying 100% on word-of-mouth and drive-by traffic)
  • No follow-up system (leads would call, get a quote, and disappear)
  • No email marketing (no way to bring back past customers)

The owner knew they could handle more work, but they didn’t know how to get it consistently.

The solution

What we did: Local SEO, Google Ads, and conversion optimization.

We built a complete auto repair marketing system focused on three things:

  1. Get found by more local drivers
  2. Convert more website visitors into calls and appointments
  3. Bring back past customers for repeat business
  1. Month 1-2Foundation
  2. Month 3-6Paid advertising
  3. Month 7-12Optimization & scale
  4. Month 13-18Expansion

Here’s exactly what we did:

Month 1-2: Foundation

  • Rebuilt website for mobile conversions (click-to-call buttons, easy appointment booking)
  • Optimized Google Business Profile (photos, hours, services, Q&A)
  • Set up call tracking to measure which marketing channels were working
  • Created automated review request system (text + email after service)

Month 3-6: Paid advertising

  • Launched Google Ads targeting "auto repair near me," "oil change near me," "brake repair [city]"
  • Started with $1,000/month ad budget, scaled to $1,500/month as results improved
  • A/B tested ad copy and landing pages to improve cost per lead
  • Set up conversion tracking to measure calls, form fills, and appointments

Month 7-12: Optimization & scale

  • Increased ad budget to $2,000/month based on positive ROI
  • Launched email marketing to past customers (oil change reminders, seasonal maintenance)
  • Added SMS follow-up for leads who didn’t book (recovered 15-20% of lost leads)
  • Expanded service pages on website (targeting more specific repair keywords)

Month 13-18: Expansion

  • Opened second location
  • Replicated marketing system for new location
  • Scaled ad budget to $2,500/month across both locations
  • Consistently hitting $100K/month in combined revenue

The result

$20K/month to $100K/month: 5x revenue growth in 18 months.

Total Auto Repair went from $20,000/month to $100,000/month in 18 months, a 5x increase in revenue.

Key metrics:

  • Monthly revenue: $20K → $100K (5x growth)
  • Monthly ad spend: $0 → $2,500
  • Return on ad spend: 8-10x (for every $1 spent on ads, they made $8-10 in revenue)
  • Google Business Profile views: 2,000/month → 12,000/month
  • Website traffic: 500/month → 4,500/month
  • Average Google review rating: 3.8 stars → 4.7 stars (150+ reviews)

Before vs. after

MetricBeforeAfter
Monthly Revenue$20K$100K
Website Traffic500/month4,500/month
Google Profile Views2,000/month12,000/month
Google Rating3.8 stars4.7 stars
Ad Spend$0$2,500/month
Return on Ad SpendN/A8-10x

What this cost

Total Investment Over 18 Months

$45,000

$2,500/month × 18 months

Revenue Increase

$80,000/month

$100K − $20K

ROI

32x

$80K/month × 18 months = $1.44M revenue increase ÷ $45K investment

They also expanded to a second location and hired 3 additional technicians to handle the increased workload.

“Dead River Management didn’t just get us more customers. They helped us build a real business. We went from hoping the phone would ring to turning down work because we’re booked out two weeks. That’s a problem I’m happy to have.”

Travis Miller, Owner, Total Auto Repair
Marketing for auto repair shops

How this applies to your business

Could we replicate this for your auto repair shop?

Total Auto Repair’s result is specific to their market, their services, and their starting point. But the system we built for them works for any auto repair shop that:

  • Is doing $15K-$50K/month and wants to scale
  • Has capacity to handle more work
  • Is willing to invest $2,000-$3,000/month in ads + management
  • Wants predictable, consistent customer flow (not just word-of-mouth)

This system is NOT a good fit if:

  • You’re doing less than $15K/month (not enough volume to scale profitably)
  • You can’t invest $2,000-$3,000/month in ads + management
  • You’re already maxed out on capacity (you need room to grow)
  • You’re not willing to commit to at least 6 months (results take time)

If that sounds like you, book a free strategy call. We’ll audit your current marketing, identify the biggest bottleneck, and show you exactly how we’d replicate this system for your shop.

We only take on 3 new auto repair clients per quarter. If you’re serious about scaling, don’t wait.

Book Your Free Strategy Call Now