Client Background
L&M Auto Center is a family-owned auto repair shop that has been serving the local community for over 40 years. Despite their excellent reputation and loyal customer base, their online presence was severely outdated with a single-page HTML website that hadn't been updated in over a decade.
The Challenge
The existing website presented several critical issues that were impacting the business:
- Non-mobile-friendly design: In an era where most searches happen on mobile devices, the site was impossible to navigate on smartphones
- Outdated visual design: The 10+ year old design didn't reflect the quality of service the shop provided
- Broken functionality: The contact form hadn't worked for years, causing missed business opportunities
- Poor search visibility: The site was virtually invisible on Google due to lack of SEO optimization
The original website: a single-page HTML site from over a decade ago
The Solution
I completely rebuilt the website from the ground up using modern web technologies to create a fast, responsive, and user-friendly experience.
Technical Implementation
- Next.js with App Router: Leveraged the latest Next.js features for optimal performance
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Improved SEO and initial page load times
- Tailwind CSS: Created a clean, modern design that works flawlessly across all devices
- Vercel Deployment: Ensured reliable hosting with automatic scaling and global CDN
- Image Optimization: Implemented lazy loading and next-gen image formats for faster load times
Key Features
- Mobile-First Design: Built responsive from the ground up, ensuring perfect display on all devices
- Working Contact Form: Integrated a reliable contact system that sends inquiries directly to the shop
- Service Pages: Created dedicated pages for each service category, improving SEO and user navigation
- Gallery Section: Added a photo gallery showcasing the shop's work and facilities
- SEO Optimization: Implemented technical SEO best practices including meta tags, structured data, and sitemap
The new modern, responsive website with improved user experience
Results
The website transformation delivered immediate and measurable business impact:
Traffic & Engagement
- 50% increase in website traffic within the first month
- Daily visitors jumped from 20-30 to 80-100 visitors per day
- Bounce rate decreased by 35%
- Average session duration increased by 2.5x
Business Impact
- 10+ contact form submissions weekly (compared to zero from the broken old form)
- Higher search engine rankings for key terms like "auto repair Lincroft NJ"
- Increased phone calls from customers who found the shop online
- Positive customer feedback about finding information easily
Technical Performance
Lighthouse performance audit showing near-perfect scores
- 97% Performance Score: Lightning-fast load times
- 100% Accessibility Score: Fully accessible to all users
- 100% Best Practices Score: Following all web standards
- 100% SEO Score: Perfectly optimized for search engines
Client Testimonial
"Alex transformed our outdated website into something we're truly proud of. The number of new customers finding us online has been incredible. We're getting more calls and contact form submissions in a week than we used to get in months. The investment has already paid for itself many times over."
— Mike, Owner of L&M Auto Center
Technical Highlights
Performance Optimization
- Achieved sub-2-second load times on mobile networks
- Optimized all images with Next.js Image component
- Enhanced mobile responsiveness and SEO
- Improved Lighthouse scores from ~45 to 95+
SEO Implementation
- Added relevant pages for better crawling
- Added JSON-LD for business information and better search visibility
- Implemented Open Graph tags for social sharing
- Set up Google My Business integration
Key Takeaways
This project demonstrates how modernizing a business's web presence can have immediate, tangible impacts on their bottom line. By focusing on performance, user experience, and search visibility, we were able to:
- Reconnect a traditional business with modern customers who expect to find everything online
- Prove that website investment delivers ROI through increased customer inquiries and traffic
- Demonstrate the power of performance - fast sites convert better and rank higher