Automotive Repair Marketing - The Key to a Successful Shop

If you are a business owner and you would like to increase your revenue, it is important for you to understand automated repair marketing and how this is a key to a successful shop. The automotive industry is said to be one of the most lucrative and stable industries in the business world. Because people from all over the world use autos in their daily life, auto repair businesses are steady and secure.

Automotive repair marketing is as easy as changing the oil in your car. Every few months, you are to check your progress, do some maintenance, and give some added boost and fresh ideas to your automated repair marketing campaign. The public loves fresh ideas.

Automotive repair marketing is all about taking action. Therefore, you as the business owner should make sure you use the right automotive repair marketing tools. Here are some of the most effective marketing tools for your auto repair business.

1. Direct mail marketing method
One of the most preferred automotive repair marketing tools remains to be the direct mail method. Most auto repair businesses make use of this method by mailing postcards to homeowners in zip codes surrounding their shops. This is an easy way to promote your services to potential clients. However, you will need to mail sufficient quantities to generate a worthy response.

2. Start a blog or a website
The internet is probably one of the greatest automated repair marketing tools you can use. Create a blog and spend 10 minutes each day writing interesting anecdotes, maintenance information, tips, advice, or even car reviews. The more you write, the sooner you will be crawled by search engines, and the sooner you will reach a larger audience which will essentially result in more business.

3. Social media marketing
One of the best automated repair marketing tools revolves around social media. Websites with Facebook and Twitter integration are becoming increasingly popular and more repair shop owners are making use of this tool in order to promote their shops and acquire new clients. If you use social media for your automated repair marketing, you should know that you are immediately exposed to millions of people. So, guess what happens when Jason needs a new transmission and he sees your business profile on Facebook? Voila! You have a new customer. Even though this may sound a little impossible, but social media could be well worth thousands of dollars to your repair shop.

4. The good old word of mouth
This method of automated marketing is known to be one of the oldest methods of marketing in the business world. However, this is also proved to be one of the most reliable forms of marketing. For example, you started your automated repair marketing campaign with the direct mail marketing method. Now, because of this, you have just acquired two new clients. If you do a good job, guess what happens? These clients will tell their friends about it, and their friends will tell their friends, ever forming the perfect marketing campaign you can ask for.

5. Press releases
Most business owners tend to give press releases a complete miss, thinking that there is no possible way that a press release could be of any advantage to their automotive repair marketing campaign. Wrong! In fact, press releases are very effective and can be done either online or off-line. With the off-line method, simply write, or have someone put together a press release on a timely topic and send it to your local newspaper. With the online method, do the same and publish it to a press release service. Press releases are usually ranked higher than normal web pages and blog posts. This can never be a bad thing.

There are several other automated repair marketing tools available to you. If you are serious about taking your auto repair shop to the next level and getting more vehicles into your shop, then make sure you give these outlined methods of automated repair marketing a try today.

What Are Credit Card Offers and How to Find Them

Credit card offers are often part of a wide spectrum of benefits that a customer can receive. This is one of the reasons why a great credit card for one person is just ordinary for another. These offers target specific customers and that is the reason one must be careful to pick and choose a credit card.

Types Of Offers

Travel And Hotel Benefits

Credit card offers include airline miles, hotel rewards, travel benefits, gas benefits and cash back benefits. Each of the benefits has a set of people who would be very interested in them. People who love travelling or part of whose profession includes frequent travels can take credit cards which provide luxurious hotel stays and discounts on the train and air fare. Some of these cards often allow redemption of reward points in return for a stay at an exotic resort etc. for a few days, something very attractive for couples planning to take a vacation.

American Express cards, for example are famous for their air miles, complimentary Crown Room club access and concierge services which become more of a status symbol than direct monetary benefits.

Student Benefits

Some credit card offers include benefits for students too. Students usually do not have a great and long credit history. These cards help them build it in order to get financial aid for education at lower interest rates in the future. A good example is the Citi Platinum Select cards for students which offer low interest rates of 13%, which is substantially lesser than what many standard cards offer. The other benefits include 0% interest for the first 6 months and waiver on the annual fees. All in all, it is a good deal for students staying away from home for studies. There are special rewards for those who maintain good GPA and also make regular monthly payments.

Low Interest And Cash Back Offers

These credit card offers are currently one of the most popular deals. This is because spending every month on super markets, movies, clothes and accessories is part of the lifestyle of many working people. Getting part of their money back is more than welcome and savings of a few thousands every year is a decent bit for working class population. Low interest cards too have their own benefits especially those who need to make big purchases like household articles, knowing they will have the cash in a few months time.

Other offers include balance transfers and debt consolidation and cash back and other benefits on business expenses.

How To Find The Offers

Finding best credit card offers and utilizing the benefits needs a bit of due diligence. Although many cards send reminders and emails regularly, very few people actually go through them due to the flood of data they receive every day. One good habit could be to regularly visit popular credit card sites that line up the best offers of the day. Creditcard321 and creditcards8 are two sites which provide lot of information to the customers on the best offers helping them to cash in on the benefits at the right time.

The Ford SUV Models

Ford Motors is one of the premier names in the American automobile industry. Some might argue that Ford Motors is the premier name in the industry. Certainly, the company's reputation for high-quality and high-performance vehicles is near legendary. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Ford SUV models reflect that reputation. The company's dedication to excellence is a legacy that has been consistently maintained from the first days, from the Ford Model-T, to the newest Ford SUV, sports car, vans, and street car models. Arguably, some of the company's finest work appears in their SUV marques: the Ford Expedition, the Ford Escape, and the Ford Edge.

The premier Ford SUV line, arguably, is the famed Ford Expedition. Easily one of the best designed SUVs around, the Expedition is also one of Ford Motors' best-selling automobiles to date. With a 300 horsepower, 3-valve engine, it easily outpowers any comparable model from the company's rivals. The rear wheel drive system also grants it additional driving flexibility in dry conditions and over rough terrain, in keeping with the notice that SUVs are used for outdoor driving. Capable of fitting up to eight people conveniently, the sacrifice of interior room for the rear wheel drive configuration is not clearly felt in the Expedition. Perhaps the only advantage the Expedition's competitors have is the fact that the Expedition has a higher price. Although, one can argue that the Ford Expedition's higher price is offset by the superior engine and drive configuration.

Following up the Expedition is the Ford Escape - another example of Ford SUV models having excellent quality and having a design that bears the end-user in mind. The Escape is usually outfitted with a 200 horsepower V6 engine, though some variants have been known to use a 153 horsepower I4 engine instead. Since being introduced in 2001, the Escape has consistently been given all-wheel drive configurations, which gives better Traction control for those tight, high-speed turns. The configuration also affords better stability at high speeds over rough terrain, making the configuration ideal for competitions such as the Le Mans 24 or the Indy 500. While the likelihood of seeing a stock Ford Escape in a race like those mentioned above is still to be anticipated, that does not take away from the car's ability to handle some of the toughest terrain SUV can ever be driven through.

Finally, there is the latest addition to the Ford SUV line, the Ford Edge. The Edge is equipped with the new Duratec 35 engine, which allows the SUV to go to a maximum of 265 horsepower; though, there are varieties estimated of reaching up to 300 horsepower once certain features, like direct fuel injection, are added into the design. The Edge was made to bridge the gap between a van and a traditional SUV, so the Edge incorporates design elements from both types of cars. The Edge models, unlike the Expedition and Escape, offer a degree of flexibility with regards to drive configuration. At the moment, the Ford Edge can either be all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. Although slightly smaller than a van and slightly less capable of handling rough terrain than an SUV, the Ford Edge still manages to perform tasks of both vans and SUVs on an acceptable level.

Ford Motors clearly has not skimped out on quality with regards to the design of their new Ford SUV models. The three listed above, the Expedition, the Escape, and the Edge, all have their individual advantages and disadvantages but the mark of excellence in design and quality in production is unmistakable. With Ford SUV models like the ones mentioned above, Ford Motors has a definite edge over other manufacturers.

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How to Upgrade WordPress!

WordPress is a widely accepted and extremely preferred content management system which offers a simplified and user-friendly operations and a lot more to look upon. Any software or application, when used in the latest version, offers the best of services and functions so possible and so does WordPress. The procedure of updating can be transported out in two ways namely Automatic and Manual.

• Automatic Updates: You may often get infurated with the update notifications of various kinds. WordPress relieves you with the automatic update option. For the version 3.7+, the user needs not to imprise an even bit of efforts. If the site is designed to install updates without the use of FTP credentials, the updates will itself run in the background allowing the version to update from 3.7 to 3.7.1, 3.7.2 etc. This is facilitated for minor and security updates however even for the purpose of major updates, the user just needs to click 'Update Now'.

WordPress provides the users with minor bug fixes with the minor latest versions as available. Therefore, a user is suggested to adopt minor fixes as and when available. Automatic updates are so very useful and valuable. Neverheless, if one wants to disable the option serving automatic updates, he can do it too.

If the notification conveys 'failed updates', the way out is to delete the file named .maintenance which is present in the WordPress directory. This will eliminate the message. If all the efforts of automatic updates go in vain, the user can turn up to Manual Updates.

• Manual Updates: Manual Updates can be time-consuming and tiring, however, the sense of accomplishment is satisfactory. The Manual Updates option can be exercised if the blog's URL is in the form [http://example.com/wordpress/].

The procedure involves few steps that are mentioned below.

1. The User needs to download the latest available version of WordPress.

2. All the plugins are to be deactivated which can be done by using the deactivate button in the drop-down list after selecting all the plugins.

3. Replace the previously annexed WP-includes and WP-admin directories with the latest installed ones. This can be done using the FTP or Shell Access)

4. The users without deleting any WP-content folder or directory are required to overwrite the existing WP-content folder's individual files with the new files. This can be done using FTP, file manager or shell SSH.

5. The same process needs to be followed by the rest of the files. All new files available in the root directory of the new version must overtake the old files in the existing directory.

6. The default files so customized must not be overwritten or else you will lose access to the preset ones.

7. Try the WP-config-sample.php as it might have certain new settings that could attract you and fascinate you to implicate your own WP-config.php.

8. Just in case, you hired the manual procedure after the auto-upgrade failure, a file named .maintenance will hamper you. This needs to be deleted from the directory through the FTP.

9. Log in to your database and further follow the database update instructions which are offered with an update link to assure compatibility. Also, reactivate the plugins and at this note, the task is accomplished.

Make Christmas Special With Diamond Jewelry Gifts

So much to enjoy ... so much to eat ... so much to gift.

It's the time of celebration. Wow! ... Christmas is here with its festivity. People are at their best. They look stunning more than ever. Clothes and jewelery shopping go on its peak. Everyone wants to splurge on the best.

On such occasions jewelery has its own place. It has its own charm, its own craze. It is actually considered as a very auspicious commodity to be purchased on festivals. Also during such occasions there are ample number of exotic designs and patterns which not only take you in awe with them but also make it difficult for you to resist them.

We like to present our loved ones with beautiful jewelry with unique style and patterns to show we care for them. We like to spend money according to our ability to find a gift which makes them remember us, each time they look at it.

Jewelry symbolizes celebration, special moments, intimacy, beauty and durability. It serves all. It adds spark to the celebration. There is no limit to how creatively it can be used to convey various feelings. Jewelry gifts can be very beautiful and uniquely personalized to suit that particular person or occasion. It embraces the body of wearer always reminding him or her of you. It is a timeless gift and best for special days. While jewelry is an obvious option while buying gifts for females it can be also a unique and brilliant choice for gifting males.

A beautiful jewelry gift is always cherished by everyone. There are shopping areas exclusively allocated to ornaments. These areas are unimaginably crowded with people during certain seasons like when there are festivals such as Christmas, Ramadan, etc .. There are moments when you urgently want some beautiful jewelery gift for someone but do not have time to move around. For such an urgency there is an online provision where you can actually look for your piece of jewelry which is within your budget and can order the suitable piece. In this way you can definitely save your time without any compromise on the selection of your jewelery gift.

There are jewelery sets dedicated completely to children involving attractive colors and interesting designs. Then there are beautiful collection of jewelery sets for women which are crafted out of precious metals like yellow gold, white gold, precious gemstones like diamond and other pure gemstones in exotic glittering colors. The collection flaunts different types of necklaces, bangles, earrings, rings, etc. Your search will end but not the endless varieties of ornaments in the market. Also the kind of skill and intricacy jewelry designers work with, is worth applause and respect.

So celebrate this Christmas with lots of glittering and magnificent jewelery gifts and adorn your skin with the latest style of ornament because festivals are meant to look beautiful from inside as well as outside. Happy Christmas.

Auto Repair Fraud

Car repair problems entail the largest group of consumer complaints in the country. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that consumers lose billions of dollars every year due to unnecessary or substandard auto repairs. While most car repair shops are legitimate, there are some dishonest car mechanics running shops in many parts of the country. It is very simple for crooked car mechanics to compel car owners that unnecessary repairs are required because the average Joe knows nothing about cars. People do not realize that they are being scammed. This makes proving car repair fraud cumbersome. Even those customers who suspect that they have been gypped by a crooked car mechanic do not know what to do in order to make their case.

In this article, we will describe the various car repair scams. Familiarize yourself with our advice the next time you take your car into a repair shop. We will also provide some advice on how to reduce your chances of becoming a victim to a crooked car mechanic or repair shop.

Highway robbery

This is one of the oldest car repair scams in the book. These "highway robbers" own or work for service stations. They prey upon drivers who stop to pump gasoline, get air or water, or use the bathroom. There are various tactics they use to part the unsuspecting driver from his money. They have been found spraying oil or dripping it under a car then claiming that there is a leak from the driver's car. They have also been found slashing tires and cutting water hoses and fan belts so that the driver will be forced to purchase new ones. These robbers target the danger that the driver faces if they attempt to drive off without making the necessary repairs and many times charge hefty prices.

Repair Estimate Fraud

Customers who do not get repair estimates in writing experience the consequences when they come to pick up their cars. When the customer drops off the car, he gets a reasonable quote, but at the end of the day, the customer discovers that the repair shop has jacked up the final bill from the original verbal quote. This may seem legal, since many car mechanics find more problems under the hood once the work begins. Car mechanics and repair shops have been known to leave blank the estimate amounts when they have customers sign repair invoices. After the customer leaves, they fill in an inflated amount or an elaborate description of the problems.

Maintenance Hook Fraud

Repair shops will advertise tune-ups or preventive maintenance service at very affordable rates. Crooked repair shops will then use these maintenance specials to "hook" or "snag" and deceive their customers. A simple oil change and lubrication order can turn into very costly repairs. Some mechanics will purposefully damage the vehicle during an inspection to inflate the bill and "uncover" other car problems.

Willful misrepresentation of repairs

Today's vehicles are sophisticated, high-tech cars. The average Joe is not cognizant on how to fix or maintain their car. For this reason, it is very simple for crooked auto mechanics to gyp the customer.

This makes it difficult for the car's owner to decide on whether or not to have the car repaired. Be cautious of a mechanic who seems very adamant at explaining the problem with your car. Always seek a second opinion and definitely get an estimate of repair costs before signing off on any repairs.

Part replacement problems

Many crooked mechanics have been known to charge customers for parts that were not even bought or installed. Furthermore, the mechanic will charge you for the labor cost to install a part that does not even exist. This is definitely scamming the customer. The old parts swap is another common parts scam. Used car parts are often times installed in your vehicle, yet the mechanics charge you as if they are new parts. Always ask for your old or damaged part back after it has been replaced. This will help maintain integrity in your car mechanic.

Fake car parts

To cut down on costs, some crooked car mechanics use fake or counterfeit car parts in place of quality replacement parts. The price difference can be significant but you will not see the savings. The repair shops will charge you the full amount of a genuine part and will "forget" to inform you of this. This business practice can endanger you out on the road. Fake car parts, in general, wear out sooner than genuine parts. Determining the fake from the real car parts is difficult because the product counterfeiters often replicate trademarks or change them slightly that it takes an expert to tell the difference. If you believe that counterfeit car parts have been used in lieu of quality parts, file a report with your state attorney general's office or local Better Business Bureau.

Bait and Switch Repair Scams

Many car repair scams start off with an ultra-low price on a specific repair job; i.e. the bait. The repair shop reels in a customer with an advertised price on shocks and then finds ways to jack up the repair invoice with several other repairs; i.e. the switch. Imagine that you bring your car in to take advantage of the special. Once there, they will tell you that you need this, this, and this. This is a classical bait and switch scam. The only difference is that you will receive the advertised special, but you will also end up paying a shotload of money on repairs you did not expect.

Tips to follow when getting your car fixed

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Ask for a written estimate before you sign off on repairs.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Most states require that a repair shop give an estimate in writing. If the repairs are expected to be greater than the estimate, they must call you for your approval.













2. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Ask for a written guarantee
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Get all guarantees in writing. Make sure that the shop honors its guarantees.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   







3. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Do a background check on the repair shop
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Contact the Better Business Bureau if there are any complaints made against the shop by other customers.













4. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Do not get gypped into paying for unnecessary repairs
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Do not tell a repair shop what repairs to perform unless you are certain that you need the repairs.













5. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Get a second or third opinion
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   You may have to pay for the estimates, but you could save yourself a bundle of money by searching for the best deal.













6. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Look for a repair shop that employs certified car mechanics before the time for repairs comes
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   You can take your time in shopping for an honest repair shop, and you will not be hasty.













7. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Ask them to provide you with your used car part
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Be sure to ask that they provide you with your used car part so that you can rest assured that they are being honest about installing a new or reconditioned part.













8. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Be sure that the repair shop honors any existing warranty on your vehicle
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   If so, the parts and labor may be covered by the factory's or extended warranty.













9. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Look for cleanliness and professionalism in the repair shop
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Good repair shops are usually kempt and organized. Their staff's demeanor is very professional. Legitimate repair shops will not pressure you into making unnecessary repairs and will take the time to answer any questions you might have.

There are many forms of consumer fraud going on nowadays. It is up to you to educate yourself on what is or is not legitimate. Hopefully, our advice will minimize your chances of becoming a victim of the crime of car repair fraud.