Research conducted among our readership indicates that only about half of you have a shop website.

For those of you who haven’t unleashed the power of the Internet as a shop tool, what are you waiting for? You already know that it’s an easy, fast way to find the information and answers you need to help you do your job, but it also can be an ideal conduit to connect with customers and prospects. And, it allows them to come to you when it’s convenient for them, and as often as they’d like.

With the goal of providing you with ideas to create a content-rich, effective, user-friendly website, Babcox Research asked a sample of shop owner readers for their input on the topic. Some of those responses are listed below.

10 “Must-have” Features of a Shop Website

1. Service specialties. Use the web as a “billboard” to advertise the repairs offered by your shop, highlighting those services in which you specialize.

2. Ability to make appointments. Customers with busy schedules can log onto your website after hours to quickly, easily and conveniently schedule a repair.

3. Photos of shop/staff. A picture is worth a thousand words, and, in this case, they can be the de...