What an auto detailer website needs: pages, words and photos

An auto detailer's website is mostly a showroom. Car owners book a detail because they saw a photo that made them want their own car to look like that, and then checked that you were close by, priced sensibly and easy to book. So the site needs fewer words than most trades and much better pictures: a clear home page, your services and packages, a gallery, reviews, a short about page, and a simple way to book or ask a question.

Who is looking, and what they want to see

Detailing customers come in a few kinds, and your site should speak to each without a separate page for every one:

The everyday driver whose car is a mess after kids, dogs or a winter. They want it clean inside, fast, at a fair price.
The car enthusiast who wants paint correction or a ceramic coating and will ask what products and steps you use.
The seller who wants a car looking its best before a trade-in or private sale.
The lease return that needs to pass inspection.
The fleet or dealer account, if you do commercial work.

What all of them check first is the same: what it will look like when you're done, whether you're nearby, and what it will roughly cost. Put those three answers at the top.

The home page

The first screen needs a headline that says what you do and where ("Auto detailing in Tulsa, at our shop or your driveway"), a striking photo of a car you detailed, your phone number as a link that dials, and a button to book.

Underneath:

Three or four cards for your main services, each with a photo and one sentence.
A short row of before-and-after shots.
Two or three reviews from real customers, with first names.
Your hours and location, or the area you travel to.

That is all. A detailing home page that tries to explain clay bars and polishing compounds loses the everyday driver in the first few lines.

Services and packages

This is the page people study. Keep it simple enough to compare at a glance:

Interior detail: vacuuming, shampooing seats and carpet, cleaning vents, dash and door panels, glass.
Exterior detail: hand wash, wheels and tires, clay treatment, wax or sealant.
Full detail: both.
Paint correction: removing swirls and light scratches by machine polishing, in one or more stages.
Ceramic coating: a hard, long-lasting protective layer on the paint. Say honestly what it does and does not do: it makes washing easier and protects the shine, but it does not make the car scratch-proof.
Extras: pet hair removal, odor treatment, headlight restoration, engine bay cleaning, seat stain removal.

For each, say what is included, how long it usually takes, and whether price depends on vehicle size (car, SUV, truck, van). If you want to go deeper on naming packages and pricing add-ons, especially if you travel to customers, see mobile detailing packages and add-ons.

Show prices if you can, even as "starting at" figures per vehicle size. Detailing customers compare, and a site without any number sends them to the one that has them. If an extremely dirty car costs more, say so on the page so nobody is surprised.

The gallery: where detail sites win or lose

A good gallery does more selling than any other page. A bad one (blurry, dark, all from the same angle) makes your work look ordinary even when it isn't.

How to shoot your own work so it looks as good in the photo as in person:

Shoot outside in open shade or on an overcast day. Direct midday sun hides swirl removal and makes reflections blow out.
Get the reflection shot. A clear reflection of a tree or building in a polished hood shows paint correction better than any words.
Before and after from the same angle. Stand in the same place for both. A stained seat, then the same seat clean.
Interior close-ups: cup holders, floor mats, door pockets, the spots people are embarrassed about.
One wide shot of the whole car at a three-quarter angle, the classic dealership view.
Caption it. "2017 Honda Odyssey, interior full detail, dog hair and juice stains" tells a mom with a minivan this is exactly what she needs.

Keep license plates out of the photos or blur them, and ask owners before you post an obviously recognizable car. How to take good photos with a phone covers lighting and framing in more depth.

About page and trust

A short about page with your name, a photo of you working, how you got into detailing, and whether you're insured. If you are certified by a coating brand, name the brand and say what the certification means for the customer, usually access to their professional product and its warranty.

If you work at a shop, show the shop. If you're mobile, show your van or trailer setup. Both tell the visitor that you're a real business with real equipment.

What to leave out

Product brand walls. A grid of fifteen chemical logos means nothing to most customers. Mention a brand only when a customer would care, like a ceramic coating with a warranty.
Over-promises about coatings. "Protects for life" or "never wash your car again" will come back to you in a review. Say what the coating maker says.
Prices with hidden conditions. If pet hair or heavy stains cost more, put it on the services page, not in a surprise at pickup.
Generic stock photos of exotic cars you never touched. Customers can tell, and it makes your real work look smaller.

Booking and contact

Most detailing customers book from a phone, often in the evening. Make the path short:

Tap-to-call and text. Many people would rather send a photo of their back seat than describe it.
Online booking works well for detailing, because jobs have set lengths. Show the real slots, let people pick a service and a vehicle size, and ask only for name, phone, vehicle and anything special. Adding online booking covers the choices.
A quote form for paint correction and coatings, where you need to see the car first. Ask for a few photos.
Location or service area, hours and how far ahead people usually need to book.
Deposit and cancellation terms, if you take them, stated plainly near the booking button.

What to do this week

Replace any stock car photos with your own, shot in shade.
Make sure every service lists what's included and the vehicle sizes.
Put at least one price or "starting at" figure on the services page.
Test your booking from your own phone, from the first screen to the confirmation.
Ask your last five customers for a review that mentions the car and the service.

If your current website has your services and photos but looks dated on phones, you can see your site rebuilt first and decide once you've seen it.