Auto Locksmiths launched in 2020 with the stated goal of connecting drivers in the US with automotive locksmiths. From the business side of things, we were curious to know a little more about this new platform, so we interviewed founder Al Lijee to get some more insight on his new project.
HELLO AL LIJEE, WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER! TELL US ABOUT AUTO LOCKSMITHS…
I started Auto Locksmiths in 2020 as an online platform similar in some ways to my previous successful projects such as JunkGator. The idea is that there are many independent automotive locksmiths in the United States, but they often have a hard time with digital marketing.
From a driver’s point of view, the first instinct might be to call AAA if they’re a member or just pay out of pocket if they aren’t. This can be pretty expensive, especially for emergency lockout services in the middle of the night.
I sought to level out the playing field by making it easier for drivers to find genuine automotive locksmiths online. My company does the digital marketing, they do the locksmithing. In the end, customers have better choices while the locksmiths get more quality leads.
WHY WOULD SOMEONE CHOOSE AUTO LOCKSMITHS RATHER THAN JUST CALL AAA?
For a lot of drivers, especially those in urgent need of a locksmith, the first thing they’ll usually do is call their insurance or AAA and ask for help. The problem is, a lot of drivers don’t have vehicle lockout services as a basic part of their insurance policy or they aren’t AAA members, so they’ll be left paying out of pocket. The cost can be very high, and many drivers might not even be aware that there are plenty of locksmiths out there that can provide reliable services at affordable prices.
What we hope to do is to increase the digital presence of independent automotive locksmiths so that when drivers do a Google search for “automotive locksmith near me†they’ll be able to find our member partners and get a free quote from them. This can take away some of the stigma of having to worry about price gouging or dealing with some rogue “locksmith,†especially since we only deal with reputable locksmiths.
WHY SHOULD A CAR LOCKSMITH JOIN AUTO LOCKSMITHS TO BECOME A MEMBER?
Simply put, there’s a lot to gain and little to lose by joining as an Auto Locksmiths member partner. Most independent automotive locksmiths might have at most a simple landing page or a social media profile, which is a lot better than nothing mind you, but chances are they aren’t very well optimized for SEO and they might be buried in the 3rd or 4th page of Google, for example.
We don’t charge a commission for leads and instead work by charging a flat nominal fee every month to our members. They can cancel at anytimetoo, if they think it just isn’t working out for them.
Our members all receive a bespoke profile page from our team of writers, showcasing their business profile, business hours, services, and so on. Since we continuously leverage our digital marketing expertise through PPC advertising and by driving organic traffic to the site, our member partners benefit too by getting more leads from drivers in their ZIP code.
WHAT ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS? WHAT DO THEY GET OUT OF USING AUTO LOCKSMITHS?
Customers have a lot to gain as well by using Auto Locksmiths. First of all, the website is completely free to use and there’s no need to register or sign in or anything like that. We’ve intentionally made the website similar to our other websites like JunkGator – simple and straightforward with a clean user experience.
All the customer needs to do is click on “GET QUOTES†and enter their ZIP code to find nearby automotive locksmiths. They can read through their profiles if they want, or if they’re in a hurry, they can just give them a call and ask for a free quote before doing business with them.
Drivers across the United States can use Auto Locksmiths for a variety of services, including car key replacement, emergency vehicle lockout services, key fob replacement, car key extraction, and more.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR AUTO LOCKSMITHS?
We’re hoping to gradually build up an extensive network of members so that customers can have greater choice when it comes to finding a quality car locksmith. If you’re an independent automotive locksmith operating in the United States, we welcome you to apply to join as a member.