Case Study
Martin Automotive
Indianapolis' family-owned auto shop with an annual car show — and a “Schedule Appointment” button that routes to a staging server
Live right now
The Evidence
The 'Schedule Appointment' button — the most prominent CTA on every service page and in the header — links to z90.515.myftpupload.com/contact/. That's a developer's FTP staging URL left over from when the site was built. It loads nothing useful. Every visitor who clicks to book hits a dead staging domain.
Every customer who tries to book online hits a dead FTP staging URL instead of the shop's contact page.
The Business
Martin Automotive is a family-owned, community-rooted auto repair shop in Indianapolis. They run annual block parties and car shows, brand themselves on personal service and treating customers like family, and offer a full menu of services from oil changes to transmission repair.
By all appearances, they've built real loyalty in their neighborhood — the kind of loyalty that comes from years of honest work and showing up for the community. They have the story and the reputation. Their website doesn't reflect either.
The Problem
Here's what we found when we audited martinautorepairs.com:
The Broken Booking Button
The “Schedule Appointment” button appears in the site's header — on every single page. It's the primary call-to-action for the entire site. And it links to:
z90.515.myftpupload.com/contact/
That's a developer's FTP staging URL — left over from when the site was originally built. It doesn't load Martin Automotive's contact page. It loads nothing useful. Every visitor who clicks the most prominent CTA on the site, from any of the 10+ service pages, bounces off a dead subdomain.
Broken Images Throughout
Multiple service card images fail to load, showing grey SVG placeholders instead of photos. For a shop trying to establish credibility, placeholder boxes where real photos should be send exactly the wrong signal.
Duplicated Services Section
The services grid on the homepage is duplicated back-to-back — the same list appears twice in a row. It looks unfinished, and it is. A site that can't maintain its own homepage doesn't inspire confidence about maintaining a car.
What We'd Build
Pitchcraft built a spec concept for what Martin Automotive could look like. Here's the vision:
A Booking Button That Actually Books
The most important change: every CTA on the site points to a real, working contact and scheduling page. An online appointment request form that captures the vehicle, service needed, and preferred time — and actually sends to Martin Automotive. Not a staging server.
Community Story Front and Center
The Block Party and car show are exactly the kind of community roots that earn loyal customers. A homepage with real photos from those events, a headline about family-owned Indianapolis auto repair, and copy that tells the Martin story — not boilerplate service text.
Clean Services Grid With Real Photos
A single, non-duplicated services section with loaded images and clear descriptions for every service offered. Oil changes, brakes, transmission, diagnostics — each with a direct booking CTA and no grey placeholder boxes.
Google Reviews Feed
A live reviews feed on the homepage that shows real customer feedback in real time. Social proof from the customers who already trust Martin Automotive, working automatically to earn the next one.
Mobile-First Design
A majority of “auto repair near me” searches happen on phones. A click-to-call number above the fold, a mobile-optimized booking form, and a fast-loading design that works whether someone's sitting in a parking lot or at home planning ahead.
Spec Redesign Deliverables
- ✓Rebuilt the homepage with a working “Schedule Appointment” CTA linked to a real booking flow
- ✓Designed a Services page with loaded images and zero duplicate content
- ✓Added an About section highlighting the Block Party and community identity
- ✓Fixed all CTAs to point to live production URLs — no staging domains
The Opportunity
Martin Automotive has built something real: a shop with community events, family ownership, and loyal customers. Their website actively works against all of that. Every time a customer tries to book an appointment online and hits a dead staging server, that's a potential relationship that ends before it starts.
The fix isn't complicated — the URL just needs to point somewhere real. But a full rebuild would let the site finally match the shop: a family business with a community story and 33+ years of Indianapolis roots.
They don't need a rebrand. They need a site that works.
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