Over the years, working with youpaidwhat and analysing the data I’ve learnt what works and what doesn’t for conversions on vehicle inventory websites. The following are clues or insights to help you differentiate your vehicles and dealership. I have 4 topics I want to talk about in this post which are important points to increasing your online leads.
Make Model data
Some of you are putting extra terms in the model field. For example a Mustang Convertible GT becomes “Mustang Super clean GT Leather V8 PWR everything”. I know the goal is to differentiate the vehicle from the rest of the herd. But this also causes clutter in listing tables for some websites making the user experience less than desirable. In the end, these can cause more harm than good. I’ll provide you with some ideas on differentiation.
Photos
People looking at a vehicle from their office or home will want to see every angle and every detail. I’ve seen some cases with over 20 photos but no pictures of the engine bay. For those with classic cars on their lot, the classic car buyer will want to see the under-carriage as well since these buyers are usually well informed and know the problem areas of the vehicles they are buying. The photos will tell the story and let the user know if he or she wants to learn more about the car.
Differentiation with main image
To stand out with your listing, I suggest a good index photo (that’s the first image displayed on websites and used in the listing tables). If the car’s main feature is leather seating, maybe you want to add a banner on the image that reads “leather – mint”…If you have more photo editing skills, maybe splice two images together. Keep in mind that the image must be easily seen as a thumbnail. Your message can become very unclear, very fast. Focus on the main selling feature to grab that user’s attention and get them to click on the car. Keep it clean, simple and focused, see samples below:
Writing a description that works for you
I’ve read lots of vehicle descriptions working at youpaidwhat and some are very creative, which is great but let’s put this creativity to use and help increase web conversions. One that stood out for me was for a convertible. The first line read something like “Summer is almost here, experience the fun and joy of owning a convertible, see yourself driving into the sunset with the wind in your hair”. I’d like to point out a few things about the web user.
80% of users already know what type of car they want before landing on an inventory website. You won’t need to sell them the idea of owning a convertible, a sedan, a station wagon, or a truck, etc. Once they make it to the description or vehicle detail page, they want to know the condition of the car, the price, and what you can do to help them get into the driver’s seat.
The first line is critical. Let’s talk about the KEY selling points here, shortened into one line if possible. The same convertible would read: “This car is in great condition packed with options such as leather and power group even has optional rear glass. Well maintained and mechanics in impeccable shape”.
Now onto the pricing and what you can do for the user: “If you look around, the average price for similar cars in this condition is $34,000 – we are asking only $31,000. We offer 2nd and 3rd chance financing, in house financing is available”. For the next levels of the description I suggest warranty information and a short background or history about your dealership and why someone should buy from you. This is especially important when your inventory is displayed on sites such as youpaidwhat.
Ok this wraps up my little how-to on your inventory uploads. I hope it will serve you well. I look forward to your comments.
Good point Steve! I’ll try and make some better descriptions like you suggest… thanks for the tips