Exterior vs. Interior Inventory Photos?

[Carsten]

I'm sure it's extra effort but wouldn't it depend on the model/trim ?

For some reason I look at a lot of 4 Runner listings and lots either try to hide that it's a RWD or just don't know that I'm wanting to see if it's a 4x4.

So, if you have a 4WD it would make lots of sense to make sure that it's in the slider of images.

 

[joe.pistell]

For some reason I look at a lot of 4 Runner listings and lots either try to hide that it's a RWD or just don't know that I'm wanting to see if it's a 4x4.

4WD it would make lots of sense to make sure that it's in the slider of images.

Carsten,
It's an industry wide epidemic... and velocity dealers think the only way to turn iron is to flush profits down the drain.

"Velocity Detox" anyone?

 

[joe.pistell]

Nothing has been more enlightening in my career than becoming a customer.

After reading this thread, I decided to make a change of order to pics on a few vehicles to see what happens. I'm trying to track VDPs on the ones that I changed. Maybe that'll be in vain, but it's worth a shot.

Richie, I totally get your game plan, you want to experiment and you want data to validate. I am not a data scientist, but beware the ultra-small data set.

I reviewed some Google Analytics events data, where they were tracking the percentage of shoppers that made it to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. photo, in a 24-photo carousel, and as expected it was a bell-shaped curve, with the top of the bell being photo #8-10.

Richie, George Nenni has the large dataset you desire. George is an UNBIASED authentic GA4 analyst that has hundreds of dealers and he sees enormous amounts of data.

SUMMARY: Merchandising is like being a fisherman. George Nenni data shows the majority of your VDP viewers will see pics 1-10, then click back to the SRP (if you're lucky!). Remember, the average time spent shopping on your site, 2-4 mins is not a long time. You need to set that VDP hook fast! Don't pollute the VDP with DEALER FLUFF, sell the unique benefits for that VIN!

p.s. You have thousands of unique car shoppers on your SRP/VPS each month and your store closes less that 2% of all of them. Be like Alex Snyder, pick a new ride and go car shopping with a serious vigor.

 

[carmudgeon]

Your photo order should emulate the walk around, your salesman offers to the customer on the lot. The customer will be walked around the car as the salesman draws attention (zooms in) to value-added features as they walk around the car.

First shoot the 3/4 hero shot. Second, scan the 3/4 shot for value added features. Shoot a closeup of wheels, trim levels, running boards anything of value, visible in the first shot. The 3/4 shot offers context. Zoom in with your camera, the same way as salesman would draw attention… in, to shoot closeups of the features of the car. Shoot a wide landscape shot and then a series of closeups.

Reposition and shoot the wide landscape head-on exterior shot, then zoom in and shoot a close-up of anything of value visible in the head-on shot. Air dams, headlights, tow hooks etc.

Shoot one wide to get context, zoom in to get value. This is precisely the dance between shopper and salesman that occurs on the lot that has proven to be effective, on the lot.

With few exception shoppers are going to be more reluctant than the salesman. A salesman’s gonna make commission for the sale and a shopper is going to spend $60,000.

The shopper naturally sees the car from a distance. The salesman draws their attention in. A shopper will see wide, a salesman will zoom in close to show value. Your photo order should be a balance of the two throughout your photo walk around. Information in context of the walk around, modeled after the experience of being there.

Every once in a while, I have the pleasure of meeting a shopper that flew some great distance to buy a truck from one of my dealerships. And the most common comment I get is “I felt like I was right there.”

And that’s what you want.

 

[Carsten]

I'm sold!

This was a very convincing point.