My wife and I are in the process of replacing three vehicles. We hunted down 1 used one and 1 new one, and I'm still searching for my used unicorn.
New cars are easy, especially the brands that auto-generate photos because you can easily figure out what equipment something has. Unfortunately, no dealer website does a good job of getting the specs right. This isn't fully a dealership issue—this is more of a website company display issue. Dealership websites have been the best place to shop for new cars.
Used cars are a different beast. As the average vehicle on the road is now 12.6 years old (S&P just released this new milestone), and dealers are carrying more 100,000 mile vehicles, the game is a little more involved. Here are some tips for things that worked on my wife and me.
Photos, photos, photos! +no rust
There are lots of cars on places like Autotrader where they only show 6 exterior images. Gonna say, that's a pass for me. Interior shots are crucial. But what's gotten more important is the undercarriage. Some dealers are putting cars on the lift and taking a few photos to show there is no rust on a vehicle. When I see that, I get super excited! This is a place I feel like I can trust.
Interior equipment shots do not need to include every screen in the infotainment system. Take a picture of the dash, one of the full front seat with the car on, and one that highlights heated/cooled seats or any added option. A photo showing the wear on the steering wheel and drivers seat is important too. If a SUV has a third row, be sure to get that photo.
Comments
Adding some comments about the specific vehicle help to assure me. Most comments talk about how long a dealership has been in business and ratings or just puke the vehicle specs. That's a waste of my reading time. Mention how low the miles are for the year, what the previous owner was like if you know, was it a trade, how immaculate the paint is for the year of the car, minimal rust for the year, and if it is an on-brand used car for your store what makes this model so cool. Tell a story about that specific car. Compared to the garbage out there, it wouldn't take much.
Pricing
Price reductions draw attention. Even if you're reducing the price $100 every week, that's going to put a badge on an Autotrader ad that draws attention. Think of strategizing the notifications on CarGurus, CARS, and Autotrader. Price reductions = impressions.
Financing
Independent dealers are really good at letting customers know they can help attain financing. You can too! Put it in your comments. "We help our customers with financing options for all types of credit. We accept checks from your credit union and personal ones. Downpayments help, but are not always necessary." Something like that is plenty.
People are fucking stupid!

What I see all over Autotrader, CARS, and CarGurus, AND more so your dealership website are signs that you think your customers know a few things about the car business and your process. They don't! If you build your website and look at your merchandising like a 19-year-old who just got his first job and is buying a car for the first time, you'll provide a better experience. The customer you're talking to in the showroom is not the customer browsing online.
I had to become a consumer to understand just how bad of a merchandiser I was as a dealer.
New cars are easy, especially the brands that auto-generate photos because you can easily figure out what equipment something has. Unfortunately, no dealer website does a good job of getting the specs right. This isn't fully a dealership issue—this is more of a website company display issue. Dealership websites have been the best place to shop for new cars.
Used cars are a different beast. As the average vehicle on the road is now 12.6 years old (S&P just released this new milestone), and dealers are carrying more 100,000 mile vehicles, the game is a little more involved. Here are some tips for things that worked on my wife and me.
Photos, photos, photos! +no rust
There are lots of cars on places like Autotrader where they only show 6 exterior images. Gonna say, that's a pass for me. Interior shots are crucial. But what's gotten more important is the undercarriage. Some dealers are putting cars on the lift and taking a few photos to show there is no rust on a vehicle. When I see that, I get super excited! This is a place I feel like I can trust.
Interior equipment shots do not need to include every screen in the infotainment system. Take a picture of the dash, one of the full front seat with the car on, and one that highlights heated/cooled seats or any added option. A photo showing the wear on the steering wheel and drivers seat is important too. If a SUV has a third row, be sure to get that photo.
Comments
Adding some comments about the specific vehicle help to assure me. Most comments talk about how long a dealership has been in business and ratings or just puke the vehicle specs. That's a waste of my reading time. Mention how low the miles are for the year, what the previous owner was like if you know, was it a trade, how immaculate the paint is for the year of the car, minimal rust for the year, and if it is an on-brand used car for your store what makes this model so cool. Tell a story about that specific car. Compared to the garbage out there, it wouldn't take much.
Pricing
Price reductions draw attention. Even if you're reducing the price $100 every week, that's going to put a badge on an Autotrader ad that draws attention. Think of strategizing the notifications on CarGurus, CARS, and Autotrader. Price reductions = impressions.
Financing
Independent dealers are really good at letting customers know they can help attain financing. You can too! Put it in your comments. "We help our customers with financing options for all types of credit. We accept checks from your credit union and personal ones. Downpayments help, but are not always necessary." Something like that is plenty.
People are fucking stupid!

What I see all over Autotrader, CARS, and CarGurus, AND more so your dealership website are signs that you think your customers know a few things about the car business and your process. They don't! If you build your website and look at your merchandising like a 19-year-old who just got his first job and is buying a car for the first time, you'll provide a better experience. The customer you're talking to in the showroom is not the customer browsing online.
I had to become a consumer to understand just how bad of a merchandiser I was as a dealer.