Exterior vs. Interior Inventory Photos?

[Carsten]

Personally, I think these overlays that you are using do help make the vehicles that are using them on stand out compared to others that don't. I don't always agree on some of the esthetics but can't we have opinions?

So, I don't know why you feel attacked by my questions.

 

[kylewilliam]

Dealers tend to prioritize exterior photos because the outside appearance is often the first thing that attracts buyers. It creates that initial “wow” factor. A clean, well-maintained exterior can grab attention quickly. However, interior photos are just as important since they reveal the vehicle’s condition, features, and comfort, which are key to making a final decision. Buyers like you often want to get straight to the interior to assess things like seat condition, dashboard, and tech features. Ideally, dealers should balance both by showcasing the exterior first to catch interest and then provide plenty of clear interior shots for serious buyers to evaluate the vehicle fully. So while exterior photos draw people in, interior photos help close the deal. If you want inspiration on how dealers present their photos, you might want to contact Pinterest for some visual ideas.

 

[carmudgeon]

Dealers tend to prioritize exterior photos because the outside appearance is often the first thing that attracts buyers. It creates that initial “wow” factor. A clean, well-maintained exterior can grab attention quickly. However, interior photos are just as important since they reveal the vehicle’s condition, features, and comfort, which are key to making a final decision. Buyers like you often want to get straight to the interior to assess things like seat condition, dashboard, and tech features. Ideally, dealers should balance both by showcasing the exterior first to catch interest and then provide plenty of clear interior shots for serious buyers to evaluate the vehicle fully. So while exterior photos draw people in, interior photos help close the deal. If you want inspiration on how dealers present their photos, you might want to contact Pinterest for some visual ideas.

 

[carmudgeon]

Manufacturers invest the most in determining what car buyers want. Since the advent of the smart phone, car stereos have changed the most. Manufacturers find out that car buyers want navigation, back up cams, Alexa, Spotify, auto parking systems, phone, and Bluetooth connectivity, etc.

Manufacturers have gone to the greatest extent to determine what is valuable to a customer and then they build cars to satisfy their customer. It’s important to take pictures of everything. They built even if it’s not in the book. Especially if it’s not in the book.

The modern car has become less and less like a car and more and more like an elevator. Where it’s a driver can press the button and the car could do all the work. Before long, our expressways will be full of cars that resemble the womb while its former driver is in the fetal position on their smartphone.

Engines are an afterthought. It has become pointless to pop the hood because those that know what they’re looking at aren’t impressed. I know that don’t are intimidated.

After 2008 I would spend my weekends under the gazebo at a Toyota dealership next to my house and I would watch as the veteran salesman would guide a customer into the driver seat. We would never take the customer on a nice slow, walk all the way around the car.

Before the sales meeting was out, customers would walk around cars in the same fashion most dealerships take their pictures in.

The order your photos should mimic the experience of being shown in a car by a veteran salesman rather than mimicking the experience of being left alone before the sales meeting was out.

Hero shot, and immediately start selling the car close ups of wheels, trim levels, running boards, tow, packages, badges, etc. and anything listed in a price book and then immediately to the interior features listed in a price book. Your photo should mimic the index finger of your salesman. Point out the value with every picture.

 

[carmudgeon]

About 10 years ago or so, I remember a dealer talking at Digital Dealer about how they were leading with an interior photo on the SRP. While it looks abnormal, it was generating more click throughs because it was abnormal. That seemed to make some logical sense... all the images of the exterior and then you see something different -- perhaps a consumer might click on it because it is indeed "different".

Otherwise, it makes sense to do exterior and then interior and then back again.

 

[carmudgeon]

That’s a common motivation for a lot of different approaches regarding the first photo. I was at a conference when the franchise next to me took a phone call and he told me one of his dealerships was intentionally taking pictures of the passenger side of the vehicle just to do what’s opposite of what most dealerships were doing at the time. The following year, I asked him how it went and he said it did real good until half of the dealerships in his area followed his example and then it didn’t matter which side of the car they took first. At that point it lost all advantage.