if pictures sell cars, then why not NEW cars?

[craigh]

Agreed with all the points you made as well.
However, everyone I speak with is very lead hungry. Even the performance groups up here ask for total # of website leads and total number of sales, but don't ask any of their 20 dealers to correlate the two with meaningful data.

 

[joe.pistell]

I find it interesting that decision makers know a shitty site when they hit one, but, when looking at their own car site, they can't see it thru our shoppers eyes, which leads them to miss the obvious.

 

[joe.pistell]

Agreed with all the points you made as well.
However, everyone I speak with is very lead hungry. Even the performance groups up here ask for total # of website leads and total number of sales, but don't ask any of their 20 dealers to correlate the two with meaningful data.

I feel your pain... it's an industry wide plague.

 

[craigh]

Don't get me started

"Consumers are trained to use this type of layout"
"Right before they leave, just put a popup offering them $500 off"
"If you're not getting enough leads, make the button bigger and make it red, like the Staples easy button"

My favourite clients are the ones that look at their own inventory and in-house processes before calling to complain about their website.

 

[joe.pistell]

Yes, I do outside photos only because usually that suffices and looks way better than a stock photo. The reason we started doing it is for the same reason you mentioned...none of our competitors shoot photos of their new cars so I think it makes our inventory stand out on vehicle search pages.

Ricky,

Back in the day, I use to track which thumbnail photos got clicked most often. Interior photos got 2x more clicks than exterior.

I know its a PIA to shag keys to get the insides photo'd.

Idea #1). Consider picking the 10 most expensive Fords and shoot the interiors of them. http://www.caseyjacksonford.com/new-inventory/index.htm?sortBy=internetPrice desc&

Idea #2). I see your strong in F150s. Look at them from the interior point of view and look to see if you have any dupes (i.e. shoot it once and upload it to multiple f150s)


HTH
Joe

 

[DuffyL]

Here at Arrowhead Cadillac in Peoria, Az we photograph every vehicle on the lot in the photobooth. New, used and even vehicles going to auction. 20-40 cars per day. Exterior and interior 40-80 pictures per vehicle depending on the model.

 

[yagoparamo]

The traditional argument for not taking pics of new cars is that "a new car is a new car", cars are identical between same match models. Dealers fall dangerously for this because at that point you are just: A delivery service (and delivery services are cheap). Showcase your product like it is the best in the world and the last one you can get of its kind and you will make more money.

The major factor in reality has been cost (whether it is money paid to a 3rd company, in house operations, etc).

Nowadays reality for all items sold on the internet (from a $1 book to a $5M home) is that the item with the most information available for the customers research tends to create the most numbers of actions (interest).


(Cost per unit) X (#units) < extra profits generated

 

[Chris Cachor]

I think it makes our inventory stand out on vehicle search pages

It does by a mile. I think a lot of people start their car shopping on big classified sites (Cars.com, AT, etc) - at least most people I talk to start there. I filter by new vehicles with photos only, so dealers not taking photos of their new cars aren't even coming up in the search results. I've seen some of the fees these sites charge, so not having photos to me is throwing money out the window.

 

[joe.pistell]

There are many shoppers that prefer to look at pictures rather than read oceans of text to see what the car has.

 

[joe.pistell]

Consider this:

When you compare shoppers that want pics and dealers that don't take new car pics, THEN, add in Craig's client observations ("gimme more leads dammit!), understanding the battle field gets a little clearer.

From a dealer's P.O.V., Internet Car shoppers are tire kickers until they submit a lead. Logically, our Dealer concludes: "Internet = Leads".

If a decision maker at a dealership ran a survey at delivery, they'd be amazed at what shoppers are SILENTLY doing before they buy. http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/threads/survey-at-delivery-a-road-map-to-your-store.3751/