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Used Car Photos Discussion

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eddyshaf

eddyshaf

Hat Trick
Jun 12, 2009
91
27
First Name
Edward
#1
The issue of posting inventory that is still in recon and not front line ready for photos online with a "Photos Coming Soon" image has recently reared its ugly head again.

The argument is that having any vehicles online without actual photos is counter productive in terms of click through metrics which measure engagement and in terms of the overall client experience with out inventory online.

Does anyone have data which indicates that vehicles without photos are detrimental in either case? Any industry studies out there making the argument one way or another?

Thanks -

Ed Shaffer
Park Place Dealerships - DFW
 
#5
I don't have hard numbers, but I do have the wisdom of my late grandfather, Col. James Wallace Leverette:

You can't catch a possum with your dogs tied.

Unless you've got a good reason (some legal reason, total piece of junk, in transit, etc.), why not put what you've got out there? If you've got the only electric blue Saab 9-3 convertible for 200 miles, odds are they're still going to contact you...but only if they know the car exists.
 
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#6
From my experience - get it out there.

I can't personally stand looking at my dealers websites with no images of vehicles, it drives me crazy. And I have been back and forth with this - not feeding vehicles until there was a photo to sending as soon as they hit the DMS.

Sending without photos muddys up the reports a little and isn't as eye appealing (to me) but too often I see leads, I hear call and I wittiness people coming in on a vehicle that has little data and no photos.

Note: 2001 Audi Quattro Wagon - no photos = phone calls (no matter the price)
2009 Honda Civic - no photos - no likely

Point is - depends on the market supply to demand.

Something you could test, I thought about doing this but not sure if there would be a reason to it other than my own personal reasons... exclude vehicles with no photo from your dealer website but allow these vehicles to feed to the listing sites.

OR take advantage of the No Photo slot and have something like the following.

"Photos coming soon - Call XXXX or email XXXX to expedite vehicle photos"
 
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#7
Is there any feeling like having a half-prepared ad is going to spark the interest but since there's not full details the customer may "come back to it" or call later, or basically not call immediately and ultimately move on to find another vehicle.

Unless there is definitive data that says do it or don't do it, I would say there is no right answer to this. Multiple arguments either way. I like to put it for sale only after it has pictures of the actual vehicle. Online shoppers love their pictures.
 
#8
I don't see the harm in getting them out as soon as possible, even if no pics yet.

What are you worried about? Is the customer going to get "Mad" at you or insulted and not consider your car and dealership because the photos aren't there yet? Like, "Hey -- those are the jerks that didn't have pictures on this unit yesterday, I hate them!" LOL

Sure, you're going to get passed-over for VDP clicks -- but maybe not by everybody, right? Someone may still take a look, or better yet, make a note to check-back tomorrow to see if the pictures are there.

How many VDP clicks do you get when you don't export your inventory?

Seems to me that logic says that the sooner your vehicle gets out there, the more consideration it will receive.
 
#9
A vehicle comes to market when it has a price, description and picture. A low 'days to market' sells cars. We have to depend on others to get this done and some have very little sense of urgency.

Like Jeff, I take pride in my website. Some of us will continue to beat that horse (no pictures) while pissing off a host of managers. Nothing clears the mind like a lack of alternatives.
 
#10
JQuinn said:
I don't see the harm in getting them out as soon as possible, even if no pics yet.

What are you worried about? Is the customer going to get "Mad" at you or insulted and not consider your car and dealership because the photos aren't there yet? Like, "Hey -- those are the jerks that didn't have pictures on this unit yesterday, I hate them!" LOL

Sure, you're going to get passed-over for VDP clicks -- but maybe not by everybody, right? Someone may still take a look, or better yet, make a note to check-back tomorrow to see if the pictures are there.

How many VDP clicks do you get when you don't export your inventory?

Seems to me that logic says that the sooner your vehicle gets out there, the more consideration it will receive.
Click to expand...

My school of thought, and one that plays into our philosophy is that we want to present every car with the most complete, thorough, and accurate presentation from the very beginning. That means not posting a car to our website until we have a photo set, description and price.

I'm not worried about customers being upset that a car doesn't have pictures, instead that they will skim past the vehicle since it does not have photos and not come back to it once it does. Essentially missing the opportunity to present the car to its full potential the first time to the buyer.

Car shoppers are stimulated by the pictures/videos and generally skim descriptions. You could have the best description and the customer will blow through it, like your car but not be into it enough to call and they will simply click to the next car that has photos.

I guess my underlying point is that waiting to have it all done at onces presents the vehicle in the best light to EVERY customer the FIRST time.
 
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