Can you create car listings that help you sell your car better? What should be added to grab the attention of potential buyers?
Most car ads look exactly the same, which is both good and bad. It’s good because buyers can see information in the same place on different ads and compare them side by side without searching for similar information. The bad part of ads being similar is that some won’t stand out in a sea of other car ads that look exactly the same.
You’ll still need some of the same information for your car listing as other dealers and sellers, but there are some great ways to make the best ads for the vehicles you want to sell.
Start with the photos
The person who will buy your car will likely start showing interest because they like what they see in your car’s pictures. It’s important to put your best foot forward, and part of that is taking pictures of your vehicle that stand out and draw interest in the ad. This video from Autotrader can help you take the best photos at the right angles.
Review other car ads to gain some insight
If its your first time trying to sell a car, the task can be daunting. Check out other car listings to ensure you’ve got a handle on how to effectively write your listing so that you car will sell quickly. This step works well whether you’re a private seller trying to sell one vehicle, a new dealership working to get established, or an established dealership looking for ways to improve listings to attract more buyers.
Use selling points
What are consumers looking for in the vehicle you have for sale? If it’s a car you own, think about what made you choose it. If it’s on your dealership lot, review a few other ads for similar vehicles and find the common items listed as selling points, such as ride quality, tech-rich interior, efficient powertrain, safety features, etc. These selling points should be listed as bullet points to help potential customers see them in a list form that makes it easy for them to understand and digest.
Why are you selling the car?
This question is typically only asked of private sellers, but it can be an important question to answer. The reason you’re selling the car could be a great way to begin your car listings to help you sell it more quickly. If you have several reasons for selling, make a few different listings and see which reason gains the most attention from shoppers. Dealerships don’t usually face this question because they are in the business of selling cars, but private sellers hear this question often.
Disclosures are important
Every pre-owned car comes with a few items that the next owner will need to deal with. If you’ve done a good job of keeping up with the regularly scheduled maintenance for your vehicle, you should put that in your car listings. It’s also important to disclose issues that might need to be fixed if someone buys your car. There’s no point in being evasive; be honest and transparent so that people will want to work with you. Most buyers prefer honesty and might buy a car with a few issues they know about.
Check your car listing for grammar
When you write your car listings, they need to be professional, somewhat conversational, and properly formatted. Don’t use capitalization for an entire sentence or even entire words. This makes it sound like you’re yelling at people with your ad, and it becomes hard to read. Using slang is also a bad idea because some people might not understand the slang. This is another area where reviewing professional car listings can come in handy for your listing as well.
Get into the miscellaneous details
The value of your car is based on its factory build, but you might have added some modifications that should be mentioned. Some changes can be seen in the photos that you share, but others might not be quite so obvious. It’s good to mention these changes, but keep in mind that most modifications won’t increase the value of your vehicle to another driver. Of course, some items, such as a new stereo, performance upgrades, or an alarm system, might make your vehicle more enticing to some buyers.
These are just a few of the effective tips you can use when writing car listings that should help you sell your car faster. You can probably think of a few more, but these should get you started.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.