Meet Your Car
Serious question: what is a car?
There was a time when it was easy to provide an answer, but no more. Vehicles are now supercomputers, integrated directly with our devices and providing on-the-go services ranging from in-car entertainment to self-reported diagnostics. As vehicles become more complicated, dealers are continuing to redefine the concept of “product” as it relates to The 4Ps of Automotive Marketing: product, price, place, and person.
With automobiles becoming one of the most complicated and important purchases of a person’s life, dealerships are relying on their digital vehicle detail pages (VDPs) to tell the full story of their vehicles. VDPs free dealerships from the constraints of a 30-second voiceover or column inches. Advertisers can ensure that their seller notes and feature listings paint the story of how each trim and style level differs, along with what aftermarket additions make the vehicle unique. Additionally, consumers want to learn more about the product – from you and from each other. Our own research shows that about eight out of 10 shoppers rely on online reviews to purchase a car.[1]
The digital VDP is a competitive asset that drives customers to the lot. But like all assets, it requires care and feeding to bear fruit. In the age of Instagram and YouTube, your VDP needs to feature striking visuals (not boring stock photos) and video. Make sure the unique features of the car, whether they be a lift kit or chrome finish handles, appear early enough in the photo order to be featured in a stitch video. Impactful photos paired with well-written content that sells the vehicle — instead of listing features like a catalog — can really make the difference
The recently published Cars.com Guide to The 4Ps of Automotive Marketing provides even more insight into how dealers should rethink their notion of the very product you sell, including the role that the VDP plays. Download your copy now for more best practices!
[1] Cars.com, Review Usefulness and Recency, November 2016
