Industry News
The art of photographing
your car so that it will sell
Driving around from dealer to dealer looking for the right car and the right price has become a
thing of the past, with increasing numbers of South Africans turning to online platforms to do
their new and used vehicle shopping. Which is why both private sellers and dealerships need to
learn the tricks of the trade to keep their inventory moving. As the Internet is a visual medium,
photography may be one of the most important elements of ensuring that your vehicle sells via
online classifieds.
“The long and short of it is”
says Jeff Osborne, of Gumtree
Automotive. “The better the
quality of the picture and
the content of the ad, the
less unsure your buyer will
feel.” The online shopper will
typically see an initial screen
with a single rectangular
picture and a summary of
information relevant to their
search, such as the vehicle’s
make, mileage and price.
Because that picture is the
largest, it has the greatest
immediate impact. “Select a
¾ driver or passenger side
front that fills the frame,
displaying the nomenclature
of the vehicle brand, and
subtle display details such as
the wheel design and number
of doors,” Osborne advises.
The vehicle doesn’t have to be
perfect, but your pictures should
demonstrate the true condition
of the vehicle. If mentioning
scratches, rust or damage,
include a picture so that the
buyer can judge the extent of the
problem.”
Osborne also advises sellers
to put their best foot forward
before taking pictures. “Make
sure to have the car cleaned
before photographing, and
ensure that you have all the
relevant documentation on hand
– including the service history,
manual and proof of ownership.”
Osborne also says that
serious buyers will sometimes
request even more
photographs, particularly
if they reside in a different part of the
country and have to travel to collect the
car. It’s a good idea to take a seque nce
of pictures highlighting various aspects of
the vehicle:
•
•
The front, including a straight front
shot of the vehicle, a straight shot
with the hood open, front license
plate holder
The sides, including a shot of the
¾ drivers side front, ¾ drivers side
rear, full driver’s side and close ups
of the lights of the driver side front,
tire and lights of the driver side rear
The car should be parked in
a clean lot or next to a blank
wall before taking pictures, and
dealerships may benefit from
including a consistent background
or logo, says Osborne.
•
•
Interior shots, with the front driver’s
side door open, the front driver’s side
seating area, and the front seating
area (shot from the rear), as well as
close ups of the steering wheel area,
the control panel, the instrumentation
and gauges and the gear shift.
A photograph of the odometer clearly
displaying the mileage the car has
accumulated.
“Take pride and time in picture taking,”
says Osborne. “Photographs are the
foundation of your listing and should be of
a good quality.
| words in action
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may 2014
He also advises sellers to use
as much detail as possible,
including the colour, engine size,
and body style and other phrases that
buyers might use to search for their
ideal vehicle. “Dealerships should also
include added benefits they may offer,
such as vehicle financing, to sweeten
the deal,” he says. “Avoid using multiple
punctuation marks such as exclamation
points (!!!) or terms such as “must see”
or “wow” because they may confuse the
search engine. Using key words and not
full sentences in the title such as “1996
Mercedes-Benz 230E sedan with RWC
one previous owner” is also likely to
result in a better click-through rate.”