AutoTrader gives you those same 140 characters – Cars.com just 90 characters – to convince someone that of the thousands of cars available in the marketplace, yours is the one they should learn more about.
Of the three listings below – which one best catches your attention?
MINI Certified? 17″ Alloys? Harmon/Kardon Audio? That beats the hell out of “a truly fantastic” and “good looking” car – or that my “…quest for a gently used car is over.”
I can almost hear the shopper now…
“Cut to the chase MINI dealer – Why is this MINI the perfect car for me? What makes it special? I don’t have all day!”
Here’s an example of two descriptions for the same 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop. Take special notice of the first 90 GREEN characters (all you will see in a cars.com SRP) and the first 140 YELLOW characters (all you will see in an Autotrader SRP) and then assuming those short “teasers” entice you to click through to the full description – which description better explains what makes THIS car special, and WHY it’s the perfect car for me?
So here are some best practices when you’re writing those vehicle descriptions:
- Bullet-point key features and options (yes, like this list)
- If not bullet-points – short paragraphs separated by white space.
- Don’t be wordy! Get your points across quickly and concisely.
- Front-load your descriptions –try to fit the car’s best features in a twitter post!
- Standard features can build value. Just because they don’t cost extra doesn’t mean they don’t have value! (think CPO warranties, free maintenance, etc…)
- Add any current programs and incentives at the end of the description as your Call to Action.
And yes — I can hear the groaning already — “Put monthly programs and incentives in the vehicle descriptions?? That means I have to change my descriptions every month!”
Yep. And that’s why it’s called “Selling” and not “Waiting”.