These days, very few consumers will visit a dealership without doing some online research first. In fact, studies suggest that the average buyer will spend several hours reading about cars online before ever setting foot on the showroom floor. This presents your dealership with a prime opportunity: If you can make your online vehicle descriptions compelling enough—more compelling than the competition’s—then you can be the one to get that foot traffic in your used car dealership.

The question is, what can used car dealers do in order to make their descriptions more impactful? Here are a few guidelines.

Tell a Story

Many dealers take the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to their vehicle descriptions, essentially mentioning all the data and specs they can but not really telling a story. Yet, that story is important: The most appealing descriptions are the ones that create a narrative, and help the buyer to see how he or she fits within that narrative. By all means, include some data and specs in your descriptions—but also some rich language to connect it all and show the big picture. Tell the story of each vehicle.

Focus on High-Value Options

In keeping with that last point, you can’t always fit every last detail into your description, and certain features may not get mentioned at all. So how do you decide which features to mention, and which to omit? We recommend picking two or three really high-value features and making them the focal point of each description. To do this, go back to your buyer personas, and determine the features that will make the biggest impact on your targeted buyers.

Build Trust

It’s not enough for the buyer to like the car you’re showing them; he or she also needs to feel confidence buying that car from you. There are a number of ways to build consumer confidence through your vehicle descriptions, including third-party validations such as vehicle history information, scoring reports, accolades and awards, crash test ratings, consumer reviews, and more.

Sell Your Dealership

Remember, as you write your descriptions, that you’re not just selling a car; you’re also selling your dealership. Conveying warmth and professionalism are key. It’s also wise to make a note or two about the values unique to your dealership—whether that’s exemplary customer service, one-on-one attention, a reliable service department, or something else altogether. Make sure that, even if the buyer doesn’t like this particular car, he or she wants to learn more about you and your business.

Write Vehicle Descriptions That Get Results

Good online vehicle descriptions can earn buyer trust—and ultimately generate foot traffic in your showroom. Learn more about the most effective ways to market your inventory by reaching out to the experts at Get My Auto today!