Vehicle descriptions: The good, the bad and the ugly
Vehicle descriptions are becoming increasingly important in an era of digital retailing. Consumers now seek more information about the vehicle and the deal online before ever contacting a retailer. And the truth is, if they don’t find the relevant information on your advert, it’s likely they’ll find it on somebody else’s.
We take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of vehicle descriptions and consider what consumers need to know, what isn’t necessary and what can actually be detrimental to your chances of selling a vehicle.
The good
Writing a good vehicle description is about providing the consumer with all the information they need to commit to a purchase online. But it’s a fine balance between listing the information they need and providing too much information or waffling. Essentially, all they need to know is 5 simple details:
Condition of the vehicle - including bodywork, interior and wheels.
Distinctive features - optional extras or packs (make sure you unpack the packs).
Maintenance - a brief summary of the service history & latest MOT.
What’s included in the deal - e.g. extended warranty, drive away insurance, independent inspection.
Brief summary of how to purchase - e.g. part-ex, finance, reservation, click & collect, home delivery.
The bad
Going into too much detail or repeating information found elsewhere in the advert will leave you with a description that is too long, however well it’s written. This only makes it harder for the consumer to find the key information that they need to qualify the purchase. Here’s 7 snippets of information, commonly found in vehicle descriptions that aren’t necessary.
Repeating details listed in the overview section – transmission, mileage, body and fuel type.
Copying the description from the manufacturer brochure or online reviews – customers aren’t buying out of the catalogue, tell them the current state of the vehicle.
Listing every feature – pick out a few distinct selling points, the full specification is provided after your description, plus the extra features you select in Portal.
Promoting your business and reviews – save this for the ‘about this seller’ section or your Retailer Store. Consumers shop car first, so describe the car, not your business.
Links to your website or contact details – links aren’t clickable within the vehicle description. Consumers can find a link to your website and contact methods in the contact section.
No hidden fees – your policy on admin fees should be updated in Portal, this will be displayed under the price on your advert.
Price – this is automatically included at the end of every description and in a prominent position on the advert.
The ugly
You’d have to go back to the magazine days to uncover the origins for some of the ugly aspects of vehicle descriptions on Auto Trader today. ‘One lady owner’, and acronyms such as FSH are classic examples of terminology that was used to navigate the space limitations of print advertising. In today’s advertising, it simply isn’t necessary and can actually look unprofessional and out of touch in the modern market. Here’s 5 details to leave out when writing a vehicle description if you want to avoid deterring consumers:
One lady owner – 60% of consumers told us that they were against gender specific terms like ‘one lady owner’, based on it being a gender stereotype that women are more careful then men when it comes to looking after a vehicle. It doesn’t have a place in today’s market.
Jargon and acronyms – Are a barrier to consumers understanding key details about the vehicle. And if they don’t understand, it’s likely they’ll move on. All for the sake of typing a few extra words.
Dates referred to as recent events – Adverts age quickly if you refer to a date as being a recent event. Just serviced 05/11/2020 is a perfect example. It tells the customer the car has been in stock more than 3 months, leading to an assumption that something is amiss.
Runs perfectly or everything works as it should – This should be a given and can actually spring doubt into the mind of the consumer. If it’s bargain stock (below £2,000) be upfront about any age-related marks or defects and highlight how this is reflected in the price.
Opening hours – You don’t need to be open for a consumer to browse and communicate with you, listing opening hours in the description can put them off making the initial contact.
What does good look like?
Cedar Specialist Cars were awarded Auto Trader Retailer of the Year in 2020 after winning the Rising Star Award the previous year. A relative newcomer to the market, they’ve refined the art of writing class leading vehicle descriptions. They describe the 5 essential details a customer needs to know, with a blend of how they’re operating in the current pandemic and some assurances about how they hand-pick stock for retail. The result is descriptions full of all the relevant detail, refined to a relatively short paragraph, making it easy to digest for the consumer.