Car Merchandising Made Easy for Digital World

The Automotive Market is Growing. Is Your Car Inventory To?

Car merchandising is crucial for every automotive retailer – dealerships, marketplaces, and independent sellers.

In this digital era, Most car shoppers are online, and your merchandising solutions must also be digital. Most buyers spend their time online, researching options and even buying online! The competition is challenging, so you need effective digital merchandising solutions now! This tool contains everything you need for your car auto dealer merchandising. Let’s get started.

How Does Online Car Merchandising Work?

AI-powered new car merchandising software and used car merchandising software utilize the power of artificial intelligence algorithms to make things easier. This tool automates the car merchandising process with a one-click enhancement feature. Here is a step-by-step process on how to edit & enhance your car photos ai for free:

1. 1) Go to Spyne.AI virtual studio
2. 2) Select the car images you want to enhance and click the “transform image” button.
3. 3) After uploading, select the background you want. You can choose a studio for a showroom or an outdoor setting and even mask the car's number plate.
4. 4) After finalizing your options, click the “Process” button & download the image.

To enhance your vehicle inventory and boost sales, you will require this Virtual studio to make things easier and improve your merchandising 8X times.

Types of Vehicle Merchandising

Vehicle Merchandising enhances the visual appeal of vehicles and can be categorized into two primary types: Traditional or Manual In-Person Vehicle Merchandising and Online Automatic Virtual Vehicle Merchandising.

Traditional Vehicle Merchandising

1. 1) Vehicle Presentation: It is essential to keep vehicles clean and well-maintained, ensuring both the interior and exterior are in top condition to attract potential buyers.
2. 2) Informative Stickers: Stickers on windshields that highlight key selling points, such as low mileage, competitive pricing, or notable features (e.g., the Monroney sticker), help convey important information quickly.
3. 3) Physical Car Turntable: Displaying vehicles on rotating platforms captures attention and enhances their visual appeal.

Automatic Online Vehicle Merchandising

1. 1) High-Quality Visuals: Online merchandising relies heavily on high-resolution photos and videos to replicate the in-person experience, making it crucial for attracting online customers.
2. 2) Detailed Vehicle Information: This includes providing access to reports and linking VINs with optional features, which enhances the consumer's understanding of the vehicle's value.
3. 3) Interactive Features: Highlighting interactive car features through video tours helps potential buyers find crucial information directly from their smartphones.
4. 4) 360 Spin: Offering a 360-degree view of the vehicle allows customers to inspect it virtually, providing an immersive experience similar to being physically present at the dealership.

These dealership merchandising strategies combine traditional methods with modern technology to create a comprehensive approach that enhances customer engagement and drives sales.

These types of vehicle merchandising tool for car dealers combine traditional methods with innovative technologies to create a comprehensive strategy that enhances customer engagement and drives sales.

Importance of Digital Vehicle Merchandising

Online vehicle merchandising makes your vehicle listing shine like never before with the right ai car photo editor app. Here, we have listed the top six reasons why vehicle merchandising is essential:

1) Majority of Buyers Compare Cars Online

Studies show that 74% of buyers compare cars online before setting foot in a dealership. This highlights the crucial role of digital merchandising in attracting and engaging potential customers.

2) Incorporate Dynamic Visual Content

Elevate your listings with engaging visual content. Video content is particularly impactful, as 90% of consumers find videos helpful in the decision-making process. Additionally, 360 displays are perceived as extremely or very helpful by 73% of consumers, yet 42% of dealers do not utilize them.

3) Replace Stock Photos with Custom Images

Transparency is key in digital vehicle merchandising. A significant 64% of car buyers want extensive vehicle data and photos. Custom photos outperform stock photos dramatically; a single custom photo generates 166% more vehicle detail page (VDP) views per listing, while multiple custom photos earn 245% more VDPs than multiple stock photos.

4) Utilize Backgrounded Images

Backgrounded images that are clear and easy to digest can boost click conversions from the search results page (SRP) to the VDP by up to 5%. Using photo overlays can also effectively deliver relevant content to shoppers, with dealership branding being particularly effective on third-party websites.

5) Enhance Vehicle Information and Descriptions

As most shopping time is spent online, it is crucial to provide complete and transparent vehicle information to help buyers make faster, more confident decisions. Dealers can build trust by providing access to complete car histories during the online research phase.

6) Improve Customer Engagement and Dealership Reputation

With 80% of consumers using third-party websites for shopping and research, it is essential for dealers to develop an integrated marketing strategy that reaches shoppers where they are online. Featuring listings on third-party websites and leveraging platforms like Facebook Marketplace for used car listings can significantly enhance customer engagement and dealership reputation.

In conclusion, merchandise cars are essential in today's car-buying landscape. By incorporating dynamic visual content, custom images, backgrounded photos, comprehensive vehicle information, and a strong presence on third-party websites, dealers can effectively engage potential customers, build trust, and drive sales.

Benefits of Optimizing Car Merchandising for the Digital World

The benefits of optimizing auto merchandising for the digital world are numerous. Here are some examples:

1. 1) Increase sales: A lot of car buyers rely on the internet for research before buying a car. They jump from one website to another, comparing vehicles, prices, and physical conditions (if buying used cars) to find the right fit. Proper online merchandising would help you capture online audiences and convert them into buyers.
2. 2) Attract more attention to your car listings: With proper product catalog optimization and dealership digital merchandising tools, more and more people will find value in your vehicle listings (and even online ads). This will increase the number of visitors to your website, ultimately leading to more sales.
3. 3) Increase profit margins and build integrity in the market: Stating all the required information about the vehicle in your inventory adds a touch of authenticity to your website. This, in turn, increases the buyers’ trust. Not only that, but proper merchandising also gives your car business an upmarket feel, allowing you to sell your vehicles for better prices.
4. 4) Improved Customer Experience: Automotive digital retailing, or car merchandising, enhances the customer experience, with 60% of buyers now preferring to purchase vehicles online.

Features of Effective Digital Automotive Merchandising

Effective digital automotive merchandising software involves several key features that enhance the buyer's experience and build trust. Here are the essential elements:

1) Transparency

Providing clear information regarding pricing, financing options, and vehicle condition fosters trust between dealerships and potential buyers. It's crucial to openly communicate any extra charges or conditions upfront, ensuring customers are fully informed about their purchases.

2) Trust Building

Showcasing customer testimonials, industry awards, and warranties significantly enhances a dealership's credibility. This social proof reassures buyers about the quality of service and products offered.

3) Engagement

Utilizing interactive media such as 360 spin car view to creates an immersive experience that simulates an in-person visit. This engagement helps potential buyers feel more connected to the vehicles they are considering.

4) Personalization

Successful online retail platforms leverage technology to create personalized shopping experiences based on users' browsing behaviors. By analyzing data related to buyers’ preferences, dealerships can tailor listings to match individual interests in terms of features, budget, and vehicle types, ultimately generating high-quality leads.

5) Visual Information

High-quality images and car videos tours are paramount in digital merchandising. Buyers prefer visual content over lengthy descriptions, as it makes the shopping experience more enjoyable and aids in information retention.

Effective digital automotive merchandising is not just about listing cars online; it requires a strategic approach that emphasizes transparency, trust, engagement, personalization, and visual appeal to truly resonate with potential buyers.

Elements of Successful Online Vehicle Merchandising

1. Images and videos for vehicle merchandising

Online merchandising is nothing without high-quality images and videos. They help display your inventory in an appealing way and improve the viewer experience on your VDP (Vehicle Display Page), thus increasing lead generation. Engagement is the key, and using interactive media like 3D shots and adding panoramic views will give an in-person experience. Impactful car images and videos are also essential to build trust between the buyer and seller. A good quality visual catalog instantly builds the seller’s authority, whereas cluttered, unprofessional images or stock images can make a retailer seem unreliable.

2. Vehicle Description

Focusing too much on the visual information in the catalog does not mean that there is absolutely no need for a written description. Along with visual information, illustrate the car’s condition, features, warranty, ownership background (for used cars), pricing, and all other necessary information in a written format. The fact that transparency can build customer trust, therefore, should never be ignored. Written descriptions are essential to optimize your VDP for search engines. Make a list of relevant keywords and optimize your content with them. Create backlinks, both internal and external, and always use easy-to-read language.

3. Strategic CTAs throughout your Website

What are CTAs? Calls to Action are the buttons, pop-ups, or slide-ins that compel a person browsing your website to take action. This can be anything from a “buy” button to a query form to contact the seller; it depends upon the nature of your business. For car retailers, the purpose of your listings is only complete if the buyer purchases from you. Strategic CTAs are the key to engaging online buyers and pushing them to make a purchase; missing out on them will hurt your business.

The ROI of New & Used Car Digital Merchandising

Merchandising is expensive, and you’re probably evaluating whether or not it’s worth the investment. For used car dealers, the investment seems even heavier, which can affect profit margins further. Well, there’s no easy way to calculate the return on investment (ROI) here. You’ll need to set up tracking across the different online platforms that you use in order to do that. Created an advertisement campaign? Track the cost and performance across different platforms where your ads ran. Hired photographers and rented a studio? Add up the bills. You’ll need to keep a log of all the merchandising activities and all the leads/traffic you receive from each channel. DMS (Dealer Management Systems) like vAuto Provision, Dabadu XRM, DealerCenter, etc., will help you keep track of your inventory, which is also a necessary step in your merchandising efforts. Then, compare your revenue against the amount you’ve spent across channels, and you’ll be able to calculate the most accurate ROI for your car retail business.

Enhance Your Dealership Online Presence with Top 10 Car Merchandising Tips

Here are 10 effective online merchandising tips for car retailers, presented as clear, single pointers:

1. 1) Ensure Transparency: Clearly display pricing, financing options, and vehicle conditions to build trust with buyers.
2. 2) Showcase Trust Signals: Highlight customer testimonials, awards, and warranties to enhance your dealership's credibility.
3. 3) Utilize Interactive Media: Incorporate 3D images and panoramic views to create an engaging, immersive shopping experience.
4. 4) Personalize the Experience: Use data analytics to tailor listings based on individual buyer preferences and browsing behavior.
5. 5) Prioritize High-Quality Visuals: Invest in professional photos and videos to showcase vehicles effectively and attractively.
6. 6) Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your website and listings are mobile-friendly for buyers browsing on smartphones.
7. 7) Highlight Key Features: Focus on important vehicle features and benefits in descriptions to capture buyer interest quickly.
8. 8) Regularly Update Listings: Keep inventory current with fresh content, special offers, and calls-to-action to encourage engagement.
9. 9) Leverage Technology: Use vehicle merchandising solutions and inventory management systems to streamline operations and enhance listings.
10. 10) Encourage Customer Interaction: Implement chat features or contact forms to facilitate communication and answer buyer inquiries promptly.

By following these tips, car retailers can create a compelling online presence that attracts customers and drives sales.

Automotive Merchandising with Spyne

Spyne is an AI-powered cataloging platform that can help you list your car inventory online quickly and effortlessly. This modern, smart solution can help you shoot high-quality car pictures without any additional assistance, followed by automated car AI photo editing.

Here, we have listed the following benefits of using our tool for creating digital car catalogs:

• 80% faster time-to-market: Thanks to guided photoshoots and automated image editing, you can speed up the entire cataloging process significantly. Our clients have reported that we have helped them hasten the online car listing process by up to 80%!
• 75% reduction in costs: You don’t need expensive studios or professional photography crews! A simple smartphone with a good camera would do the trick! Our AI cataloging services are significantly more affordable than traditional means – an average of 75% lower costs, as stated by the businesses we’ve helped grow!
• 40% better sales conversion: The biggest benefit of using high-quality images for your car listings – it helps build consumer trust in your brand, which increases your sales potential. Our clients have noted better conversion rates – around 40% on average – after using Spyne-edited images on their VDPs.
• 100% consistent results: Our AI gives consistent output every time, no matter how many photographs you process. The system can edit hundreds of images in an hour and still adhere to the highest quality standards. This is in stark contrast with manual editing, where an increased workload can decrease the quality of the output.

Note: We also have an API.

Conclusion

Using cutting-edge AI technology for merchandising can help you save time and money. Effective car merchandising in the digital age is essential for automotive retailers, and it involves a combination of strategies, tools, and best practices to succeed in the competitive online market. With Spyne, you get efficient solutions to create amazing digital car catalogs like never before.