How Can Car Dealers Improve Their Vehicle Stock Photos?

Standing out from the competition online and attracting more leads can be as easy as simply improving the photos you’re taking of stock before advertising on your own website, as well as on advertiser sites such as Auto Trader.

As the days become lighter and the weather steadily improves, it’s now the ideal time for car dealers to start reviewing their vehicle photography processes and identifying where any changes can be made to help their stock appeal more to online car buyers.

Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned the exterior and interior of your vehicles and taken care of any scratches or dents, make your way through our tips below to find out how you can capture your vehicle images better, without needing to hire a professional photographer or investing in expensive lighting equipment:

Camera Angles
When a customer first lands on your stock page, it’s instantly noticeable if you’re consistent with the way you take your photos. Visually seeing all the vehicles on your stock page at a glance from the same camera angle is not only communicating to online buyers at an early stage that you pay attention to every last detail, making you appear more professional, but it also makes it easier for your prospects to quickly spot the car they’re interested in, speeding up the sales process.

Lighting
Taking photos with your vehicles in the sunlight may seem like a good idea, but this unfortunately makes exterior details harder to see. Keeping the sun behind you and away from the lens will ensure you’re capturing clear images every time, with bright and overcast days typically producing the best results. Natural light is key to accurately reflecting how your stock looks in real life, so try to find an area on your premises where the light hits your cars without nearby objects, such as lampposts or external signage, casting unwanted shadows on the vehicle.

Environment
Car buyers don’t want any distractions when looking at pictures of your vehicles, and you’ll also want them solely focused on the stock, so keeping the background of your images tidy is essential. Finding an area of your dealership to take all your stock photos from, such as against a wall if you’re in a town/city or against a large open field if you’re based in the countryside, will ensure no distractions. Also consider the impact a seasonal environment can have on your photos, with fallen leaves or even snow hinting to buyers at the age of your stock, making your cars seem less desirable if they have obviously been parked on the forecourt for a long time.

It may be tempting to add fake backgrounds to your vehicle images during the editing stage to guarantee a consistent tidy environment, however over-edited images could have the opposite effect and actually create even more distractions with the clear difference in lighting, and could make prospective customers question whether the photos and website are genuine.

Dealership Branding
Adding your company’s logo to your vehicle images is a quick and easy way to build familiarity with your brand and increase trust online. This can be done by either placing the logo in the corner of your images during the editing stage or by simply taking your photos in front of company signage. Branded number plates are another way of subtly reminding customers about your business’s identity. Repeated use of your logo will reassure any hesitant online car buyers that your business is legitimate and professional, prompting them to get in contact for a test drive if there is sufficient interest in one of your vehicles.

360° Images
More and more car dealers are upgrading their website imagery to include 360° photos, to give website visitors more of the showroom experience remotely so they can have confidence in the vehicle’s condition before coming to view or test drive it, or reserving online. Making the investment in 360° vehicle images allows your online customers to make their way around your stock at their own pace, gaining a better understanding of the car’s proportions and even sitting in the driver’s seat to help with their buying decisions – all from the comfort of their home!

The Spin360 mobile app from Dragon2000 lets car dealers create their own 360° images to showcase stock on their Dragon2000 dealer websites. The app guides dealers carefully around the car to accurately record the exterior footage, before prompting you to fully capture the car’s interior with our recommended camera. If you’re looking to replicate the showroom experience with 360° images, take a look at the Spin360 demo on our website to see how you could be advertising your vehicles online.

Dragon2000 have been helping dealers and garages drive their businesses forward since 1995. Contact our sales team today by calling 01327 222 333 or emailing sales@dragon2000.co.uk to find out how our dealer management system and car dealer websites can help your business increase profits and reduce costs. Our mobile apps for sales teams and workshops can also help save valuable time and maximise efficiencies.