Top Five Tips for Better Classified Listings

Last weekend I watched a friend search online for a Mazda Atenza. He was particularly  interested in a leather interior. He did a search based on price, year, transmission and KMs. The first Atenza he found was from a local dealer, but only had only 2 images (both exterior), no features and hardly any information about the vehicle, let alone the interior. He grunted and clicked onto the next listing. I asked him why he didn't just contact the dealer to ask for more information about that particular vehicle - he said he couldn't be bothered when there were so many other similar vehicles with more info in his list, so he would start there instead. That dealer lost a sale. AutoBase has been providing services for dealers since 1999, and in that time we've seen it all. Following are FIVE of our best tips that will not cost you a cent to improve your online listings. 

1. Use common usage descriptions and keywords in the description of the item. Most buyers search by using a specific word or term., so if you are listing e.g. a mower, use the word “mower” - not just MT 858. A viewer will usually type in a common usage description such as Landcruiser instead of the correct Land Cruiser - so add these keywords to your comments. Avoid abbreviations - a viewer will type in and search for CRV - not CR-V.  Also check your spelling - I recently saw a listing promoting Pirelli tires - but Pirelli was spelled wrong so would not appear in a search. Click on the image below for a good example that includes many keywords like colours, tire brand and 'landcruiser' in the comments.

One of the most popular search fi­lters used when searching for a vehicle is keywords e.g. “Manual”, “leather seats” etc. 90% of Used Cars searches by viewers on Trade Me Motors are done in the sidebar section of the site - 65% of them use the search bar filters. The Most Popular filters used when searching for a vehicle are MAKE, KEYWORDS (such as features - air con, alarm, iPod deck etc) and BODY STYLE/PRICE or YEAR.

 

NB. Remember not to Keyword Spam - it stuffs up the search results for everyone.*

2. Take good photos. You can use up to 20 on AutoBase and Trade Me Motors. We recommend using a minimum of 3 photos. Use photos that show the exterior, interior, = condition and any special features the item may have. Remember, if using www.dealerbase.co.nz to load stock, you can load multiple images in one go.

3. Use the fields provided fully to give uniformity to your listings. These ­fields give a potential buyer basic speci­fications for the vehicle eg: Transmission, Hours, New, Engine Type etc that they buyer will use to search for and compare listings.

4. Write a detailed description & include as many features as possible. Describe the item well in the comments section and include its features and selling points. Look at how detailed most private vehicle listings are – they are usually jam-packed full of photos features and descriptions of the vehicle for sale. If you were selling a vehicle on your yard, would you only mention a few features? Give your online listings the same attention as you would selling face to face on your yard - use Trade Me Motors as your ‘Digital Salesperson’.

5. Promote the benefits of buying from you. As a dealer you have more to offer than a private seller – warranties, finance packages, delivery, other similar makes and models etc.  Include these and any other benefits of buying from your dealership within your listings to attract more enquiries. Please Note: Ask us about our free ‘Standard Vehicle Text’ feature to enter information about your dealership within every listing, in one go.

Many dealers have the mindset that as long as they put their stock on Trade Me Motors, it will sell itself. This is not the case - we have over 900 dealers and list almost 40,000 listings and just like any other tool, Trade Me Motors must be used correctly and to its potential to work best. If you put the time in to create good listings, you will reap the bene­fits. Trade Me Motors is your ‘door-way’ to over 2 Million prospective buyers every single month - but you need to get their attention, so use Trade Me Motors to its best advantage to maximise your sales.  

For more tips, you can also go to www.dealerbase.co.nz and click on Resources > Dealer Tips. Remember that you can contact our free 0800 42 88 62 Customer Service line if a listing is not displaying correctly, or your Account Manager Davern Arona if you further advice on creating good listings.

"The web is not an advertising medium, the web is not a selling medium, it is a buying medium. It is user controlled" Jakob Nielsen 

*Keyword Spamming:

Keyword spamming is when someone puts irrelevant information that is not about the vehicle for sale into their listings, making the search results bring up screeds of other vehicle listings, as well as the vehicle being searched for. This results in a potential buyer being bombarded with irrelevant vehicle listings they don’t want to look at, which causes frustration with the amount of time they are spending trying to find a specific vehicle. It can turn a buyer off very quickly, and result in a lost sale for you and your business! One of the key factors in Trade Me Motors success is the user friendliness and ease of the site, thanks to the keyword search function where potential buyers can quickly and easily find what they are looking for - which is why keyword spamming is prohibited in Trade Me’s Terms and Conditions.