Telling Your Value Story with Custom Comments

Custom comments are an important component of your merchandising because they help create value in the minds of shoppers. Essentially your goal is to influence potential customers to choose your vehicle and your dealership, and one of the best ways to do so is through custom comments.

The writing tips presented here are best practices that can be implemented on your dealership website as well as with your inventory listings on third-party websites like Autotrader.com and KBB.com. If you don’t have a dealership website, these tactics still apply for dealers whose main source of Internet marketing is through a third-party, independent websites. Also, keep these tips in mind for any offline advertising you’re doing, too.

Use Vehicle Comments to Sell, Sell, Sell!

Forget what you learned about writing newspaper listings. You’re not paying for each word anymore, so now you have the opportunity to tell each car’s story. Take time to provide vehicle descriptions that make a shopper want to come in and take a test drive.

Keep in mind that you’ll want to make your most powerful comments about the vehicle early to entice customers to click-through to the Vehicle Details Page. On the Search Results Page, only the first few sentences of your vehicle description show up, so choose the best comments first to help your vehicle stand out from the crowd.

Descriptive Features

Don’t just list a car’s features. Give specific details that allow shoppers to see, touch, feel and experience the vehicle. For example, instead of “A/C” say “ice-cold air conditioning,” or instead of saying “auto” say “smooth-shifting automatic transmission.”

Reliability

Shoppers want to know a car is reliable, so include information about free vehicle history reports, maintenance records and warranties.

Customer Focus

Focus on how a vehicle or the dealership can meet a customer’s needs. For example, “Room for eight. Back seat folds down for extra storage – makes a great family car!”

Offer Incentives

Create a sense of urgency so shoppers act now. For example, “Free oil changes for a year if you buy this weekend!” or “Print this ad for an additional $200 off your purchase.”

Strong Call-to-Action

Always include a strong call-to-action that tells the shopper what to do next. Don’t forget to include a name and a number.

Stay Away from “ALL CAPS”

ALL CAPS make your ad hard to read, and the points you want to highlight will get lost in the copy.

Don’t Just Merchandise Your Inventory – Merchandise Your Dealership

Merchandising your dealership is every bit as important as merchandising your inventory. Here are some guidelines to help you sell your dealership, too.

Use Customer Testimonials

Let other customers tell your potential customers what a great experience they had at your dealership. Get quotes from your satisfied customers and ask if you can use them on your website and in your advertising.

Tout Your Experience

It’s as simple as saying “Celebrating 30 Years!” in your copy. If you’ve won special awards for community service, customer service, etc., then say so!

Demonstrate Your Customer Focus

For example, “Built on the principles of providing genuine caring and personal service,” or “You’ll have a dedicated sales consultant to give you personal attention.”

Showcase Special Dealership Features

Talk about (and show) your dealership amenities. For example, if you’ve got a state-of-the-art customer waiting room or a playroom for customers’ children, then be sure to include it in your dealership description.