How to use Autotrader descriptions to reduce your Days to Turn
First: Lose the ALL CAPS!
Improving Autotrader descriptions might be the easiest way for car dealerships to make more money
For car dealers, Days to Turn is the big one. The number that should keep you up at night. It measures how long vehicles sit on your forecourt before they sell, and that single metric influences almost every part of your business.
Reducing Days to Turn improves your cash flow, lowers your depreciation and reconditioning costs, reduces your risk of stock damage, and keeps your online stock fresh so you attract buyers sooner. Getting this right can quickly push you into a positive spiral of growth. Sell more cars, get more money, buy more cars, sell more cars…. you get the point.
Perhaps the easiest way to reduce your Days to Turn is by improving your Autotrader listings. Good copy (“copy” is what marketing people like to call text. It makes us feel special) does more than describe a car - it moves your dealership to the next level.
In the first in our new series of marketing tips for car dealerships, examining how to get the most out of Autotrader, we’re talking about:
the Attention Grabber
How to stand out in a sea of competition
You get 30 characters to grab your next customer’s attention…
Just telling you that used over 60 characters, so we really don’t have a lot of space to work with here!
The thumbnail on your Autotrader advert is the first step in your customer’s journey that ends with you handing them the keys, and the only real control you have is the picture (more on that later!) and the Attention Grabber.
So, if you want to sell cars faster, if you want more leads, if you want to reduce your Days to Turn, this little line of text is where you need to start!
…are you really making the most of yours?
Make it stand out
With seemingly similar cars, the Attention Grabber is one of the key ways you get the click. One of the key ways you show that your car is the one to get. So how do you stand out?
Whose copy should you copy?
How would you market a Caterham 7 on Autotrader? It weighs around half a tonne, has been in production for over half a century, usually has about 180bhp, barely has an interior and they all kinda look the same…
And yet, they are some of the most effectively and efficiently described cars on Autotrader. Why? They trust the audience to be educated already. They target their Attention Grabber to where a real buyer is in their buyer’s journey.
To someone getting ready to buy a Caterham, these cars absolutely do not all look the same. They already know what type of Caterham they want. What spec they need. Think of a buyer who wants a Caterham with a focus on heritage and long-term ownership. Then think of a buyer who is desperate to get on a track with their car. Think of a buyer who wants to go touring with their car. Finally, think of a buyer who is ready to get their hands dirty, modifying the car themselves. Just by looking at these Attention Grabbers, you can easily match each of these buyers with the car for them.
Look carefully at the cars you have for sale. Think about who would be most likely to want it, and then try writing your Attention Grabber just for them.
‘Low mileage’, ‘rare colour’, ‘sliding sunroof’. These are nice, but if these are the most important thing to your potential customer, they are probably already using the AutoTrader filters to prioritise that.
Instead, ask yourself a question: What makes this specific car great?
1 or 2 year-old vehicles
These are depreciating by the day, so we want to stand out against those around us and shift stock fast. But rather than use the Attention Grabber to highlight specific vehicles, many dealerships focus on one feature and use it as the attention grabber on all of their stock. Range Rover adverts have a slight obsession with the sunroof right now. Use this as an opportunity to make your vehicle stand out.
Older vehicles
A fresh MOT on an older vehicle can make a big difference here. Same with a long warranty on an expensive vehicle. Is it a model known for breaking down? Highlight that it has just been serviced. Is there an expensive fix that this model is famous for needing? Use the Attention Grabber to say it has been done already. Autotrader calls this section the Attention Grabber, but when it comes to older vehicles, we really want you to think of it as the Fear Stopper.
Enthusiast vehicles
Here, your audience probably knows nearly as much about these cars as you do, so talk to them like they are a fellow petrol-head. Get into the details of the spec. Perhaps it is Atelier-made, or 1 of 2 RHD vehicles. Paint-to-sample, or maybe a rare manual. Enthusiast vehicles can break the rules by rewarding you for using attention grabbers that you would not dream of using for any other vehicle. “Manual, RWD, Coupe” will do wonders for your Porsche 964, but would likely sink your Toyota GT86 advert.
High competition vehicles
If there are a lot of a specific model, all at similar prices, how do you get the click. Sometimes it can be as simple as just piquing curiosity. Say something that they can only confirm by looking at your ad, and you may get them into your ad first.
Best interior colour!
Perhaps the best spec?
and lose the ALL CAPS!
There’s lots of reasons to stop doing this.
It’s harder to read (between 12% and 70% depending on layout), it lowers the perceived value of your dealership, and it comes across as “shouty”.
But really, the main reason is that Autotrader’s own data shows using ALL CAPS reduces the likelihood of you selling the car, so it is time to lose the all caps.
THANKS!
(Sorry, thanks!)
Quick tips for selling cars faster on Autotrader
Don’t let cars just sit on your forecourt. If your Autotrader ad isn’t getting traction, revisit your Attention Grabber!
Use your space wisely
You get 30 characters, so pick your words carefully!
Really think about it
Spending 10 minutes to make it great is the difference between selling a car in 3 days rather than 3 months.
Focus on your specific car
They already want this model. Why should they buy this specific one?
Watch the competition
Find the cars either side of yours on Autotrader. How do you compare? See if you can stand out.
Of course you can also just have Six Lines Marketing do it for you! We help car dealerships make listings that stand out, earn better enquiries, and reduce their Days to Turn. Click the button below to book a free review of your problem listings, and get quick fixes you can use today.
Just some of the brands our team have supported
Let’s chat
We’d love to hear where you need support. Drop us a message and we’ll take a look, ask a few questions, and see how we can start solving problems together!