Car dealerships want to amplify their online visibility. There are many recommendations from SEO experts and other marketing experts that can help a dealership rise to the top of the search engine rankings. While appearing at the top of search results boosts awareness of the business and can increase visibility, rankings won’t keep site visitors engaged.
SEO needs to work in tandem with other methodologies to draw-in customers, increase traffic and create an enjoyable online experience. How can dealerships create the most memorable and clickable website possible? Choosing quality graphics, including car stock photos, high resolution images and even integrating immersive experiences can help keep site visitors interested, engaged, and hopefully motivated to take the next step in the buying process.
Car Stock Photos: High Resolution is a Must
Some dealerships take their own photos of inventory. Dealerships might have a staff member who is a great photographer, or the dealership could hire a professional photographer to snap photos of new models or pre-owned inventory.
When exhibiting new models online, though, using car stock photos is often the best choice. These photos are high-resolution images that can allow visitors to zoom in to look at details without experiencing any grainy, blurred distortion.
Dealerships might find that taking their own photos just doesn’t cut it. Improving and enhancing the online experience requires dealerships to provide customers and site visitors with the best imagery of new models. Not only do car stock photos provide clear and detailed insight into a particular model, but dealerships can select from a variety of stock photo options.
For example, EVOX Images offers 360 degree spin photos, animated photos and photos dedicated to base trims of each model. Dealerships can give their customers and site guests expansive slideshows of each model or even incorporate car stock photos into augmented reality experiences for a virtual car showroom.
High Resolution Spin Photos
EVOX Images offers exterior spin photos and interior spin panorama photos of new (and older) vehicle models. These images are high-resolution photos that offer interactive allure. Consumers can use a fingertip (for tablets and smartphones) or a mouse to interact with the photo.
Exterior spin photos show the full exterior of the car. Consumers can fully rotate the vehicle to view it from any angle. These interactive images can help car shoppers understand the design features of a particular model.
Panorama spin photos show the interior of the vehicle. Consumers can use either a fingertip or a mouse to explore the inside of a model. They can look up at a moonroof or peek at the back seat space. These photos can simulate the experience of sitting in a car at the dealership, and they can be a crucial resource for those who are shopping at home.
Get Animated with Animated Photos
While spin photos encourage interaction and exploration and can help consumers shopping for a vehicle at home, some high-resolution photos are designed to capture the attention of those visiting the website. Animated photos load automatically and create action on a webpage.
EVOX Images offers several types of animated photos, including:
- Colorized Drive-ins
- Colorized drive-in / spins
- Colorized fly-around
- Colorized spin
These photos can showcase the paint trim options for different models as the vehicle drives into the frame, spins or is shown from different vantage points. These animated images can captivate customers and perhaps interest them in exploring a particular model in more detail.
High-Resolution Car Stock Photos are Compatible with Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality
Dealerships might research methods to engage site visitors beyond standard images or even via interactive images (like spin photos). Car brands and even dealerships are now offering augmented reality experiences via their websites.
Augmented reality combines the real world environment with graphic elements. This technology is often used to create preview experiences; for example, consumers can try on different cosmetics without visiting a store. How does this work?
Augmented reality experiences require the technology to access the user’s camera. The camera captures the user’s environment or maybe even their image (for make-up preview experiences). Augmented reality graphics appear in this environment. Lipstick colors can appear on the user’s image, paint hues can cover the walls and cars can appear anywhere.
Car showroom experiences can be enjoyed from any location thanks to augmented reality. However, not all images can be used to create these high-tech immersive experiences. EVOX Images offers a library of images for different vehicles that are compatible with augmented reality and/or virtual reality.
Dealerships can create their own augmented reality showroom. Encourage site visitors to explore a new car model from their home. Some experiences allow for the paint hue to be changed for the vehicle.
Why High-Res?
Dealerships might think that any photo would be adequate for a website. However, the image resolution can distort the user’s experience. Stretching a low-resolution photo to create a hero image could look unprofessional, blurry and maybe even pixelated.
High-resolution images often allow dealerships to size the photo for their needs without losing image quality. Create a hero image for maximum impact or use images for expansive vehicle slideshows. Whether the high-resolution image is stretched or shrunk, the quality won’t be compromised.
How is high resolution defined, though? Typically, high-resolution photos are 300 pixels per inch or more.
Showcasing Used or Pre-Owned Inventory
For a while, the used car market was on fire. Now, several used models are selling for more than their original price. Dealerships might find that they don’t have to do much marketing to move certain models quickly. However, some models might be harder to sell.
When dealerships need to market and promote used or pre-owned inventory, using car stock images isn’t the best option. Why? Car stock photos depict the model when it was new; pre-owned cars could have different features or have some flaws that need to be photographed.
For this reason, dealerships might snap their own photos of pre-owned inventory or hire a photographer to take these pictures. Dealerships shouldn’t sacrifice resolution, though. High-res images will provide the most accurate depiction of a model and allow customers to zoom in to look at particular details.
Even for used inventory, high-res photos are a must. Customers don’t want to look at grainy, pixelated images. Poor images could cause frustration, and buyers might just move on.
Photos Help Elevate the Site Experience
Dealerships might be ready to audit their website. Maybe page views are falling or site traffic isn’t as heavy as it was in the past. While optimizing content could help boost rankings, dealerships also might want to explore the images they are offering to customers.
High-resolution stock photos can be used to encourage customers to explore vehicles in more detail. Visitors can zoom in to look at certain design elements. In addition, some high-resolution photos are designed to encourage customer interaction; spin photos let site visitors explore the interior and exterior of any model.
High-resolution stock photos also can be used to capture a visitor’s attention. Animated photos load automatically and can show the car driving into a photo, spinning and changing paint hues, too. These images can pique a consumer’s interest and motivate them to explore a particular model on the site.
While SEO can help improve a dealership’s rankings, images can help keep buyers interested in the site. Create experiences and interactive tools for customers to research and explore vehicles and, hopefully, move them to the next stage of the buying process.