How to Use A Car Photo Database to Make Vehicle Listings Stand Out

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Most consumers purchase new cars in person rather than online. Despite this, the online user experience still plays a major role in the average car consumer’s purchase decision. In fact, research shows that 86% of consumers conduct research online prior to visiting automotive dealerships in person.

These consumers scan through countless online vehicle listings to narrow down their options and determine which dealerships to visit. The only way to attract these consumers to your dealership is to make your listing stand out from the thousands of others. How? Rely on high quality images pulled from a car photo database.

Why Should Automotive Dealerships Use Car Stock Images?

Dealerships have two options when it comes to choosing photos for an online vehicle listing. They can either take their own photos of their inventory or use stock images of vehicles. There are a number of reasons why dealerships often choose the latter option, including:

  • Convenience: It’s far less time-consuming to pull images from a stock image database than it is to photograph a dealership’s ever-changing inventory. This will make the process of creating online listings much easier and faster. 
  • Saves money: Purchasing stock images may seem more expensive than taking photos on your own, but that’s not the case. Dealerships will need to purchase expensive equipment and invest significant resources in order to take high quality photographs on their own.
  • Better quality: Stock images are taken by professional photographers, so they are of higher quality. A professional knows what features to highlight when taking a photo, so stock images are typically more visually appealing to consumers who are shopping for a new vehicle.
  • Competitive edge: Professional photos pulled from a stock image database will stand out, so using these images will help you grab the attention of consumers who are scrolling through hundreds of online vehicle listings.

These are some of the many reasons why your online vehicle listings should be accompanied by a professional stock car photo. Now that you know why you should use stock images for your online vehicle listings, it’s important to figure out what type of images you should look for in a database.

How to Use A Car Photo Database

What Types of Vehicle Stock Images Should You Use For Online Listings?

There are several different types of vehicle stock images, but some are more appropriate for online listings than others.

Splash images, which are also known as hero shots, are striking images that feature a vehicle superimposed on a photorealistic background. A splash image may show a truck traveling on a rugged, mountainside road, for example. 

These images are ideal for advertisements, social media, and other promotional efforts, but not for online vehicle listings. This is because on an online listing, consumers want to see images that allow them to explore the various features of a vehicle. A splash image does not fit this criteria.

You should choose stock images that showcase the exterior of the listed vehicle. Look for exterior stock images that show the car at every angle, so customers can examine the unique details, curves, and proportions of the vehicle’s design

Showing the interior of the listed vehicle is just as important as showing the exterior. Look for stock images that highlight interior features that make the car unique, such as infotainment centers, touchscreens, leather seating, and other design elements.  

You don’t have to stick to still images when creating an online vehicle listing. Don’t be afraid to choose more interactive assets, such as 360° exterior spins or 360° interior panoramic shots. These dynamic assets will keep customers engaged and interested in seeing more.

How to Use A Car Photo Database

Can You Use A Car Photo Database to Create Listings For Newly Released Vehicles?

Media outlets, rental car companies, dealerships, and other businesses in the automotive industry can benefit greatly from getting new images of vehicles first. Being the first to offer consumers these images will give you an advantage over your competitors. It will also provide you with an opportunity to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the new release.

But obtaining photos of newly released or announced vehicles from the manufacturer is not easy. Fortunately, businesses in the automotive industry won’t have to wait to hear back from vehicle manufacturers to show their customers photos of new vehicles. 

Instead, they can pull these images from a car photo database. Use these images to create online listings for the vehicles that will be at your dealership in the future to get a head start on other dealerships.

Being able to pull images of a just announced or newly released vehicle before other dealerships in your area will give you a competitive advantage. Your customers will be among the first to virtually explore the features of new vehicles before they hit the market.

How to Use A Car Photo Database

What to Look For When Choosing A Car Photo Database

All car photos are not created equal. To make the sale, it’s important to show customers the right car photo. Here are some of the qualities to look for when choosing vehicle images:

  • Accurate representation of the color: The color of the car in the photo should match the color of the vehicle in real life. If the color isn’t accurately represented in the photo, consumers may not be satisfied with the vehicle once they visit your dealership to see it in person.
  • Lighting: The lighting in the photo must be perfect in order to highlight the unique features and design details of the car. A dimly lit photo will not help customers decide which vehicle to purchase. In fact, it could hide certain features that could appeal to your customers.
  • Interior and exterior views: No customer will purchase a vehicle without examining both the inside and outside of the car. But many dealerships only provide exterior photos. Don’t make this mistake. Look for high quality interior and exterior car photos so customers can view every inch of the vehicle.
  • Consistency: Most customers compare photos of different makes and models before deciding which one is right for them. To facilitate this decision-making process, you must choose car photos with consistent lighting, angles, and views. 

If you decide to use stock images for your online vehicle listings, make sure you look for images with all of these qualities so you can create the most effective and eye-catching listings possible.

How to Use A Car Photo Database

Why Should You Choose Evox Images®?

The EVOX Images® database is home to more than one million high quality car photos, videos, and other interactive assets. If you’re looking for high quality car photos for commercial use, look no further than our comprehensive vehicle image database.

EVOX Images leads the industry in automotive imaging and offers the largest library of virtual reality and augmented reality assets available for commercial use. Contact our team or call us at 310-605-1400 to learn more about our innovative imaging solutions.