Inventory is the lifeblood of your dealership website. Head over to ControlCenter and use visualizations to see areas of your homepage that visitors interact with the most. Chances are your vehicle listing and vehicle details pages should be glowing.
You Dealer.com mobile app features Mobile Lot Capture to effectively and immediately help you VIN-scan, and capture and place inventory photos on your website. Here are eight ways to get the most out of it:
1. Record inventory details, take pictures, even scan VIN bar codes.
Whether it’s entering comments about the vehicle, taking photos or scanning the VIN, the Dealer.com mobile app gets your cars onto your website quickly and without wires. Just use your mobile device to upload photos and vehicle information via Wi-Fi or mobile network. It’s that easy.
2. Supplement your existing photography process by re-shooting inventory that has since gone through repairs.
We’ve all been there, taken pictures of an in-stock unit before the dent guy, or wheel guy makes our cars go from looking good to looking great. With Mobile Lot Capture, you can find your inventory on your mobile device, and replace specific photos with replacements.
3. Make aged inventory less obvious by replacing vehicle images that have clear signs of last season.
Seasons change. And so, too, should your inventory images. If you have cars still on lot that feature out-of-season elements in their photos’ backgrounds (green trees and flowers when it’s currently winter, for example) it’s a good idea to snap new photos that feature current backdrops. Or, to resolve the issue altogether, take photos inside a well-lit display bay.
4. Capture professional-looking photos with shot profile suggestions built into the camera functionality.
Worried about not having what it takes to replace the photographer that charges you by the vehicle? Shot Profiles for all manner of views are built into the Mobile Lot Capture interface to help you capture consistent, professional photos from every angle, exterior and interior.
5. Engage with Analytics, anywhere, with welcome dashboard reporting built into the application.
Access your digital performance from on the go. Analytics is built right into the welcome dashboard in the mobile app.
6. Bring your inventory home with you and always have a quick look at inventory health and age.
Because your inventory is critical to your dealership’s success, it’s important to continually monitor the lifecycle of each car. Dealer.com combines comments, custom photos, and other elements into a concept called Inventory Health. You can glance anytime and quickly get a perspective on any of your vehicles that need attention. Whether it’s late in the evening or first thing, set your team or your dealership up for success by inspecting what you expect.
7. Create a quick password to log in to your account through the mobile app.
Is your ControlCenter username and password so lengthy that you don’t even want to consider typing it with your thumbs? Not to worry. You can create a custom PIN for your mobile device, which will save you time and preserve your thumbs.
8. Make use of advertising reports.
Good news for dealerships using Dealer.com Advertising. The mobile app also provides advertising data. Get insight on budget, spend, channel allocation, and most importantly, performance and trends.
Patrick Wyld is an enterprise performance manager for Digital Retailing at Dealer.com