It’s no secret that the pandemic has accelerated the need to adopt and evolve with the digital marketplace. According to U.S. Department of Commerce, a 14.2% increase in e-commerce sales in 2021 shows online transactions are still on the rise and the automotive space is no different.
So, what does it take to compete in the automotive digital marketplace? Most understand the fundamentals; you need a website to showcase your product that includes descriptions, details, specs, price, and images. Seems simple, right? Talk at the industry water cooler might make you think otherwise, and I get it. It isn’t that simple, and a lot more goes into digital retailing, however, if you start with the basics, and find the right partners and vendors, you might be surprised it isn’t as painful as you think. Let’s start with one of the most critical, basic pieces, IMAGES.Â
Buying a vehicle can be a consumer’s second largest purchase, and in some cases, the largest purchase. So, creating buyer confidence online is critical in this transaction. One of the best and easiest ways to accomplish this is providing high-quality, consistent images of your inventory on your website. Unfortunately, with the current vendor solutions and outdated practices, this step often creates headaches for dealerships, auctions, and even the OEMs. The outcome is often inconsistent, poor-quality images in best-case scenarios and in worst-case, images aren’t even captured. Even from the birth of the vehicle, consumers only get stock photos or 3D renderings.
What are consumers saying? A report from the Internet Retail Conference Exhibition stated 75% of them listed the quality of the product images are the most important feature when shopping online. Additionally, 66% state they want alternate views of the product and 61% want zoom capabilities. Images speak a thousand words and humans are able to process them faster than the words in descriptions. Studies show that including high-quality images can increase your conversion rate up to three times higher than that of low-quality images. Add in a 360Âş visual option and companies are seeing anywhere from a 10% conversion increase to a 40% increase. Talk about compelling numbers.
So, how does your organization stack up with these driving consumer needs of quality images? Are you utilizing a vendor to help? Are they really meeting you and your consumers’ needs? Are you utilizing a technology internally that requires specific employee skills to accomplish this? Is the current labor shortage hurting your ability to get the images online quickly? Do you have 925 other things to worry about? I understand. This is the dilemma a lot of companies are facing in the automotive space. Which is why it is so important to make sure you are asking your vendors the right questions, and even yourself.Â
The questions boil down to a few simple ones. Is my organization being the most efficient in processing the inventory? Are we using the right technology/vendor for capturing the inventory and getting it online? Are we seeing the positive impact in our bottom line? If you aren’t sure on the answer to any of those questions or you answered no to any of them, it’s time to reevaluate. Imaging your inventory at the right step, using the right technology and process, allows your organization to capture more than just high-quality images. You capture more details, throughput, labor savings, buyer confidence, digital sales, and revenue. Having a system that can deliver on this is possible in today’s world. The technology is out there ready to be implemented in any part of the supply chain. Meet Black Widow Imaging. Capturing 17, 4K images with zoom capabilities in seconds, and a 360Âş interactive interior view, all sent to your website in minutes, automatically. Black Widow is so easy to use, it doesn’t require specialized training or staff. We exist to help you become more efficient and more profitable. We work to understand your specific challenges and create a plan to alleviate the pain points. We continue to help our clients well past the install, with support virtually and on the ground when needed. Don’t waste another minute and contact us today to see how we can help you Capture More.Â
Visit blackwidowimaging.com to learn more and set-up a demo.
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