What people want to see on your VDP

What dealerships can do to improve the automotive customer experience online.

With consumers spending the majority of their time researching and shopping for cars online and consumers saying they are now more open to trying an online vendor like Carvana or Vroom, having a VDP that gives customers what they want, when they want it and in a way that keeps them in engaged with your dealership is imperative. Luckily, we have some tips to share with you.

We have long been invested in figuring out what car shoppers are looking for to not only improve our product but also help our dealers improve their customer experience. In the last year, we took a deep dive into just what car shoppers are looking for when browsing a dealership website. After extensive consumer research and live user studies on vehicle detail pages, here are some of our top findings on what people want to see on your dealerships Vehicle Detail Page. Even better, we found some of the same things customers valued also made it easier for Sales and BDC teams to connect with customers and schedule appointments.

“The most important info is at the top, everything else is extra, but appreciated. Nothing is a mystery.”

How you visually present the vehicle, the photos and your brand are the most important.

Bottom line - people want to get a real sense of the vehicle. One of our top blog post is an oldy but a goodie - Vehicle Photos 101: Why, When, Where, And How. Save that for later and check out these top insights from our research that you can start doing today.

Using big, high resolution exterior and interior detail photos is a must. Many expected a video and asked for a 360 view. Bonus points if you visually show where there were repairs made.
Make it clear there are more photos by showing thumbnails below the featured images or a carousel navigator.
Users do not like dealership branding over the photos. If there is any, keep it minimal and make sure it does not cover any part of the car.
Do not list a car without a photo! It seems to make it stand out more and participants were often annoyed they were shown at all.

How and where you present the price is key - make it big and keep it simple.

Bottom line - transparency builds trust. Showing how the price compares to the market average and reputable sites

Make the price big, bold, and prominent at the top of the page.
Language should be simple and clear. Phrases like “Internet price,” “Epricing”, and “Detailed Pricing” were confusing and made people question what they really were going to pay and it weakened trust.
Show users how the price stands by comparison. Use badges, charts, gauges to indicate if it’s a good deal and/or a fair price.
Reinforce the value of the price by highlighting key features. Make it all visible on the page so they know what they will get and not have to guess.

Specifications should be easy to find and clear.

Mileage and MPG must be highly visible and in a big font and dark text.
Showcase a quick list of specifications and key features at the top of the page.
Make detailed information easy to find and visible on the page. However, some users overlook tabs or get bored of clicking into expandable sections if there are too many.
Let them see what items have been fixed or replaced.

Many of these things you can put in place with little effort. Take some time to see how your site compares. The more you can put in place, the more shoppers on your site will be able to find what they're looking for and reduce the stress of online car shopping. Plus, these changes can also help your BDC and Sales team connect with customers.

Want a little help? Schedule a demo to learn more about how MAX Digital is helping dealerships like yours deliver what customers want and making it easier on your Sales and BDC team at the same time.