A Guide to Making Your Listing Photos Great

The buying process for nearly everything has changed over the past few decades. With the consistent growth and evolution of technology, online research has become increasingly important to buyers when they make a purchase - large or small. Having top-notch photos is crucial to get more eyes on your listings. Check out these 8 easy tips that will make sure your photos paint a clear picture for potential buyers.

1. Make it Shine - Make sure the unit you're selling (new or used) is clean. Buyers want to see their potential bike in tip-top condition, so make sure you give the unit a detailed wash before putting it out on the floor or your lot. Sponges and brushes are great for the intricate details of a bike, and they remove dirt and grime with ease.

2. Use the Right Camera - Are you using a camera that produces high-quality photos? If not, you’ll want to make sure your camera is fairly recent so your photos are clear and not grainy. Most smartphones have amazing cameras, which is a great option that won’t require you to purchase a new camera, but if you’re wanting to take your photos to the next level, consider investing in a new point and shoot model. Most newer point and shoots are very easy to use and take crystal clear photos. It’s also a good idea to get an extra memory card with your camera to make sure you have enough storage for all of your listing photos.

3. Shoot at the Right Time of Day - Lighting is important when it comes to taking photos, so you’ll want to keep in mind the time of day you choose to shoot. Avoid taking listing photos midday when the lighting is harsh, and instead, opt to take photos in the morning or late afternoon where the lighting is “warmer” and less likely to wash out your photos. Cloudy days can also be great photoshoot days, but make sure it’s not too dark and avoid taking photos at night where flash would be required.

4. Keep in Mind Positioning and Location - When taking listing photos, you’ll want to keep in mind where you’re positioning the bike. It’s important that the one bike you are trying to sell is the focal point of your shot - you don’t want to confuse potential buyers by having multiple bikes in the photo or in the background.

5. Take a Few Test Photos - It’s important to take your time while shooting your listing photos, as they are a crucial part of your entire listing. Take a few test photos of your unit to make sure the lighting is right, the camera is clear, and that you are satisfied with the outcome. If you aren’t pleased with the photos you can take a step back and see what might need to change to enhance your photo (positioning, lighting, etc.).

6. Have a Variety of Photos - We cannot stress this enough - take a lot of photos. Buyers want to see every angle of the bike before walking into the dealership so they can visually picture themselves on a new ride. Take a few full shots (showing the whole bike) as well as detailed, close-up shots. We suggest having a full bike shot as your main listing photo to grab the customer’s attention right off the bat, then they can explore more photo options as desired.

7. Be Honest and Authentic - For our used sellers out there, it’s extremely important to be honest to your customers. Don’t hide the imperfections of the bike you are trying to sell. If the unit has a few dings or scratches, consumers deserve to know - they really don’t want to be surprised when they come to view the unit in-person. As for new units, it’s also a good idea to stay away from using stock photos of your unit - consumers appreciate authentic photos.

8. Highlight Special Features - Does the bike you’re selling have any special features? Make sure you are highlighting them in both your listing photos AND descriptions. As we mentioned earlier, consumers want to picture themselves on the bike, and showing them unique features will have a higher chance of piquing their interest.

We hope that these 8 tips have helped you realize taking listing photos doesn’t have to be difficult. Getting the right photo takes some practice, but your buyers will thank you in the end. If you need additional help creating a description for your listing, click here.

What You Need to Know About Co-Op Advertising

Have you ever wondered if co-op advertising could work for your dealership? Not sure of the process? We’ll break it down and show you how to maximize your advertising dollars.

What is Co-Op advertising exactly?

Co-op advertising is essentially a partnership between a manufacturer and a dealership to share the cost of local advertising. While a manufacturer may advertise their products nationally, that doesn’t give them the ability to tell the consumer where to buy their product locally. To help facilitate local advertising, the manufacturer relies on local dealers, just like you, to determine the best way to spend advertising dollars on their targeted consumer.

It is important to note that co-op reimbursement is for new inventory, and you have the ability to accrue funds during a predetermined period based on the vehicles purchased from the manufacturer -but there is a limited time period in which to spend these funds. Unused funds don’t carry over to the next advertising cycle so many funds are unfortunately wasted.

So, why wouldn’t you use all of your co-op funds?

Co-op is complicated and can take a lot of time out of your already busy schedule. We asked some dealer directly why they don’t use their co-op funds and the most popular responses were:

“Co-op is more trouble than it’s worth,” “I don’t know how much co-op funding I have,” “It takes too long to get reimbursed,” “I don’t have someone to manage the program,” “I don’t have someone to create the graphics,” “My claims often get rejected,” and more.

How can Cycle Trader help?

Lucky for you, we offer solutions to make co-op quick, easy, and turnkey. And - as a bonus, we’ve been helping dealers like you manage the co-op process for years and have the staff to assist with all stages of the co-op claim - so you can spend more time running your dealership and less time doing extra paperwork.

Although we can’t determine how many funds you have accrued, we can help guide you to the sites where that information can be found. All manufacturers have co-op resource centers that can give you the details you need to know about their specific co-op funds.

The co-op process is easier than you might think, considering our experts can assist and manage the program for you. We get pre-approval of every graphic, we compile the metrics of each campaign, we make the required screen grab of every banner, and when permitted we submit the claim directly to the manufacturer. For manufacturers that require you to submit your own claims, we will provide all of the paperwork and send them directly to you with instructions on how they are to be submitted.

To top it off, you don’t have to worry about creating graphics. We have a graphics team that utilizes the artwork available from each manufacturer to create banners that follow all of the co-op guidelines. Because we use manufacturer supplied graphics, we can guarantee that any claim that utilizes our graphics will not be rejected due to incorrect content. We’re so confident of our process that we include a guarantee with all of our signed agreements.

Interested in our co-op offerings or have additional questions? Give us a call today and let us help you advertise for less (757-448-4555).

Using Video for Your Business

With the rise of the digital age, consumers have undoubtedly changed over the years - so as businesses, the way we market to those consumers has had to evolve as well. With all of the changes happening in the marketing world, it’s more important than ever to keep up with the latest consumer fads & trends, and trust us - we’ve seen them all. But one trend we know is going to stick around for years and years to come is video marketing.

Consumers love video content - and we have the stats prove it. According to WordStream, one-third of all online activity is spent watching video, and it’s projected that by 2019, Internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic. This means, while having a video strategy might not have been an important part of your business in the past - it will be in the future as more and more buyers rely on video as a crucial part of their search, and we expect this to increase as our world becomes more digital. 

Consumers don’t like wasting time and they want to see exactly what they are considering buying even before walking into a dealership, both on your website and in your listing - this includes video. So with all that said, what do consumers expect from your video presence? We asked them.

If you decide to put videos in your listings, 80% of Cycle Trader consumers are hoping to see a detailed walk around and an in-depth review of the unit. While photos are great and should be included in your listing, videos have the ability to show consumers the true look and feel of the bike in a more personal way. The video should highlight the unit in its entirety and you should also take some time to talk about its perks and any features unique to that specific model. Videos are also a great way to showcase yourself and your employees as industry experts - reputation is everything in the business world.

If you’re looking for a way to host these videos so you can include them in your listings or elsewhere, YouTube is a great platform you should be taking advantage of. By uploading a variety of videos to your page, potential buyers have the opportunity to engage with your dealership even before visiting. YouTube makes it easy to upload your videos, then you have access to share them on your website and various social media platforms. When creating these videos, consider this:

• 40% of people said they’d like to see product reviews and testimonials videos 
• 19% would like to see how-to videos 
• 14% want to see a behind the scenes look at your dealership 

If you consistently provide unique video content, consumers are bound to come back for more. In fact, 54% of Cycle Trader consumers said they would watch more than one video, and 61% they are more likely to view your website after viewing your videos.

If you haven’t explored the world of video marketing, what are you waiting for?

The Move to Digital

It’s no secret the advertising space is ever-changing. Through all the change, one thing remains constant - the digital marketplace. But why exactly is digital marketing/advertising taking the world by storm? We’re here to shed some light.

Chances are if you look around a crowded room - anywhere these days - you’ll see the majority of people glued to their smartphones, tablets, or computers - and it’s easy to see why. The way we receive information has changed, therefore the way we put out information & promote ourselves needed to change as well. Print, radio, and other forms of traditional media had a large impact on consumers (and in certain cases still do) before the rise of the digital revolution, but the world is evolving and technology isn’t slowing down any time soon. In fact, according to the Technology Review, time spent online by the average American has grown from 9.4 hours to 23.6 hours every week since 2000. Of that, time spent on the internet at home has risen from 3.3 to 17.6 hours a week.

Those stats aren’t surprising to us because we have seen the value of digital marketing first-hand. Digital marketing is a great option for a variety of businesses because:

• It can be more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods - Print, radio, direct mail, and billboards often come in at higher price points and digital marketing allows businesses to choose certain packages or advertising options that will give them the most bang for their buck. 
• It helps reach a more targeted/segmented audience - Digital marketing also allows businesses to tailor campaigns to certain audiences and demographics for more effective marketing. 
• It’s more easily tracked & monitored - Digital marketing can help companies see what’s working and what might need to be tweaked/updated to improve results. It also helps businesses see what methods are bringing in the most prospects and leads. 
• It caters to the mobile consumer - In this day and age consumers are always on the move, so having a responsive digital marketing platform that caters to consumers on the go is crucial in today’s tech-centric world. 
• It provides small businesses with a level playing field - In the past, larger, well-established companies took over the marketplace - plain and simple. Digital marketing now allows equal opportunity in the online marketplace by letting businesses remain competitive no matter their size. 

Digital marketing still has similar benefits to traditional marketing, but in a more in-depth and advanced way. For instance, at Cycle Trader, we have the ability to track your dealership’s performance to help you learn more about your business’ performance and also help you take a deeper dive into your customer’s behavior. With traditional methods of marketing, it’s a little harder to determine exactly who was influenced by your advertising and what impact it had on your business. Digital marketing is not always perfectly trackable, but there are countless benefits.

Companies across the globe are recognizing digital marketing as a necessity for a successful business - but don’t get us wrong, traditional methods of marketing & advertising can still offer successful options for many businesses depending on the type of audience you’re trying to reach, so it’s important to still cater to them, while focusing on the digital consumer as well. As always, your marketing mix should be diversified and varied - but digital should absolutely make up a decent portion of your overall strategy. People are consuming digital content faster than ever before and with the trends we’re seeing the way of the future is undoubtedly digital. And as a digital platform, we’re privileged to provide you with a wide array of modern and effective advertising/marketing solutions to reach those consumers.

The Top Searched Makes and Models From Q1 2018

Here at Cycle Trader, it’s our goal to keep you in the know about the latest consumer trends and insights. With the unique ability to track millions of consumers’ search habits on our site, we want to share valuable information that can impact your bottom line. And in Q1 of 2018, we’ve seen some interesting data. Let’s break down the top searched makes and models from the first quarter of the year.

Top 5 searched models of Q1 2018:

• Cruiser 
• Sport Bike 
• Touring 
• Dirt Bike 
• Dual Sport 

Cruisers lead the charge, with nearly 13% of all Cycle Trader consumers searching for this particular type of bike. Cruisers held this top spot in Q1 2017 as well - so this consumer interest is clearly not just a fad! Sport bikes come in a close second accounting for 10.5% of all searches, followed by touring models at 7.6%.

Top 5 searched makes of Q1 2018:

• Harley-Davidson 
• Honda 
• Yamaha 
• Kawasaki 
• Suzuki 

Harley-Davidson dominates the top spot when it comes to top searched makes of Q1 2018 with 20% of all Cycle Trader consumers searching for the manufacturer, dropping just 1% Y.O.Y. Honda comes in second place at 14%, and Yamaha takes third place with 10% of all searches. The numbers for the top five searched makes of this of Q1 2018 remain comparable Y.O.Y. And, even though Indian didn’t come in the top five searched makes - they placed 11th - we are interested to see where they fall in the future as they continue to rise in the industry.

It’s hard to believe Q1 has already come to a close. As manufacturers continue to focusing on growing new riders with new bikes, we are interested to see what Q2 will bring. Did you see similar trends at your dealership? Let us know in the comments below.

Are You Using Market Insights?

According to Hubspot, half of shoppers spend at least 75% of their total shopping time conducting online research. So, if you’re customers are doing their research, shouldn’t you be doing yours? As you know, TraderTraxx is packed with a variety of helpful tools designed to enhance your business. We’ve touched on the the Price Analysis Tool, but another feature of TraderTraxx that can help on the research front is Market Insights.

Market Insights is a series of three reports that were each created with your business in mind. The reports in this suite makes research easy by allowing you to understand supply and demand in your local market as well as nationwide, and also lets you check in on what units are piquing consumer interest. Within each report you have access to view the top model years for each unit and how many are available on CycleTrader.com, meaning you don’t have to conduct a manual search - we’re all about saving you valuable time. You also have the option to customize the report to see what’s relevant to you with filters including:

• New and used 
• Make, model, and trim 
• Cycle, ATV, PWC, and Snowmobile 

As we mentioned, Market Insights is made up of three separate reports - each giving you a detailed 30-day snapshot. Let’s break each of them down for you:

• Market Interest: Focuses on ranking inventory by listing pageviews 
• Market Connections: Highlights the number of connections generated by each unit 
• Market Activity: Shows what other interactions a consumer has had with a particular unit - including printing the listing, sending it to a friend, or viewing a video 

Market Insights can help you strategically plan your inventory, and give you a first-hand look at what units consumers are really looking for in their next unit. We are all about getting you ahead of the competition and the tools in TraderTraxx are designed for just that reason - and the best part is they’re only a few clicks away.

If you need help navigating TraderTraxx and any of its tools, feel free to contact your Cycle Trader representative at 888.747.1192.

Making the Most of the Price Analysis Tool

One topic we see come up time and time again in the cycle industry is price. It’s without a doubt one of the top driving factors for buyers. In fact, when asked what is most important when searching - 28% of buyers confirmed it was price. As a dealer, it’s important to know how your pricing stacks up to the competition - and that’s not always easy. But lucky for you, as a Cycle Trader customer you have access to our Price Analysis Tool in the TraderTraxx platform. So, what exactly does the Price Analysis Tool actually do and why should you bother checking it out? We’ve broken down the nuts and bolts of this tool to show you how it can help your business thrive in new ways.

The Price Analysis Tool represents the first time motorcycle and Powersports dealers just like you have access to real-time pricing insights and makes it super easy to:

• Determine if you are priced competitively as compared to similar inventory in the market 
• See the volume of competition in both your local market and nationwide 
• Excel in your inventory management and purchasing strategies

We know how important it is to have competitive pricing, as it increases your chances of attracting buyers; which is why this tool has one-of-a-kind features that can help you pinpoint exactly what the median price is for a model listing of a specific make and year, without having to manually research and keep track of similar listings - saving you valuable time and energy.

The Price Analysis Tool makes it easy for you to see if you are pricing too high, too low, or somewhere in between. It automatically informs you of how many other listings are currently for sale of the same unit, helping to further position the price of your unit based on the current volume available in the market. When analyzing the price positioning, you also have the option to view by specific trim, or roll up to the main model - so you can get specific. You might be wondering, what if the bike I’m selling has upgrades and/or accessories? We’ve got that covered too. We provide an easy-to-access link so you can review other listings with those same features.

As you can see, the Price Analysis Tool provides a wealth of valuable statistics and insights exclusively available to our Cycle Trader dealers (at no extra cost to you). To take advantage of this tool, all you have to do is log in to TraderTraxx - it’s that simple. If you need help navigating TraderTraxx and any of its tools, feel free to contact your Cycle Trader representative at 888.747.1192 - they’d love to walk you through it.