What is the story of the vehicle?

First things first, writing no description at all is basically saying I am not serious about selling my car. Even if you are not a person who cares about information we can guarantee your buyers do.

Secondly it is important to note that only the first 240 characters of the description will be displayed in the search and browse results, so it is vital that the first 240 character make your car stand out. The aim is to entice the buyer to look at all the information on your vehicle by then clicking on it to reveal the full description. Therefore you must begin by telling the story of the vehicle and why your 2009 Blue Subaru Impreza, for example, is different to the other 60 that appear in the serach results. It is not simply listing all the standard features, the make, model and year as these details are captured elsewhere in the ad.

This is a chance to stand out from the crowd. Why is your vehicle better than the others and what is unique about it? Why is yours slightly more exspensive than others listed that look the same? The sort of information that goes into the first part of the description is:

  • Any extra features added that are not standard on that model
  • Has it always be garaged?
  • Has it just been serviced or had new tyre or parts?
  • Has it done lower than average Kms?
  • One owner from new
  • What sort of use has it had. I.e a 4x4 that has not been off road and incurred that wear and tear
  • Any warranty on the car
  • Reasonable length left on registration

Once you have put this sort of information into the first 240 characters, then and only then should you put generic and other information in.

Below are some examples of bad descriptions followed by good.

 

Poor Vehicle Descriptions

Neither of these descriptions say anything unique about the car. Anyone looking for this sort of vehicle will already know most of this information. Imagine if you were searching for this type of car and this was one of 30 that showed up but it was $2000 more than the others and had similar summary descriptions to the others, would you really click on it? Most people would not.

 

Good Vehicle Description

This summary description gives unique information on this vehicle and justification to price. Once the buyer then clicks on the ad, the full description with generic information will be displayed as per the screenshot below.