As a used car dealer, you know that first impressions matter. When potential customers visit your website, you have mere seconds to grab their attention and convince them your business is professional, trustworthy, and able to meet their needs. With the right website design, you can attract more visitors, increase engagement, build credibility, and boost sales. However, creating an attractive, high-converting website requires technical skills and resources that many small business owners lack.
If you're looking for an easy solution to build a conversion-optimized landing page for your car rental business, Unicorn Platform has got you covered. With our drag-and-drop builder, you can create a stunning website in just a few minutes, without any technical skills required. Check out our article on building a conversion-optimized car rental landing page in minutes to learn more.
Why You Need a Custom Website for Your Used Car Dealership
To attract customers and boost sales, your used car dealership needs an effective website. Here are the key reasons why you should invest in custom website design:
A tailored website establishes your brand. A generic template won’t convey your dealership’s unique brand identity and voice. A custom design allows you to showcase what makes your business special. You can highlight your mission, values, and personality to build trust and connection with visitors.
It’s optimized for lead generation. A professional web design firm can optimize your site for lead conversion. Elements like eye-catching calls-to-action, lead capture forms, and a streamlined user experience will make it easy for visitors to contact you or schedule a test drive.
You’ll rank higher in search results. A custom website, created using search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, will rank higher in Google and other search engines. Things like page titles, meta descriptions, alt image attributes, internal linking, and content will improve your visibility and traffic.
It’s mobile-friendly. Over half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices. A responsive, mobile-optimized website provides an excellent user experience for visitors on the go. Your inventory, contact information, and calls-to-action should be easy to access and interact with on any screen size.
You can include advanced features. A custom site gives you the flexibility to integrate advanced features like an interactive vehicle inventory, payment calculators, live chat, and online appointment scheduling. These tools provide a superior customer experience and convenience.
In summary, investing in a tailored website for your used car dealership is well worth the investment. A custom design will establish your brand, optimize for leads, rank you higher in search results, provide a mobile-friendly experience, and allow for advanced features that boost sales and customer satisfaction. The benefits to your business will be significant.
If you're interested in building your dream travel website, check out our article on how to do it with Figma and Unicorn Platform.
Choosing a Used Car Website Builder Made Easy
When choosing a website builder for your used car dealership, you want a platform that is affordable, easy to use, and helps you create an attractive site. Here are some factors to consider:
Simplicity
Look for a drag-and-drop builder with designer templates to help you quickly launch a professional website without needing advanced technical skills. Some highly-rated options for used car dealerships include Unicorn Platform, Squarespace, and Wix. These make it simple to add pages, galleries, contact forms, and more at the click of a button.
Mobile-Friendly
With more and more people accessing the internet via smartphones, your website needs to be fully optimized for mobile devices. Choose a builder with responsive templates that automatically resize and reformat your site to fit any screen size. This ensures your visitors have a great experience no matter how they access your site.
Integrations
Look for a website builder that offers useful third-party integrations to help streamline your business operations. For used car dealerships, important integrations include vehicle pricing guides like Kelley Blue Book, customer relationship management (CRM) software, marketing automation platforms, and possibly inventory management systems. Some website builders offer open APIs to connect a wide range of tools.
Customization
Even with ready-made templates, you'll want options to customize your site to match your dealership's unique brand. Look for a website builder that allows you to easily change fonts, colors, and layouts. It should also provide space for you to add custom copy, images, videos, and more to help showcase your inventory and services. The ability to sell vehicles directly on your site is also useful.
By considering these key factors, you can choose a used car website builder that suits your needs and helps you create an effective digital presence for your dealership. An attractive, user-friendly site is essential for engaging today's vehicle buyers and driving more sales.
Must-Have Features for Used Car Dealer Websites
To build an irresistible used car dealership website, several essential features are must-haves. Implementing these components will allow you to create an intuitive, user-friendly experience for potential customers.
Vehicle Inventory Listing
An up-to-date list of vehicles currently in your inventory is crucial. Potential buyers will want to browse your selection and view details about each vehicle like make, model, year, mileage, condition, and price. Include high-quality photos of each vehicle as well as a short description highlighting any key features or recent service records. List your inventory in an easy to filter and sort manner by details like make, model, year, price, mileage, etc. so customers can find what they're looking for quickly.
Contact Information
Provide multiple ways for customers to contact you, such as phone number, email address, contact form, and live chat. Many potential buyers will have questions about vehicles they're interested in or your buying/financing process. Make sure a real person responds promptly to all inquiries with accurate information.
Dealership Location and Hours
List your physical dealership address, location on Google Maps, and business hours clearly on your website. Despite the growth of online car shopping, many customers still prefer to visit a dealership in person to view, test drive, and ultimately purchase a vehicle. Your location and hours should be easy to find from anywhere on your site.
Available Financing Options
Detail any financing or loan options you offer to help customers purchase a vehicle, such as special APR rates, loan terms, down payment requirements, and bank partnerships. Many buyers will need to finance at least part of a used vehicle purchase, so promoting available financing options can help persuade them to buy from your dealership. Terms, rates, and options should be transparent and easy to understand.
Positive Customer Reviews
Feature real customer reviews and testimonials praising your dealership and staff. Verifiable positive reviews help build trust and credibility, giving potential new customers confidence in your business. Keep reviews genuine, balanced and tied to a real customer experience. Refresh reviews regularly to keep content up to date.
Implementing a user-friendly website with these key features will help your used car dealership better connect with customers and drive more sales. A professional yet straightforward website focused on the customer experience is essential for success in today's digital marketplace.
Designing an Eye-Catching Used Car Website with Unicorn Platform
To design an irresistible used car dealership website with Unicorn Platform, follow these key steps:
First, choose a visually stunning template from their library of over 500 mobile-responsive designs. For a used car dealership, select a bold template with eye-catching imagery to showcase your vehicle inventory. Some recommended options include their “Automania” or “Wheelz” templates which feature full-width banner images and prominent galleries.
Next, customize the template by uploading your logo, brand colors, and font preferences. You can also modify the layout, adding or removing sections as needed to best represent your dealership’s offerings and strengths. For example, include a prominent “Featured Vehicles” section on the homepage to highlight your best current deals and most sought-after models.
Then, build your inventory page using their drag and drop inventory management tool. Add details for each vehicle like make, model, year, mileage, price, photos, and a vehicle description to entice potential buyers. Arrange the vehicles in a visually compelling grid style, sortable by price, make or model.
Furthermore, create additional pages for your “About Us”, contact information, directions, and any current sales or promotions. Flesh out your about page with your dealership’s story, mission and the team bios. Provide an easy to use contact form for customer inquiries and your full address and phone number.
Finally, once your site is built, activate the built-in SEO tools to improve your search ranking. This includes an SEO content editor, page-level content optimization and automatic sitemap generation. Your site will also be fully responsive, ensuring an optimal experience for mobile and desktop visitors alike.
In summary, Unicorn Platform makes it simple to build a professional, modern website for your used car dealership in a matter of minutes. With eye-catching templates, an easy to use page and inventory builder, and powerful SEO features, you'll have an irresistible site up and running to help drive more customers and increase your vehicle sales.
Creating a Used Vehicle Inventory Page That Sells
To effectively sell your used vehicle inventory on your dealership website, you need an dedicated inventory page. This page should make it easy for visitors to browse your current selection of pre-owned cars, trucks and SUVs.
Include Images of Each Vehicle
For every used vehicle you have for sale, include multiple high-quality images that show the interior, exterior, and details. According to studies, listings with images receive up to 60% more interest than those without.
Share Key Specs and Features
List the make, model, year, trim level, mileage, and condition of each vehicle. Also include details on optional features like leather seats, navigation system, upgraded sound system or a sunroof. The more information provided, the more interested serious buyers will be.
Provide Vehicle History and Condition Reports
Used car buyers want reassurance about the condition and history of any vehicle they’re interested in. Offer free vehicle history and condition reports from services like CARFAX® and Autocheck® for each of your used inventory units.
Set Competitive, Transparent Pricing
Do research on the Kelley Blue Book® and National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA) Guides to determine fair asking prices for each vehicle based on make, model, year, trim level, optional features, condition and mileage. Transparent, competitive pricing will earn the trust of used car buyers and sell your inventory faster.
Offer Financing and Warranty Options
Note the financing and warranty options available for your used vehicle inventory like special APR offers, extended service contracts and CPO warranties. This gives buyers more confidence and incentive to purchase from your dealership.
Allow Visitors to Compare Vehicles
A used vehicle inventory page should make it easy for visitors to compare different vehicles they’re interested in to determine which option best fits their needs and budget. Features like side-by-side comparison tools are very useful for enabling visitors to evaluate multiple used vehicles at once.
Following these best practices will help you create an irresistible used vehicle inventory page that effectively sells your pre-owned vehicle selection to interested buyers. By providing plenty of details, transparency and options for each used unit, you’ll give customers the confidence to purchase from your dealership.
Adding a Used Car Dealership Blog to Boost SEO
Adding a blog to your used car dealership website is one of the best ways to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and boost organic traffic. By regularly publishing helpful content related to used cars, car buying tips, and car care advice, you establish your business as an authority in the industry.
Choose a Blog Platform
Select a blogging platform that integrates seamlessly with your website. Many website builders like Unicorn Platform offer built-in blogging features. Using the same platform for your website and blog ensures a consistent design and streamlined content management. If using a separate blogging service, choose one that enables you to customize the design to match your website.
Determine Content Topics
Focus your blog content on subjects that would interest your potential customers, such as:
- How to check a used car's vehicle history report
- Questions to ask when buying a used SUV
- How to properly maintain a used luxury vehicle
- The best used sedans for families
Create an Editorial Calendar
Map out a schedule of at least one new blog post per week to keep your content fresh. An editorial calendar helps you plan topics and deadlines in advance and avoid scrambling to come up with new ideas each week. For the best SEO, include keywords in your post titles, page URLs, image alt text, and content.
Promote Your Blog Content
To increase traffic and rankings, promote your blog content on social media platforms where your target audience is active. You can also include links to relevant blog posts on your website and in email newsletters. When people read and share your content, it signals to search engines that your site contains valuable information.
A used car dealership blog, when implemented properly, can establish you as an authority, drive more organic search traffic, and ultimately sell more vehicles. Focusing on helpful content, an optimized platform, and regular promotion of your blog posts will make it an integral part of your digital marketing strategy.
Integrating a Used Car Payment Calculator
Integrating a payment calculator on your used car dealership website allows potential customers to determine estimated monthly payments for vehicles they are interested in. This encourages customers to envision themselves driving the vehicle, increasing the likelihood of a sale.
To add a payment calculator to your website, follow these steps:
Find a Responsive Calculator Plugin
Look for a payment calculator plugin that is responsive, working across devices, and customizable to match your website's style. Popular options include WP Vehicle Manager, Dealer Inspire's Payment Calculator, and Dealer.com's Smart Payment Calculator.
Enter Your Dealership's Information
The plugin will request information like your dealership name, address, the types of vehicles you sell (e.g. cars, trucks, SUVs), and your financing partners. Provide accurate details to display your dealership in a professional manner.
Determine a Default Interest Rate and Loan Term
Most customers will use the default options, so choose a competitive interest rate and loan term that applies to most of your inventory. For example, 3.99% APR for 60 months. Be sure to include a field for customers to enter their own rate and term if needed.
Customize the Styling
Adjust colors, fonts, and other elements to seamlessly blend the calculator into your website's design. Place the calculator prominently on vehicle listing pages, your finance page, and homepage for maximum visibility.
Track Usage and Leads
Many calculators allow you to view reports on the number of users and estimates generated. Monitor which vehicles and options are most popular so you can stock inventory to match customer interest. Be sure to follow up on all lead submissions from the calculator promptly.
Integrating a professional payment calculator into your used car dealership website establishes your dealership as a transparent, customer-centric business. When customers receive a tailored, data-driven estimate of their potential payments upfront, they can proceed confidently in the vehicle buying process knowing what they can afford. This boosts your credibility, leads, and sales.
Offering Used Car Financing and Loan Options on Your Website
Offering financing and loan options on your used car dealership website is a great way to boost sales and provide value to customers. Many people need vehicle financing in order to purchase a used car, especially those with little savings or poor credit. By providing financing on your website, you make the buying process more convenient for customers and increase the chances of them purchasing from you.
Highlight Loan Options Prominently
Feature your financing and loan offers prominently on your website, including on your homepage and vehicle pages. Provide details on the types of loans available, such as secured loans, unsecured personal loans, and loans for those with bad credit. List the benefits of each option, as well as estimated interest rates and payment amounts. This transparency will build trust with customers and encourage them to apply for financing through you.
Offer a Loan Calculator
A loan calculator is an essential tool to include on your website. This allows customers to estimate their monthly payments under different loan terms and interest rates. They can adjust variables like the loan amount, interest rate, and loan term to see how it impacts their payments. This helps them determine what they can afford before even applying for a loan.
Streamline the Application Process
The easier you make the application process, the more likely customers are to apply for financing through you. Provide an online loan application that can be completed directly on your website. Only ask for necessary information to get pre-approved and avoid lengthy, complicated forms. Clearly explain what documents or information may be needed for final loan approval. Offer to help customers through the process and provide guidance on alternative options if they are denied at first.
Highlight Any Special Offers
If you frequently run special financing offers, like reduced interest rates or $0 down promotions, highlight these prominently on your site. Special offers give people an incentive to buy now rather than later. They also convey you are willing to work with customers to make vehicle ownership affordable and accessible. However, only advertise offers that you genuinely intend to honor to avoid misleading customers.
By providing attractive financing and loan options on your used car dealership website, you'll give more people the opportunity to purchase a vehicle from you. Follow these tips to create an excellent financing experience for your customers.
Used Car Dealership Website Design FAQs: Responding to Customer Questions
Once your used car dealership website is up and running, you’ll likely receive questions from customers. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and how to respond:
How often do you update your inventory?
We update our online used car inventory daily to ensure the availability and details of vehicles listed on our website are current. Our goal is to provide customers the latest selection of high-quality, pre-owned vehicles to choose from.
Do you offer financing for used cars?
Yes, we work with various lending institutions and credit unions to provide competitive financing options for customers seeking an auto loan for a pre-owned vehicle. We offer terms for 12 to 72 months with rates starting as low as 2.99% APR for qualified buyers.
Do you allow test drives?
Absolutely. We encourage all interested customers to schedule a test drive of any used vehicle they’re considering purchasing. Test drives allow you to fully experience the vehicle’s performance, handling, and features to determine if it meets your needs before you commit to buying. Please contact us to schedule an appointment for a test drive.
Do you offer vehicle inspections and vehicle history reports?
All of our used vehicles undergo a rigorous multi-point inspection by our certified technicians to ensure they meet our high standards. We also provide free vehicle history reports for every pre-owned vehicle so customers have a detailed record of the vehicle’s past ownership, title records, accident history, and mileage readings.
Do you provide warranties on used cars?
Depending on the vehicle's age, make, model, and mileage, we may provide a limited powertrain warranty to cover major components like the engine, transmission, and drive axle. Warranties provide customers added confidence and peace of mind in their used vehicle purchase. Please speak to one of our sales representatives for details on available warranties for specific vehicles.
We hope this helps address some of the questions you may have about purchasing a used vehicle from our dealership. Please contact us if you have any additional questions. We’re here to make your used car buying experience as straightforward and stress-free as possible.
Conclusion
In today's digital world, your business's online presence is critical. An attractive yet practical website design allows you to make a great first impression, build trust, and convert visitors into customers. With a simple yet powerful website builder like Unicorn Platform, you have an easy way to create a professional dealership website in minutes without technical skills. Focus on what matters most - sourcing quality used vehicles, providing amazing customer service, and growing your business. Let Unicorn Platform handle the website so you can get back to doing what you do best. In a competitive market, make your dealership stand out with an irresistible website that turns casual shoppers into committed customers. The tools are at your fingertips, so start designing your dream website today.
