DealerKnows
Where Do I Start?
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative Video
    • Performance Monitoring
    • CRM Analysis
    • Professional Speaking
    • Bundles
  • Products
    • TaskTeacher
    • PriceMatrix
    • Dealer Forensics
  • Clients
    • Results
    • Reviews
  • About
    • Joe Webb
    • Bill Playford
    • DK Team
    • Ask the Experts
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • Funny Videos
    • Educational Videos
    • Dealership Videos
    • Conference Videos
    • Make Me A Star
  • Contact Us
  • DealerKnows Summer Camp
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative Video
    • Performance Monitoring
    • CRM Analysis
    • Professional Speaking
    • Bundles
  • Products
    • TaskTeacher
    • PriceMatrix
    • Dealer Forensics
  • Clients
    • Results
    • Reviews
  • About
    • Joe Webb
    • Bill Playford
    • DK Team
    • Ask the Experts
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • Funny Videos
    • Educational Videos
    • Dealership Videos
    • Conference Videos
    • Make Me A Star
  • Contact Us
  • DealerKnows Summer Camp
Where Do I Start?

Ask the Experts – What is the Right First Vehicle Photo?

Share With:

If there’s anything that drives me crazy, it’s the latest trend or fad to have that first or only vehicle photo be the 3/4 PASSENGER side shot, versus the 3/4 DRIVER side. It is my crusade to figure out why this absurd practice is being pushed so heavily.

You can tell I have an opinion on the matter. I have decades of ad experience under my belt, much of that photographing and video-ing products, including cars – so I speak with some confidence.

Lately, vendors and other advisors are telling me to show the passenger side of the vehicle. When I ask why, I am given the following reasons: that’s the trend, the car flows to the copy / price, it’s the right way of doing it, and the brilliant “someone told us you should do it that way.” That last one came from an automotive website provider. They believe it so much, they actually flip the stock photos on one of our competitor’s websites – so the manufacturer logo is now backwards. Love it.

I’m not completely close-minded and if someone can point to a stunning difference in ROI for passenger side pics, I’ll follow the trend. However, I counter with this:

1) Not every piece, ad or website where the photo is used “flows” that way. Photos are multi-purpose, and it seems to me that you can’t go wrong with the standard 3/4 driver side photo – it should work with nearly everything.

2) The driver’s side is the side the buyer will see 99% of the time when they get into their vehicle, and where they can imagine themselves getting into the vehicle. A customer must imagine themselves in the vehicle, not as a passenger.

3) When you think of a car, it does itself have a flow – from hood to trunk. When you place a vehicle passenger-side out, the viewers brain will hiccup over the “wrong” placement of the vehicle, going from trunk to hood – similar to seeing themselves in the passenger side vs in control as the driver. The eye does glide over the hood to the trunk, as it should with driver-side out.

4) I’ve done testing. When you present a choice of photos of the same vehicle, all things being the same aside from the passenger-side vs the driver-side as a choice, in my testing, the response has been the driver side photo is “better.” The folks I asked didn’t know why really, but outside of an ad, it’s overwhelming driver-side wins. I went out of my way to be fair with the photos, since I’m biased.

What makes this especially frustrating is the manufacturer I work with is only delivering passenger-side stock / line art now. Until this year, it’s was all driver-side.

I understand there’s been testing and eyeballs measured to see where viewers look and click, and these tests may be the reason for the change. But anything that goes against the natural grain of the customer’s brain should be reconsidered. I do my best to present all our photos driver-side out, and replace stock photos with originals from our lot. It’s just the first photo presented of many I take for each vehicle.

I don’t think I’m totally wrong. I also don’t believe that the other way is totally right. Someone had an opinion, and if that’s all it is, I’ll keep my driver-side photos, thank you. If I’m completely off base, I’d love to see some articles about it and I’ll make the change – especially if it means I get paid more every month.

Thanks for listening to my rant. I appreciate any feedback. I’ve seen your presentations a few times and it’s always entertaining and educational. If you have a post or video about this – I will gladly eat it up.

Thank you.
Chris
_______________________________________________
Hello Chris,

Great question! I’ll try to answer to the best of my ability.
1st off, yes, I believe a driver’s side 3/4 shot should be suitable, but can also understand how a passenger side 3/4 shot could be slightly better. Let me explain.

It was about 2002 when I first heard Cars.com start beating the drums to take the first hero image as passenger side 3/4. They did release some data back then about click-thru rates. Their theory was that the great majority of all vehicles listed on their marketplace was a driver’s side 3/4 shot and the passenger side 3/4 shot was a real differentiator to the vehicle. (Yes, as you mentioned, I recall them saying it was a psychological arrow pointing toward the vehicle info and CTAs).

Here is an older screenshot I’ve used showing how the right angle, when compared to others, could stand out. Which one of these things is not like the other?
vehicle merchandising

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you believe, as I sort of do, that a vehicle’s headlights are it’s eyes (bear with me here), then there is ad science proving that the direction of the primary subject’s eyes in an ad direct the viewer to what they should be looking at. A study in heat mapping confirmed this theory. In these two pics below, where the baby’s attention is draws the eyes of the reader.
ad science

Now, I’ve seen many dealers experiment with enhancing their primary image and receiving better results, such as adding filters, overlaying large text, and more. (Heck, we even have a dealer client playing around with taking pictures of the undercarriage on all used cars for sale.) At last year’s DrivingSales Executive Summit, the Digital Marketing Manager of Weins Canada, Josh Pogue, presented a case study with resounding data showing that having your first picture be the cockpit and dashboard was most beneficial. vehicle photo
(A shot from the second row into the first row showing dashboard, steering wheel, center console, etc). He generated significantly more leads, clicks, VDP views, etc. I think it is likely because it differentiates itself from all other pics on the automotive marketplaces. However, CarStory released great merchandising studies for used car shoppers stating that particular image is most valuable to them, actually.

I’ve seen other dealers create a collage of vehicle photos as their primary image, again, seeing more leads/clicks because it looks different from others. Appears more dynamic. Sorry I don’t have the access to the data out there, but there is existing logic behind the driver’s side 3/4 shot not being the most ideal. We had conducted a merchandising study called The Science of Online Car Listings a few years ago downloadable on our main site, https://dealerknows.com, that includes more data regarding # of vehicle photos preferred, but not so much vehicle photo angle.

Nonetheless, you’ve supplied one of the longer and more thought out Ask the Experts questions we’ve ever received so I’m happy to take the time to share with you my opinions. Keep up the great work. When you care so much about something you do, you’ll always be more successful than those that don’t care of the product or outcome they support.

Joe Webb

Joe Webb • September 9, 2016 • Ask the Expert

Tell Me About It

Click here to cancel reply.

Got A Question?
  • Best Of
  • Most Read
  • Three Questions That Need to Be Answered For 2023: Why Does It Matter Now?
    By Bill Playford
    December 29, 2022
  • 3 Important Questions That Need Answering for 2023
    By Bill Playford
    December 19, 2022
  • improv comedyHow Improv Comedy Builds Companies
    By Joe Webb
    July 2, 2019
  • NYE PartyWhat My Crazy NYE Party Can Teach Us About Marketing in 2019
    By Joe Webb
    January 3, 2019
  • 3 Important Questions That Need Answering for 2023
    By Bill Playford
    December 19, 2022
  • sales managementThe Manager Who Doesn’t: A Guide to Better Sales Management
    By Joe Webb
    June 2, 2016
  • sacred cowCan you Kill a Sacred Cow?
    By Joe Webb
    January 12, 2016
  • The LeftoversWhat Happens When They Disappear?
    By Bill Playford
    August 29, 2015

Categories

  • All About BDCs
  • Ask the Expert
  • Comic Strips
  • Competitive Edge
  • DealerKnows Data
  • DealerKnows Press
  • DealerKnows Testimonials
  • Digital Marketing
  • Digital Marketing Conferences
  • Gotta’ Share
  • Internet Strategy
  • Lead Management and Process
  • Leadership and Sales Management
  • Quotables
  • Sales Training
  • Small Business Consulting
  • Social Media and Reputation Management
  • Technology
  • Vendor Relations
  • Websites and Online Search

Search Posts

Sign Up for DealerKnews

There are craptastic newsletters, then there is DealerKnews. Get all of our posts without having to set up a RSS feed. Start getting a monthly megadose of geniusness. Its like steroids for your brain.

Latest from the Blog

3 Questions That Need to Be Answered For 2023: Who is Responsible for Success?by Bill PlayfordRead blog post

Contact us

We really, really, really want to talk to you.

Get In Touch with Us

Sign Up for DealerKnews

There are craptastic newsletters, then there is DealerKnews. Get all of our posts without having to set up a RSS feed. Start getting a monthly megadose of geniusness. It’s like steroids for your brain.

© 2023 DealerKnows | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Powered by Launch Digital Marketing.

2023 DealerKnows Summer Camp

The Only Automotive Conference You’ll Regret Missing

Location: Camp Blue Ridge | Clayton, GA

May 23-25, 2023

Buy Tickets!         Book Rooms!

Rooms are filling up – book your hotel soon!