Website Tips
Help more local buyers find your inventory
Your website is an online storefront where shoppers can browse your inventory. These are the simple, high-impact steps that help search engines and customers find you. Want us to handle it for you? See our digital marketing services.
Step 1 — Get listed
Claim your business everywhere customers look
Free business listings put your dealership on the maps and search results shoppers already use. Claim each one, then keep your name, address, phone, and hours identical across all of them — consistency helps you rank.
Google Business Profile
The most important one — your dealership on Google Search and Maps, with hours, photos, and reviews.
Set up →Bing Places for Business
Get found on Microsoft Bing search and maps. Quick to claim once Google is done.
Set up →Apple Business Connect
Show up correctly in Apple Maps and Siri for iPhone shoppers.
Set up →Facebook Page
A business page is where many local shoppers check you out first.
Set up →Step 3 — Get found
Keep your content fresh for Google
We handle the heavy lifting behind the scenes, but a few habits on your end make a real difference in how well you rank and convert.
Use real keywords in your text
Tell Google who you are, what you sell, and where — in plain sentences on your pages. Include your city, your dealership name, and the kinds of vehicles you carry.
Take consistently good inventory photos
Photos sell cars online. Keep them consistent so your inventory looks professional at a glance.
- • Center the vehicle in the frame
- • Shoot in the same spot and lighting each time
- • Clean the car and the background first
- • Capture multiple angles, inside and out
- • Cluttered or distracting backgrounds
- • Dark, blurry, or crooked shots
- • Inconsistent angles across your lot
- • A single photo per vehicle
Write unique, detailed descriptions
Unique vehicle descriptions give shoppers more useful information and can help search engines better understand what makes each listing distinct.
"1962 Chevrolet Corvette Fuelie in Tuxedo Black over a red interior, powered by a matching-numbers 327ci 360hp V8 with Rochester mechanical fuel injection and a BorgWarner T10 4-speed. Subject to a frame-off restoration completed in 2013, with immaculate paint, fresh chrome, and complete documentation. Contact our sales team for a full walk-around — we accept trades and offer financing."
"This vehicle will sell quickly! Come see us today!"
Photographing your inventory
How to shoot a car, step by step
Great photos sell cars online. Circle the car and capture every angle in order, then grab the interior and details.
Prep the car
Wash and dry it, clean the interior, clear out clutter and mats, and put your dealer plate on. A clean car photographs far better than a detailed one shot dirty.
Pick your spot & light
Shoot in the same place every time. Soft, even light is best — overcast or open shade — and avoid harsh midday sun, glare, and busy backgrounds.
Do the walkaround
Circle the car and take a shot at each corner and side: front 3/4 (your hero), driver side, rear 3/4, the rear, passenger side, and the front. Hold the phone level and keep the car centered.
Capture the details
Then get the interior: dashboard, front and back seats, odometer, and engine bay, plus the wheels. Show any flaws honestly — it sets expectations and builds trust.
Review & upload
Pick your sharpest front 3/4 as the first image, keep the set consistent, and upload promptly. With Wayne Reaves you can scan and publish to your site right from the lot.
Then the close-ups
Capture the interior & details
A few more that matter today
Small habits, big difference
Collect & reply to reviews
Ask happy buyers for a Google review, and reply to every one. Reviews drive both rankings and trust.
Keep inventory current
Mark sold units sold and add new arrivals promptly. Fresh, accurate inventory keeps shoppers — and Google — coming back.
Make sure it's fast & mobile
Most car shoppers are on their phones. Your Wayne Reaves site is mobile-first and fast out of the box.
Want us to handle all of this?
Our team builds dealer websites and runs the marketing that fills your lot — so you can focus on selling cars.