Enhancing your Vehicle Ad with Photos
Adding a vehicle photo is a nice way to dress up your ad. Not only does it show that you have a nice vehicle worthy of being assumed, it also allows the buyer a glimpse into what the "total package" may look like. Sometimes it is difficult to describe a vehicle by simply stating the make, model, and exterior color but adding photos allows the whole package to come to life.
Get a Digital Camera
If you haven't joined the ranks of digital camera owners, now is the time. Digital photographs are the language for expressing things visually online. All photos on LeaseTrade.com are digital photos and all digital cameras, old or new, are capable of supporting the proper resolution. All cameras support the common digital photo .jpg format, which is what you'll need for your ad. If you don't happen to have a digital camera, and don't feel like buying one, ask a friend or a neighbor if you can quickly borrow theirs. It will only take a second, is easy to upload, and will dress your vehicle ad up nicely.
Fill the Frame and Center the Picture!
Many people make the mistake of including too much background and not enough car in their picture. Fill the frame! When you take the picture, have the vehicle centered in the camera's frame and have it fill the frame completely. Make sure the car is the primary focus of the picture. A cluttered background takes away from the car. This will help display more of the car and make it easier to view for buyers browsing vehicle ads.
Photo Formats and Resolutions
LeaseTrade.com supports and displays the .jpg (commonly termed JPEG) file format. This is the best format as it does a good job of showing a clear picture without the file size becoming too large. We display vehicle photos at 640 x 480 pixel resolution (0.3 megapixel) for Deluxe, Dealer, and Enhanced ad packages and 348 x 261 for Basic ad packages. As long as the the photos that you are uploading are equal to or larger than the resolutions listed above, your vehicle photos will display well.
What is the Best Perspective? (Single or Multi-Photo Ads)
First Photo
For your first photo, the front right quarter panel, or a front left quarter panel is key. This perspective provides a view of the front and side of the car and does a great job of displaying the vehicle's most visual area (including your rims if you turn the steering wheel away from the camera). You can see the color, styling, dimensions, and most importantly, your vehicle's personality. Of all the vehicle photos, this one is the most important.
Second Photo
The second photo should be of the rear/side quarter panel. This perspective will provide a look at the rear of the vehicle as well as the side of the vehicle from a different perspective. This also provides a view of the trunk or liftgate to detail the cargo capacity of the vehicle. Both the front/side (first photo) and the rear/side (second photo) will do a good job of summing up the vehicle's exterior all the way around.
Third Photo
The third picture should be of the dashboard. This should include the complete left to right view including the steering wheel, instrument panel, climate control, stereo, and the gear shift. Taking the picture from the rear passenger seat can provide the viewing angle to capture this valuable photo. Vehicle interiors, specifically the vehicle cockpit area, are important for buyers as this is their daily interface while driving. A good dash picture can show additional details such as a vehicle's sound system controls, navigation system, steering radio controls, gear shift configuration, and other stylistic trim.
Fourth Photo
The fourth photo is an optional photo and can be used for anything else that you feel is an important additional descriptor for the vehicle. Examples of optional photos that might be good to include are close up wheel/tire shots, open trunk shots, rear seat shots, top down shots (for convertibles), or open door shots. These extras additional flavor to your total visual vehicle package.
Improving the Odds of Success
Vehicle photos are a proven way to attract more interested buyers. With good photos, you will be able to attract more interested buyers and increase your chances for lease assumption success. As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words!"
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