car nation canada - inventory controller guide
TRANSCRIPT
2016INVENTORYMERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER ROLE & DUTIES
ADVERTISING GUDELINES
BRAND GUIDELINES
4 PILLARS OF CTR
YOUR AD: ONLINE MARKETPLACE
YOUR AD: WEBSITE
OMVIC REGULATIONS & DISCLOSURES
DEFINITIONS
04
06
07
29
31
32
34
35
36
INTRODUCTIONThe Inventory Merchandiser is responsible for producing and maintaining the dealership’s vehicle inventory online advertisements.
Between your dealership’s website and online marketplaces such as AutoTrader.ca, CarGurus.com and Kijiji.ca, the ads you create are exposed to thousands of potential car buyers each day. These people are already interested in buying a vehicle, but why should they be interested in a vehicle on your lot?
Through proper pricing and merchandising of vehicles, we can entice shoppers to click on our ads instead of the competition.
Our vehicle advertisements populate our website and other marketplaces. As a whole, our online Inventory must serve as a sort of ‘menu’ for the consumer. We aren’t trying to trick or deceive the consumer into buying a vehicle - our goal is to provide them with the most relevant information that will allow them to make an informed decision.
Customers want to know a dealership is trustworthy, credible, and professional; our online ads must communicate to consumers that this is what Car Nation Canada dealerships are all about.
According to Stats Canada, there were 732,718 new vehicles sold in Ontario in 2014. On average, that’s 61,060 per month, and 2,007 per day! That might sound like a lot ofvehicles, but once you divide that by the amount of dealerships in Ontario, you’ll see why we have to stay competitive and ensure our ads are better than our competition- every day.
What about Used vehicles? Roughly 1,056,732 Used vehicles were sold in Ontario in 2013 (2014 stat unavailable). That breaks down to 88,061 per month and 2,895 per day.
Used car source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-busi-
ness/recessions-backfire-rattles-used-car-market/article21076766/
New Car source: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-
som/l01/cst01/trade36f-eng.htm
732,718 new vehicles sold61,060 per month2,007 per day
1,056,732 Used vehicles sold88,061 per month2,895 per day
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
6
INVENTORY MERCHANDISERROLE & DUTIES
The Inventory Merchandiser is responsible for the start-to-finish process of creating and publishing online advertisements for New and Pre-owned vehicles in accordance with Car Nation Canada guidelines, and in an efficient and timely manner.
General Responsibilities
Your duties may include:
Maintain regular communication with Sales Managers to determine which vehicles need to be cleaned, photographed, and published online with proper pricing.
Photograph each vehicle, according to Car NationCanada guidelines
Constantly evaluate your process in order to find ways to improve upon efficiency, while maintaining the quality of your advertisements.
ADVERTISING GUIDELINES
8
ADVERTISING GUIDELINESExterior
Exterior and Interior of vehicle must be cleaned before
photographing the vehicle. All vehicles that are posted online
must be presented in their absolute best condition possible.
Vehicle must have Car Nation Canada-branded plate frame, as
well as appropriate year plate frame insert.
Any damage, missing exterior parts, or any concerns must be
brought to the attention of your Sales Manager, and must be
approved by them to before publish online.
9 pictures minimum at standard angles. Please refer to
‘Inventory Pictures’ on page 15. In addition to the 9 standard
exterior pictures, exterior photos that highlight unique key
features of the vehicle including unique badging, cameras,
sensors, lights, paint finishes, after-market parts, etc should
also be included. Your Sales Manager will be able to provide
you with suggestions on what the unique features are. Please
refer to ‘Inventory Pictures’ on page 17.
Interior
Since key interior features may differ significantly between
trim levels and models, the number of pictures from vehicle to
vehicle may differ by as many as 20 images.
For the interior of the vehicle, there are 13 standard photos.
Please refer to Interior Photos on page 19.
In addition to the 13 standard interior photos, you may require
additional interior photos to showcase uncommon or optional
equipment on a vehicle that would differentiate this particular
vehicle from other similar models. The purpose of these ad-
ditional photos is to “tell” the customer what valuable features
this vehicle has to offer.
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
9
Lead Image
This image is the most important image in the
album and is included in the “Four Pillars of Click-
Through Rate” (see page 31). The purpose of this
image is to showcase the best angle of the
vehicle and entice the viewer to click on your ad.
The lead picture is to be shot from the passenger
side angle. When framing this shot, you should
draw an imaginary vertical line down the center
of the corner of the vehicle, so that 50% of the
vehicle is on the left side of the image, and 50% is
on the right. Refer to page 11.
The vehicle should be framed tightly enough so
that the left and right sides of the vehicle are
almost touching the edge of the image, and the
top and bottom of the vehicle are almost touching
the top and bottom of the image, as shown on
page 10. When setting your vertical spacing, be
sure to consider that you will be adding a frame
around your image and will need to leave extra
space on the top and bottom in order to
accommodate the frame overlay.
Tight Left Margin
Tight Bottom Margin
Tight Top Margin
Tight Right Margin1
2
1
2
10
Correct
Correct
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
20% of vehicle on left side of central axis
20% of vehicle on left side of central axis
80% of vehicle on right side of central axis
80% of vehicle on right side of central axis
This angle is incorrect.
The Vehicle is not centered at
the desired central axis
This angle is incorrect.
The Vehicle is not centered at
the desired central axis
11
50% of vehicle on left side of central axis
50% of vehicle on right side of central axis
This angle is correct. Correct
Wrong
Wrong
11
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
EXTERIOR
15
Exterior Picture 1 – Standard
The front of the vehicle possesses many key brand-identifying
style features. By keeping tight vertical and horizontal margins
this image will showcase key features of the front of the vehicle,
including lighting configurations, grille style, badging, vents,
and more. An imaginary horizontal line drawn between the two
front wheels should run perfectly parallel to the bottom frame
boundary of the image.
Exterior Picture 3 – Standard
This image captures the entire driver’s side of the vehicle. To
take this shot properly, the photographer will need to be slightly
crouched, with the camera at the same level as the door handles
of the vehicle. The vehicle should almost touch the left and right
edges of the frame. The bottom of the frame and an imaginary
horizontal line between the front and rear wheel should run
parallel to each other.
Exterior Picture 2 – Standard
This image follows the same guidelines as the lead photo, but is
taken from the driver’s side angle. Be sure to keep tight vertical
and horizontal margins on all sides of the vehicle, and be sure
to maintain the 50/50 split around the central axis. This image
showcases the vehicle’s wheels, the design lines of the side of
the vehicle, turning indicators, badging, front grille, light
configurations, and more.
Exterior Picture 4 – Standard
This image will follow the same guidelines at the lead picture.
Be sure to keep tight vertical and horizontal margins on all sides
of the vehicle, and be sure to maintain the 50/50 split around
the central axis. This image will highlight the rear taillight, rear
lighting configurations, badging, exhaust, backup camera and
sensors, and more.
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
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Exterior Picture 5 – Standard
The rear shot of the vehicle will follow the same guidelines as the
front shot of the vehicle. Tight vertical and horizontal margins are
to be maintained around the outside of the vehicle. An imaginary
horizontal line drawn between the two rear wheels should run
perfectly parallel to the bottom frame boundary of the image.
Exterior Picture 7 – Standard
This image captures the entire passenger side of the vehicle.
To take this shot, the photographer will need to be slightly
crouched, with the camera at the same level as the door
handles. The vehicle should almost touch the left and right
edges of the frame. The bottom of the frame and an imaginary
horizontal line between the front and rear wheel should run
parallel to each other.
Exterior Picture 6 – Standard
This image will follow the same guidelines at the lead picture.
Be sure to keep tight vertical and horizontal margins on all sides
of the vehicle, and be sure to maintain the 50/50 split around
the central axis. This image will highlight the rear taillight, rear
lighting configurations, badging, exhaust, backup camera and
sensors, and more.
Exterior Picture 8 – Standard
This image focuses on the wheel of the vehicle. Similar to the
front grille of the vehicle, the rim possess many key manufacturer
brand-identifying design features, and can be a key differentiator
between competing brands. The availability of many wheel
options on most new vehicles is evidence of the importance of
this feature to customers. The wheel should be turned so that
the manufacturer logo is horizontally level with the ground. Tire
scuffs should be cleaned up before shooting this photo.
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
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Exterior Picture 9 – Optional
Functioning vents and scoops are sporty features that provide
this is sporty feature that provides performance improvement is
typically only available on high-performance vehicles.
Exterior Picture 11 – Optional
Headlights are key brand-identifying design features of vehicles
and many of them have so much fine detail that they need to
be shot up-close in order to capture them properly. This vehicle
also has a headlamp cleaning system that pops out of the small
shape below the headlamp.
Exterior Picture 10 – Optional
Turning indicators on side mirrors are becoming more common
these days, but are still not standard features on base trim
level vehicles.
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
WE TREAT YOU LIKE FAMILY
INTERIOR
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Interior Picture 1 – Standard
As the first image of the interior pictures we are simulating the
viewer entering the vehicle from the driver’s side. This image
highlights door features, including speakers, materials, and
design. This image also highlights interior features such as the
entrance plate, seat adjustment options, and different controls
that may be located to the left side of the steering wheel.
Interior Picture 3 – Optional
This image is ideal for vehicles that have higher-quality interior
materials and design, or vehicles that have badging on the seats
(such as limited edition Wranglers, SRT Challengers, etc). This
image captures the design and details of the seating in the front
cabin. This image can be taken through the driver’s side window
with the door opened or closed, depending on the vehicle.
Interior Picture 2 – Standard
This image is also considered an “entry” shot, but shows more
detail to the viewer upon entry of the vehicle. This shot should
capture the driver’s leg space, side profile of the driver’s seat,
seat adjustment options, condition of the floor materials and
all materials viewable from this angle. If there is a sunroof in
this vehicle that can be partially captured in this shot then the
sunroof cover should be open.
Interior Picture 4 – Optional
The image highlights both the materials and design of the front
seats, however, the main focus of the image is the sunroof.
If your vehicle has a sunroof, this image should definitely be
included in the photoset.
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
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Interior Picture 7 – Standard
This shot is a continuation of the previous shot and shows the
same features as the previous image with a better view of the
centre console. To take this shot, sit in the rear of the vehicle
and hold the camera close to the ceiling of the vehicle aligned to
the centre of the media centre. Tilt the camera slightly forward
until the top of the frame almost touches where the dashboard
meets the windshield.
Interior Picture 8 – Standard
Many vehicles feature convenient steering wheel-mounted
controls that offer the driver the ability to use Bluetooth
features for their phone, as well as the media centre. The
image can be shot from the rear seat of the vehicle, or
sitting in the driver’s seat.
Interior Picture 6 – Standard
This picture is taken from the view of the driver as if they were
sitting in the driver’s seat. From this angle the viewer can see
the driver’s gauge cluster, steering wheel controls, media centre,
climate controls, gear shifter, and overall design of the interior
cabin. This shot is taken from the back seat of the vehicle, with
the camera held just in front of the headrest.
Interior Picture 5 – Standard
This is the final “entry” shot and is a standard interior photo
that is commonly seen on manufacturer websites. This show
perfectly captures many of the interior features including seating
materials, centre console, media centre, steering wheel and
steering wheel features, passenger side leg room, passenger
side door panel, and front dash, including air vent locations.
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
Interior Picture 11 – Standard
These gauge clusters have become highly stylized over the past
few years, and can vary greatly across the different manufacturers.
Many higher-end vehicles offer customizable configurations
and even applications that will modify this display. If this display
offers unique features, be sure to navigate to those features on
this screen for this photo.
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Interior Picture 9 – Optional
This image shows greater detail of the steering wheel
materials, as well as the steering wheel-mounted controls on
the left-side of the steering wheel.
Interior Picture 10 – Optional
This image shows greater detail of the steering wheel materials,
as well as the steering wheel-mounted controls on the right-side
of the steering wheel.
Interior Picture 12 – Optional
The push button start is often found in high-performance and
luxury vehicles, but is starting to become more common
amongst other vehicle types. If your vehicle has a push button
start, it should be included in the photoset.
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
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Interior Picture 15 – Standard
Since climate controls can offer many different configurations,
including standard controls, dual-climate controls, and even
tri-climate controls it is important to photograph the climate
control centre for each vehicle. Other features that may be
included in the section are heated seats controls, cooled seats
controls, front and rear defroster controls, and more.
Interior Picture 16 – Standard
A photo of a vehicle’s shifter will immediately provide
information to a consumer about the transmission type of the
vehicle – manual/standard or automatic. The shifter may also
offer different drive modes, including automatic transmissions
with an option to shift manually. Most recently, electronic
shifters have become available in vehicles, such as the one in
this image.
Interior Picture 13 – Standard
The media centre has seen many upgrades over the past few
years and many vehicles offer features such as Bluetooth
connectivity, USB Inputs, touchscreen, voice command, and
more. Higher vehicles may offer a variety of interesting screens,
from media options to vehicle performance indicators. Be sure
to capture these images and include them as optional images.
Interior Picture 14 – Optional
This image is a continuation of the main media centre image. In
this image, we have shifted the vehicle into “Reverse” and are
showing the “Backup Camera” view.
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
Interior Picture 19 – Standard
This image brings the viewer to the rear of the vehicle. Similar to
the previous entry photo, this image highlights the rear passenger
door panel, speaker configurations, storage, materials, and
storage located behind the driver’s seat.
Interior Picture 20 – Standard
The second “entry” image for the rear seats is very similar to
a previous image taken of the front seat and highlights the leg
room available to rear passengers, headroom, seating materials,
and overall cabin space.
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Interior Picture 17 – Optional
Even though cupholders are a standard feature across all
vehicles, the configurations and materials used vary across the
manufacturers. In this image we can see a 12V Power Supply,
as well as a small handle that indicates that we can slide a cover
over top of this compartment to conceal contents.
Interior Picture 18 – Optional
This image shows the different media input ports concealed
in the centre console. This image is listed as “Optional”, but if
the vehicle has these ports, this is image should definitely be
included in the album.
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
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Interior Picture 21 – Optional
Many vehicles now feature “Panoramic” sunroofs that are much
larger than traditional ones. In this case, you may need to
capture the sunroof from a different angle to truly show the size
and effect of having the sunroof open.
Interior Picture 22 – Standard
This image is taken from the front of the vehicle and highlights
the design and materials of the rear seats. This photo is taken
by holding the camera very close to the ceiling, with the camera
angled downward until the top of the frame sits just above the
rear headrests.
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
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Descriptions
Descriptions must include any necessary legal
disclaimers at the time the ad is published. Please
refer to the OMVIC Legal Disclaimers section for
more information.
Descriptions must follow a logical structure that
will allow customers to easily find the most
important information at a glance. Use the
following structure for your vehicle descriptions:
1. Summary
The first 97 characters must summarize the
selling features of your vehicle. As part of the
Four Pillars of CTR, this is a key area that can be
a deciding factor between a consumer clicking
on your ad or not. If the first 97 characters of your
description do not contain information that entices
a customer to click on your ad, the customer
will not see the rest of your description and may
miss important information about the vehicle.
Include vehicle history and overall condition in
this section.
2. Interior description
Note any unique features of the interior first,
followed by standard options that are relevant to
the consumer. Items that can be mentioned in this
section may include colour, cabin size, technology
features (Bluetooth, OnStar, etc.), seat features
(heated, cooled, 9-position seat adjustment,
memory seats, zero-gravity, massage chair, etc.),
media centre version and features (navigation,
backup camera, features
3. Exterior Description
Note any key selling features of the vehicle, which
may include light configurations (fog lights, HID,
Xenon, Auto-leveling, Adaptive, etc.) mirrors
(turning indicators, heated, chrome, paint colour
match, etc.), paint (condition, matte, chameleon,
limited edition, new for this year, etc.), dual exhaust,
special badging, redesigned features, functioning
vents and scoops, roof rack, rear wiper, tinted
glass, side steps, skid plate, hands-free access
or intelligent key, upgrades (suspension, lift kit,
wheels, lights, sensors, etc.).
4. Default Description
The default description will be the responsibility of
the Car Nation Canada Marketing Manager and will
include general information about the dealership.
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
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Structure Using Simple HTML Tags
HTML Tags can be used to structure your
description to improve readability for the consumer.
HTML tagging allows you to declutter your lengthy
descriptions, and to separate your text into
paragraphs and lists. Here's a list of simple HTML
tags that can be used, and how they work.
Paragraph Tags <p></p>
Paragraph tags are used to separate your text into
paragraphs. To define a paragraph, simply add
<p> to the start of your paragraph, and </p> to
the end of your paragraph.
List Tags
Using Unordered list tags is similar to using
paragraph tags, except your text will appear as a
list with bullet points instead of numbers. Here is
how to structure a list:
Start and end your list using the following tags:
<ul></ul>. <ul> is used at the beginning of the list,
before all <li></li> tags, and </ul> is used at the
end of the list after all <li></li> tags.
<li> Use an opening tag at the start of your list item
and use a closing tag to close it. Like this.</li>
Use a new set of <li> and </li> to define each new
list item. A list with 4 different items would look
like this.
<ul>
<li>List Item 1</li>
<li>List item 2</li>
<li>List item 3</li>
<li>List item 4</li>
</ul>
HTML tagging will take effect on your website,
however, on AutoTrader and most other
marketplaces, you will have to ensure you are still
formatting your descriptions using regular spaces
and paragraph breaks as these online marketplaces
use this to format your descriptions.
Use HTML tagging to separate each of the 4
sections of your paragraph vehicle description.
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
BRAND GUIDELINES
Only graphics that are created by the Car Nation
Canada Marketing department are approved for
online advertising.
If you wish to include any additional images,
graphics, CTAs, etc. in your inventory pictures,
please contact the Marketing department.
Lead Image
The lead image is one of the components of the
“Four Pillars of Click-Through Rate”, which means
it has significant impact on a consumer’s decision
to click on your ad. See page 9 for Car Nation
Canada Guidelines for the lead image.
Trim Description
The Trim Description is automatically populated
by the trim level details of the vehicle, but should
also be modified to include important selling
features of the vehicle. Most online marketplaces
display a limited amount of characters, so be sure
to include the most important features at the start
of the description.
Character limits
AutoTrader: 47-50 characters
Car Gurus: Not customizable
Kijiji: 64 characters
Description Preview
The Description Preview is a snapshot of the intro
of your vehicle’s customer description. Since
online marketplaces display a limited amount of
characters in this section, it is important to include
a list of key selling features at the start of the
description so that consumers see these features
before clicking on the ad. See page 27 for Car
Nation Canada guidelines for the structure of the
Description.
Character limits
AutoTrader: 94-98 characters
Car Gurus: None
Kijiji: 194-198 characters
Age of Advertisement
This is a new feature on most online marketplaces
and displays the amount of time this vehicle has
been advertised on that specific marketplace.
Each of the online marketplaces displays this
information in different formats.
Marketplace Formats
AutoTrader: Displays number of days, up to 6
weeks. After 6 weeks, “> 6 weeks” is displayed.
Car Gurus: Displays number of days on market
with no limit on age displayed.
Kijiji: Displays the date that the ad was posted.
BRANDING GUIDELINES
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2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
31
THE FOUR PILLARS OF CLICK-THROUGH RATE
These Four Pillars of Click-Through Rate (CTR)
are the key elements of an ad that influence a
consumers decision to click on your online
advertisement in the marketplace. Car Nation
Canada's guidelines are constantly calibrated to
focus on these key areas of influence to attract
the highest amount of valuable 'clicks' from
consumers in a competitive online environment.
Optimally Priced Vehicles
Consumers may establish strict or loose decision
criteria at the beginning of their search for a new
vehicle, but price is always a consideration
regardless of what other factors are being
considered. In fact, the most commonly used
'Search Filter' on online vehicle marketplaces
is 'Sort by Price Low-to-High' which means
consumers want to start at the low end of their
budget and work their way upwards to see which
vehicles are available at the lower end of their
price range.
Price is the only element of the Four Pillars of CTR
that the Inventory Merchandiser does not control.
Sales Managers and General Managers will
dictate pricing and pricing changes on all vehicles.
Lead Image
The lead image of your online advertisement
must showcase the vehicle at its absolute best,
and must be visually appealing to the consumer
who is browsing through hundreds of vehicle ads
during their search. Refer to page 33.
Trim Description
Trim descriptions should include the most important
features of the vehicle and should be readable
for consumers. AutoTrader.ca only provides 45
characters to communicate these features the
consumer. Excessive use of industry
abbreviations will confuse consumers as they
do not use these terms on a regular daily basis.
Please refer to page 33 for Car Nation Canada
guidelines for Trim Descriptions.
Vehicle Description
The first 93 - 97 characters of a vehicle's
description will be displayed on the Search
Results page, or Vehicle Listings Page (VLP), on
most online marketplace websites. This
valuable 'real estate' space must be used to
entice a consumer who is looking for this vehicle
to click on your ad. In this section, ensure there is
no redundant information (dealership name, year/
make/model, odometer) and that all information
is geared towards enticing a consumer to click
on your ad. Please refer to Car Nation Canada
guidelines for more information.
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
32
YOUR AD: ONLINE MARKETPLACE
Trim Description
Description Preview PriceLead Image
4
2 31
Lead Picture Trim Description
Description Preview
6 5
4
Price
Odometer
Age of Advertisement
1
2
3
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
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Lead Picture Trim DescriptionDeal Rating
Dealership Preview RatingAge of Advertisement
7 56
21
Price
Odometer
4
3
INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES 2016
YOUR AD: WEBSITEThis section will contain screenshots from various sections
of the website
34
Car Nation Canada certified Pre-owned. “Certified” box must be selected for this to appear
Trim Description Preview
2
1
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
OMVIC REGULATIONS & DISCLOSURES
OMVIC REGULATIONS & DISCLOSURES
OMVIC requires that certain items be included in
the description of your vehicle, depending on its
condition. If these items are not included, your
dealership could be fined thousands of dollars.
This may seem extreme, but OMVIC aims to pro-
tect customers and to level the playing field for all
dealerships. To ensure that dealerships abide by
these regulations, OMVIC must impose a steep fine
that more than offsets the potential profit made on
a vehicle that does not contain appropriate legal
items.
‘As-is’ Vehicles
If an ad includes a price for a vehicle being sold “as
is,” the ad must include in a clear, comprehensible
and prominent manner the following statement:
“This vehicle is being sold “as is,” unfit, not e-tested
and is not represented as being in road worthy
condition, mechanically sound or maintained at
any guaranteed level of quality. The vehicle may
not be fit for use as a means of transportation and
may require substantial repairs at the purchaser’s
expense. It may not be possible to register the
vehicle to be driven in its current condition.” It is
not sufficient to simply state the vehicle is being
sold “as is.”
Prior Daily Rental & Others
An advertisement must indicate in a clear,
comprehensible and prominent manner if
the vehicle:
1. Was previously a daily rental (unless
subsequently owned by a non-dealer).
2. Was previously a police vehicle or
emergency services vehicle.
3. Was previously a taxi or limousine.
4. Is a used car and, if that is the case, of
the current model year or the immediate
previous model year.
For Prior Daily Rental vehicles, simply state “This
vehicle is a Prior Daily Rental vehicle” before the
start of the Default section of your description.
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2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
DEFINITIONS
38
DEFINITIONS
VDP
VDP is an acronym for 'Vehicle Details Page'. The
vehicle details page shows all the information
about your vehicle after a user has clicked on your
vehicle on the VLP.
VLP
VLP is an acronym for 'Vehicle Listings Page'. The
VLP may also be referred to as the 'Search Results
Page' or SRP. This is the page that displays a list
of available inventory that a customer browses
after inputting their search criteria on an online
marketplace or on your website.
CTR
CTR is an acronym for 'Click-Through Rate'. Click
through rate is a measure of conversion that
measures how many users have performed a
'click' to go from one page to another. We use
CTR to measure how many consumer have
clicked onto your VDP from the VLP. This a key
indicator as to how well your ad is performing
online. By seeing how many people have clicked
from a Search Results page (or VLP) to a Details
Page (or VDP) we can tell how well you are
merchandising and pricing your ad.
Character
A character is any letter, number, space, or text
symbol used in a description. One letter counts as
one character, one space counts as one
character, etc.
CTA
CTA is an acronym for 'Call to Action'. A CTA
'asks' or 'suggests' that a customer performs an
action in order to proceed, such a 'Click for more
details' or 'Fill out the form for more details', or
as simple as a button or hyperlink that enables a
customer to 'See more'
IM
IM is an acronym for 'Inventory Merchandiser'.
OMVIC
OMVIC is an acronym for Ontario Motor Vehicle
Industry Council. From OMVIC's website:
"OMVIC (Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council)
enforces the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002
(MVDA) on behalf of the Ontario government
through the Ministry of Government and
Consumer Services (MGCS). Their mandate is
to maintain a fair and informed marketplace in
Ontario by protecting the rights of consumers,
enhancing industry professionalism and ensuring
fair, honest and open competition for registered
motor vehicle dealers."
Marketplace or Online Marketplace
The Marketplace or Online Marketplace refers
to websites where consumers shop for vehicles.
These marketplaces include, but are not limited
to, AutoTrader, Kijiji, Wheels, CarGurus, CarPages,
and more. These companies attract thousands of
consumers on a daily basis and all compete to be
the #1 place to search for a vehicle for consumers.
2016 INVENTORY MERCHANDISER GUIDELINES
ContributorsAndrew Slomka, Marketing Manager
Carreras Lou, Graphic Designer
Car Nation Canada4315 North Service Road
Burlington, Ontario
CarNationCanada.com