Creating an effective ad

Creating an effective ad can go a long way to ensuring a successful sale. The advertisement is your first point of contact with potential buyers, so keep it short and simple ... and be honest.

When it comes to advertising, the best places are online at Drive.com.au or in major daily newspapers like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. A clear sign in the windows of your car can't hurt either.

In your ad, make sure that you don't lie about the car's condition but do include all the plus points such as one owner, always garaged etc. Buyers love photos so try to include as many as you can.

When photographing your car make sure it's against a bland, neutral background, and make sure the car itself is clean. Take a quick look at motoring magazines for the different angles that make the car look good, and copy them. Heck, if it's good enough for the pros...

The great thing about advertising on the web is that you can include lots of pictures of your car. You can place an ad on drive.com.au until your car is sold. You can also advertise in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Make sure the ad is a realistic representation of the car. Potential buyers aren't going to hang around if the car is nothing like the ad, and you could do without your time wasted as well.

Make sure you are as descriptive as possible with the make and model of the car, year model, colour and the kilometres it has done. Also, be sure to mention if the car has any extras fitted, as they can be extra tempters to a buyer.

With internet ads, make sure you show as much of the car as possible. Pictures are worth their weight in gold when advertising a used car. Clear and sharp photos will provide a better impression than a description alone - and the more the better.

And don't hide the car's faults in photos - buyers will feel better about dealing with you if you are honest and open. It'll save them time - and you.

Advertise your car online at Drive.com.au

So, to recap, consider these three main areas:

Photos
People love to see what they are buying; therefore you should make photos one of the most important features within your ad. We highly recommend that you take the main photo showing the front three-quarter view. Other angles include:

• Exterior: front
• Exterior: side
• Exterior: back
• Interior: dash
• Interior: front seats
• Interior: back seats
• Boot space
• Engine
• Wheels and tyres
• Items that make your car special

• Number of owners
• Time since last service
• How often you service the car (logbook / service history)
• Any items that have been purchased recently, i.e. tyres
• Any enhancements that you have made, i.e. stereo
• Special interior features, i.e. leather, wooden dash
• Exterior features, i.e. fog lights, rear spoiler
• Extra safety features
• Where you park the car
• Does it have low kilometres for its age
• Be specific about the condition (if it has been inspected, mention the findings)
• Time left on registration
• Time left on warranty
• Why you are selling it
• If it is an urgent sale or not
• If you are willing to travel to show people (if so, how far)
• The times you are available for a test drive / inspection (do not include your address)
• And anything else that you love about your car ? what features attracted you to buy the car originally?

Contact Details
Make sure you advertise the phone number that you are most likely to answer. There is no point advertising your work number if you are expecting calls on the weekend (if you don't work on the weekends). A mobile number is generally the best option.
Potential buyers will also be able to send you an email via a form. However to protect your privacy (and you being spammed with unsolicited emails) your email address will not be visible on the screen.

Note:
If a potential buyer sends you an email, it is critical that you reply quickly to keep them interested; which will increase the chances of you making the sale. So make sure you are checking your email regularly. This is just as important for your phone messages.