Systems Highlight Even Odd Features Shoppers May Want

Last year inventory management vendors FirstLook and vAuto were talking about how optimized pricing of used vehicles online was critical to getting onto the customer's short list of potential vehicles.

That was so yesterday. Now it's all about optimized advertising. FirstLook was first to market in January with its solution. vAuto launched its tool, AutoWriter, in May.

Essentially, each tool promises to differentiate descriptions for vehicles in your inventory by highlighting the features consumers are searching for in your market area.

For example, if customers in your market are looking online for vehicles with pink grilles, and you happen to have one in inventory, that feature will automatically be highlighted in online listings on your website and other sites such as Cars.com and AutoTrader.com.

Price is still important, but executives with both companies say telling a rich and dynamic story about the vehicle will help close the sale while not giving away gross.

So the success of either tool may be determined by which company has the best creative writers. If you want a good laugh, ask them to show the more bizarre vehicle descriptions that will never see the light of day.