1. The 8-photo walkaround order
Shoot (or pick from your VDP gallery) in this order, so the first photos answer the first questions:
- Front three-quarter, driver side. The thumb-stop shot, outdoors on the lot, not a studio backdrop.
- Rear three-quarter, passenger side. Shows the whole car in two photos.
- Driver's seat and dash. Buyers zoom in on condition here first.
- Odometer / cluster. Proves the km in the listing.
- Infotainment screen. CarPlay, Android Auto and the camera are what people ask about.
- Rear seats. Space and wear.
- Cargo area or truck bed.
- Tires and wheels. Tread answers "will I need tires?" before it's asked.
LotBoard puts your watermark and "Ask for" ribbon on photo one automatically, so every rep's lead photo looks like your store.
2. Price inside the buyer's filter
Buyers filter Marketplace by price, and most of them pick round numbers. A unit at $21,795 shows up for someone filtering "under $22,000"; the same unit at $22,400 doesn't. Before you post, check whether the price sits just above a common cut-off:
| Common filter | Price that makes it in | Price that misses it |
|---|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | $14,895 | $15,200 |
| Under $22,000 | $21,795 | $22,400 |
| Under $30,000 | $29,795 | $30,250 |
If your desk will move a few hundred dollars to get under the line, that's often worth more views than any wording change. Always list the real, all-in price you'll honour.
3. The 70-word description
Long, all-caps dealer text gets skipped. Aim for about 70 words in this shape:
- Line 1: year, make, model, trim and price.
- Line 2: one angle for the buyer you want (commuter, fresh trade, winter-ready).
- 4 to 6 bullets: km, transmission, drivetrain, and the two or three features people search for.
- Signature: your name, the store and how to reach you.
No emojis, no keyword stuffing, no phone number in the title. Use the formatter below to build one in seconds, then paste it into the listing.
4. Fresh trades: list them before they hit the website
The car that just came off the appraisal lane is your best Marketplace inventory. Decode the VIN, add the price, km and phone photos, and post it with an "early access" angle the same day. LotBoard's Fresh Trade mode does this from the extension.
Free dealership floor toolkit
Messenger reply builder, listing copy formatter & warm-up planner
Use it right now for free. LotBoard does all three automatically inside your reps' Chrome.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos should a Marketplace car listing have?
Use as many good photos as you have, but the first eight do most of the work. Lead with the front three-quarter shot, then the rear, interior, odometer, screen, rear seats, cargo area and tires.
Should dealership reps use emojis in Marketplace listings?
Keep them out. Clean, short descriptions read as more trustworthy and are easier to scan than emoji-heavy or all-caps dealer text.