7 Terrible Ways to Advertise Your Used Car

While it requires some effort, you’ll probably earn more money by selling your car privately versus trading it in. In addition to getting it cleaned up, you’ll want to advertise it for sale online to generate the greatest amount of exposure.

But your ad could inadvertently thwart your efforts to sell your car if you aren’t careful about the photos. These seven pictures — provided by SwapALease.com, an online auto lease marketplace — offer visual evidence of the blunders people make when advertising their vehicles.

Avoid these mistakes and you won’t get asked, “What were you thinking?’’

Mistake No. 1: Using a model

You are selling your car, not yourself, your best friend, your significant other or your dog. Let people see the car — and only the car.

Mistake No. 2: Stretched photos

It’s a sedan, not a stretch limo. Provide an accurate representation of your car by checking the photo specs of the online marketplace when uploading your pictures.

Mistake No. 3: Bad cropping

While it’s a great idea to have your car fill the camera frame, don’t crop out parts of the car. It could make prospective buyers wonder if you are trying to hide damage.

Mistake No. 4: Wrong photo orientation

Don’t make online car shoppers stand sideways to see your car. Make sure you capture a horizontal image before uploading.

Mistake No. 5: Photos taken at night

Nighttime is not the right time to shoot your car. Prospective car buyers want to see clearly what your car looks like, and night shots don’t provide that.

Mistake No. 6: Cluttered background

Online car shoppers initially see small photos of your car before they decide to click to get more details. A cluttered or inappropriate background makes it hard for prospective car buyers to see your car.

Mistake No. 7: Using a photo filter

Save your artsy shots for your friends. Buyers want to clearly see what the car looks like.