How Better Visuals Help You Sell More Cars with Daniel Able and Brian Free

A quick takeaway from ASOTU CON 2025 featuring Daniel from CarCutter and Brian Free, formerly of AutoNation

Howdy friend!

I want to share a few key takeaways from a great session at ASOTU CON this year. It was a conversation between Daniel Able (from CarCutter ) and Brian Free (AutoNation), and they hit on something that matters to every single store: how visuals make or break your listings.

We all know customers shop with their eyes. But this session went deeper than just “take better pictures.” It was about how a clear, consistent visual strategy builds trust, keeps people on your VDPs longer, and drives real conversion, without adding chaos to your workflow.

Here’s what stood out:

Every listing needs the right media

If you’re still posting “Coming Soon” placeholders—or your photos have snowbanks, chain-link fences, or a dozen different backdrops—it might be time to rethink the process. Customers don’t scroll to imagine a car. They scroll to see it.

Brian explained how AutoNation made every car listing consistent—from angles to lighting to background—so no matter where the shopper saw the car (website, marketplace, social), it looked professional and branded.

Your background is your brand

One of the coolest ideas was this: AutoNation built a custom photo background that made their vehicles instantly recognizable. Not because it screamed their name, but because it looked like them.

Even if you’re on a single rooftop, you can create that same consistency and identity in your photos. The car is the star, but the background should support the story, not distract from it.

Consistency doesn’t have to be complicated

What I loved most was how practical the conversation was. Brian talked about rolling out this visual strategy across 300 stores—and how the right partner (CarCutter in this case) made the process smooth by plugging into their existing tools.

If you’re evaluating vendors, ask the simple stuff:

• Will it work with my inventory provider?

• Can they help me catch bad images before they go live?

• Will I still have control of what my photos highlight?

Pro Tips You Can Act on Today:

• Lead with exterior + feature shots that actually matter to the shopper.

• Use hotspots to explain price differences between trims or builds.

• Don’t use CGI or fake edits—shoppers know, and it hurts trust.

• If the car’s not ready? Use a clean stock photo with a branded background temporarily, but don’t stop there.

This session reminded me that every photo is a handshake, especially in digital retail.

You don’t have to overhaul everything to make a big impact. Start with your next listing and aim for clean, consistent, and honest content.