Getting a website built for my car dealership — which items should be itemized in the quote?

Pay close attention to the filtering architecture. It won't cause issues while you have 45 cars, but once you hit 150, if it isn't built to dynamically serve results without full-page reloads on combined filters (like diesel + automatic + accident-free), the server will freeze up. Ask how the filtering works on the backend in the proposal.

When getting a quote, hand the agency this checklist and make them price each one separately: 1) Interactive body damage visual inspector. 2) Bulk photo upload with automatic resizing. 3) Loan calculator integration. 4) Quick WhatsApp quote button. 5) Annual server and tech support fees.

Whoever quoted 20.000 TL will most likely just slap your logo onto a $50 template and call it a day. With that kind of setup, the panel breaks the second the server software updates six months down the line, and the dev will be nowhere to be found. Don't go dirt cheap just to end up paying for the whole thing twice.

We had a custom panel built for our 40-car inventory last year for 45.000 TL. The biggest win was that our photo upload time per car dropped from 15 minutes down to 3. We didn't completely cut the cord with third-party listing platforms, but sending a direct site link to corporate clients noticeably sped up our sales cycle.

make sure you get the pdf upload field for the registration and inspection reports listed as a separate line item. otherwise they can come back later and say "that's a custom feature, it'll run you another 10k tl," learned that the hard way.

Are you planning to collect online deposits or take vehicle reservations through the site? If there's going to be a virtual POS payment gateway, that's an entirely separate item covering security, infrastructure, and contracts; ask upfront if it's covered in the price.

The contract between the parties must clearly state who retains the intellectual property rights and source code. If the agency locks you into their proprietary system, you won't be able to migrate your site to another server if you ever decide to part ways.

Always ask the pitching agencies for a live demo of a dealership site they've actually built. Log into the backend and try adding a car along with its photos yourself. If it takes you 20 minutes just to list one car, that software is useless to you.

There's a trap here, let me mention it. Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

Thanks, this was very helpful. Weekly written progress reports are much more useful than asking for dates.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

This approach has a cost, which isn't discussed. People defend habits, not processes. Resistance comes from there.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

I'm curious too.

I felt relieved reading this answer, so it's not just me. Trying to do this alone is the most expensive way.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

You're right, I've been down that road too. Payment schedules should be tied to project phases, not calendar dates.

I feel the same way. Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Looking at it as a process the picture changes. Weekly written progress reports are much more useful than asking for dates.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

This is exactly what we experienced. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

There are three things to check when doing this. Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.