Read the competitive set

Do not copy competitors. Read them. What promise do they make? What proof do they show? What do they ignore? The gap is often the offer they are afraid to state clearly.

Open two Frederick-area used lots on your phone. Do not score “energy.” Write three cells each. Promise: the first claim (“we finance anyone,” “no-haggle,” “55 inspected cars”). Proof: what would make a skeptical commuter believe it (photos of actual stock, review count, hours, a real address, a financing form). Ignore: the missing appointment button, missing prices, a service area that pretends they deliver statewide. Dana’s edge is often the thing they ignore — the 48-hour test drive and same-day decision — if you put it where a buyer can use it. Copying their headline is not research. Naming the gap is.