MOTO(acquire): Why Your Dealer Trade-In Tool Should Carry Your Dealership's Brand
Should your website trade-in tool wear your dealership's name or the vendor's? Hear why that choice, and what happens after the first value, shows up in trades.
A dealer trade-in tool should say "get your value from" your dealership, not from the software vendor, so the relationship stays with your store.
Values backed by KBB give shoppers a number they recognize without taking your name off the experience.
The tool has to be mobile friendly and welcome shoppers who are only curious, because many future trades start that way.
A monthly email with an updated value keeps your store in front of shoppers who already raised their hand.
In the video, the result described is a lift in how many trades the store is taking in.
Most dealer websites have a trade-in tool somewhere on the page. The real question is whose name the shopper sees when they use it. Should a dealer trade-in tool carry the dealership's brand, or is it fine if the shopper ends up looking at a vendor's logo? In this video, the answer is simple: the value should come from your store.
Here is the reasoning, and what else has to be true for a branded tool to actually turn into more trades.
Should a dealer trade-in tool carry the dealership's brand?
Yes. The point made in the video is that the tool is "not branded for MOTO(acquire)." The shopper is not told to "get your MOTO(acquire) value." They are told, in effect, "hey, get your value from" your dealership.
That matters for a practical reason. The customer came to your website, not the vendor's. When the trade-in experience carries your name, the value conversation stays with your store and the follow-up comes from you. A white label trade-in tool for dealer websites keeps the relationship where it belongs.
Think about it from the shopper's side. If they get bounced to something that looks like a third party, the trust they had in your site gets split. If the tool looks and feels like your dealership, the value feels like it came from people they can actually call.
What else a trade-in tool for your dealer website needs
Branding gets the shopper started. A few other things keep them moving. From the video:
The value is backed by KBB. Shoppers recognize Kelley Blue Book, and the video calls that out as worth pointing out. A KBB-backed trade-in tool for dealers gives the number credibility without taking your name off it.
It is mobile friendly. A lot of shoppers are on their phones when they get curious about their trade. If the tool is clumsy on a phone, they leave.
Curious shoppers are welcome. Not everyone is ready to deal. "If they just want to see what their value is because they're just curious, they can see that." No hoops, no pressure.
That last point is easy to underrate. Plenty of your future trades start as someone who is only curious today. If your tool only works for people ready to sign this weekend, you miss everyone who is a few months out.
Why the monthly value email is the part that keeps working
The first value is not the end of it. Every month after, the shopper gets an email with an update on what their vehicle is worth. In the video, that is called "fantastic," because people stay "educated, in the know," and they keep "hearing from us again."
The way it was put: "You can fill it out. It's free. And we're happy to give you a value. And you can hear about it again and again and again." There is a lot of value in that repetition. Your store stays in front of a shopper who already raised their hand, and when their number lines up with what they need, your name is the one in their inbox.
The result described in the video is straightforward: "We've seen a lift in how many trades we're taking in."
Where MOTO(convert) fits
MOTO(convert) is the MOTO(acquire) website trade tool. It provides instant valuations, firm offer requests, and monthly value tracking, and it includes the free buying power tool. It runs under your dealership's brand on your own site, not under ours.
If you want the same monthly value updates going to past sales and service customers, MOTO(retain) sends them their vehicle's value every month. Those value tracking emails have a 36% open rate and 99.5% deliverability.
For more on getting website shoppers to submit a trade, see how to get more website trade-in leads and what to look for in the best trade-in tool for dealerships. You can also browse the full Website Trade-In Leads topic for related videos.
Frequently asked questions
Should a dealer trade-in tool carry the dealership's brand?
Yes. The shopper came to your website, so the value should come from your store, not from the software vendor. A white label tool keeps the conversation and the follow-up with your dealership.
Where do the trade-in values come from?
As described in the video, the values are backed by KBB. That gives shoppers a number they recognize while the tool still carries your dealership's name.
Do shoppers have to be ready to sell to see their value?
No. If a shopper is just curious about what their vehicle is worth, they can see it. That matters because many future trades start with someone who is only curious today.
What happens after a shopper gets their first value?
Every month they get an email with an updated value. That keeps them informed and keeps your store in front of them, so when the timing is right, your dealership is the one they hear from.
Does the trade-in tool work on phones?
Yes, it is mobile friendly. Many shoppers check their trade value on a phone, so a tool that works well on mobile keeps them from dropping off.
See how many trades your website is missing
Get a walkthrough of MOTO(convert) on your own site, with instant valuations and firm offer requests in one flow. Ask for a Dealer Website Trade-In Audit.
More on Website Trade-In Leads
Full transcript
One of the things I like about MOTO(acquire) is it's not branded for MOTO(acquire). It's not like, get your MOTO(acquire) value. It's like, hey, get your value from [dealership name]. And it is backed by KBB. That's important to point out. And then it's mobile friendly, like I said. And also, if they just want to see what their value is because they're just curious, they can see that.
And then every month they get an email, an update on what their value is. And I think that's fantastic, people being educated, in the know, also hearing from us again. Because you can fill it out. It's free. And we're happy to give you a value. And you can hear about it again and again and again. And I think there's a lot of value in that. So I think it's been really strong. We've seen a lift in how many trades we're taking in.