Mastercraft launches Design-A-Boat Web feature

VONORE, Tenn. – Thirty-six years in the making, MasterCraft is now launching its Design-A-Boat feature, an interactive, self-guided boat configurator that allows customers to build and configure their boats online, the company reported Wednesday.

The feature is found on the company’s Web site and allows customers to view side profile and overhead views of MasterCraft ProStars, MariStars and X-Series boats while choosing different exterior and interior color schemes. Design-A-Boat also enables prospective customers to choose engine, stereo, instrumentation, boat cover, tower accessory and other options, according to the company.

“This configurator really stands out because of the emotional experience of building your boat and seeing it evolve as you go through,” said the site’s designer, Klay Devries, Periscope executive vice president of interactive. “Design-A-Boat shows you what you’re configuring and incorporates big images, video, sound and motion to create a higher level of engagement for the user. They can configure a boat that they can imagine themselves in and fall in love with it.”

Users can also create personal profiles online, save their selections for future use, print out the boat they have designed, get a quote and contact a dealer, using online navigation, the company stated.

“We had a guy come in, lay down a printout of his custom yellow and white MasterCraft X-Star with exactly what he wanted and place his order that day,” said Mike Wood, JR WaterSport’s owner. “He was very impressed with being able to view the boat and know exactly what he was getting. It’s especially good for a smaller dealer like me, because I don’t carry five different color boats at one time. They can look, touch and feel a boat and then pick the color they want on the Internet.”

MasterCraft recently launched the Design-A-Boat feature in conjunction with their 2004 MasterCraft.com update. The company also plans to launch a new mini-site and online factory tour. Both will be fully interactive, incorporating still imagery, video and narration, according to the company.

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