iboats.com launches New Boat Showroom

SALT LAKE CITY – iboats.com has created a New Boat Showroom to help participating dealers sell more new boats in their local areas, the online company said in a press release Friday.

The New Boat Showroom at www.iboats.com/new-boats covers 2007 model-year boats and engines from more than 286 manufacturers and has been in development since early last year. Upon entering the showroom, the consumer is asked to enter his or her zip code before beginning his or her new boat search.

“Requiring the zip code up front is good for the consumer and for the dealer,” said Bruno Vassel IV, iboats.com senior vice president. “It helps the consumer by quickly directing them to boat brands that have participating dealers in their area. It’s good for the dealer because they know that the inquiries they get will be from local buyers and not price shoppers from three states away. Long distance price shopping has long been one of the major problems dealers faced when using the Internet to sell new boats. Now we’ve solved that problem for the dealers.”

Customers can research boats by type or manufacturer and each boat features a photo and video gallery, standard and optional equipment details and local participating dealer contact information. Customers also have the option to browse the pre-owned boat offerings from that dealer.

“The Internet gives you the best of both worlds: the ability to research and comparison shop boats and engines at your leisure in the privacy of your own home, and to put you in touch with qualified local dealers who can answer questions and arrange for the purchase of a boat,” said Bruno Vassel III, iboats.com president and CEO. “We have brought this power and capability of the Internet to research and compare new boats to the local level with this exciting new program, and that’s what has been needed and missing for a long time in the marine industry online. This is just another step for the Internet to support local dealers in selling new, current-year boats while offering consumers the tools online to do the research before shopping that they are becoming accustomed to doing and now often demand in today’s online-savvy world.”

• For more of the latest news, click here.