Revamped DiscoverBoating.com site launches today

CHICAGO – The redesigned DiscoverBoating.com Web site officially launched today, including an updated look and several new interactive features designed to show visitors how easy and enjoyable it is to become boat owners, Grow Boating officials said in a release this morning.

The new site focuses more intently on the activities people can participate in while onboard a boat and incorporates vivid imagery of individuals partaking in these activities on the its homepage. Consumers have the opportunity to select their activity of choice by clicking on the specific icon—whether it be fishing, sailing, powerboat cruising or watersports—and are redirected to a page providing relevant information about that particular activity, including boat type selections, tips and resources.

“Revamping DiscoverBoating.com to better fit the needs of those visiting the site is a crucial element in our ongoing efforts to bring more people into boating,” said Armida Markarova, director of interactive marketing for both Grow Boating Inc. and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “By increasing the focus on boating activities and making the site more interactive, we anticipate people will get that much more excited about getting out on the water and, ultimately, buying a boat.”

The Spousal Conversion Kit also launched this week as part of DiscoverBoating.com’s overall redesign. The kit provides Web site visitors with a seven-step process to help convince their significant others that the time has come to purchase a boat. The kit also features several videos from both first-time and experienced boat owners highlighting the many benefits of owning a boat, including spending more quality time with loved ones and freedom to explore the great outdoors on your own terms.

“The Spousal Conversion Kit is really a home-run for DiscoverBoating.com,” said Carl Blackwell, vice president of marketing communications for Grow Boating Inc. and NMMA. “It’s a humorous and fun tool that’s designed to help boating enthusiasts convince their significant others to buy a boat by walking them through the many benefits of being on the water and demonstrating just how easy it can be to get started. We all know that boating is fun and exciting, so the act of convincing someone to buy a boat should be just as enjoyable.”

DiscoverBoating.com now also has the Boating Affordability Tool/Budget Planner, which compares the cost of boat ownership to several other popular family leisure activities, including taking Disney vacations, attending professional sporting events, going camping or RVing, and enjoying a night out at the movies, to name just a few. The Budget Planner works to debunk the age-old “expensive” myth and demonstrates that owning a boat is, indeed, within reach of most American families—especially when pitted against activities on which families already spend their hard-earned money.

Another new, interactive feature of DiscoverBoating.com’s redesign is the Baby Boomer section, which goes live this week. Nearly 60 million adults went boating in the U.S. in 2007, and with approximately 80 percent of Americans—specifically Baby Boomers and Generation Xers—saying they plan to purchase a recreational product in the near future, Boomers are a perfect fit for Discover Boating.

“Baby Boomers are an increasingly important segment in the boating market,” says Blackwell. “Elevated income levels and increased amounts of available leisure time make Boomers very receptive to Discover Boating messages. The new section of DiscoverBoating.com aimed at this generation is designed to introduce Boomers to the joys of boating and provide with them will all the necessary resources to get started.”

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