The new and improved website focuses more intently on the activities people can participate in while onboard a boat and incorporates vivid imagery of individuals partaking in these exciting activities on the site’s 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,” says Armida Markarova, director of Interactive Marketing for both Grow Boating Inc. and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “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.”

To answer pleas from wannabe boat owners, the Spousal Conversion Kit also launched this week as part of DiscoverBoating.com’s overall redesign. The kit provides website visitors with a seven-step process to help convince their significant other or special someone 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,” explains 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.”

To combat one of the great misconceptions about boating—that it’s too expensive for the average family—DiscoverBoating.com now features 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, just to name a few. The Budget Planner debunks 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 the week of April 7. 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.

The Boomer section positions boating as the ideal activity to enrich a person’s “Golden Years,” including spending more quality time with the grandkids, providing a means of owning that “vacation home you always wanted,” and falling back into former childhood pastimes like fishing. There’s even a page encouraging visitors to “Get your second wind” and give sailing a try. The Boomer section prominently features a strong call to action for visitors to request a free copy of the “Get Started in Boating” DVD, experiment with the Boat Selector Tool and calculate the cost of boat ownership using the Boating Affordability Tool/ Budget Planner.

“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.”

Provided by the National Marine Manufacturers Association.