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In our Business Spotlight series, we highlight one of our merchants to learn more about their business and how they approach eCommerce.
In this installment, we will be interviewing Boat Specialists. Boat Specialists is a family-owned and run boating business founded in 1976 in Ventura, California. While the company has focused on the needs of its local boating community for years, it recently expanded its eCommerce presence to serve customers nationwide. Boat Specialists’ commitment to customer satisfaction and strong relationships with top industry brands means that they can offer the best in boats, boating accessories, and outboards at the greatest possible value.
1. How Do You Differentiate Yourself From The Competition?
Boat Specialists is committed to the same values that the founder and father of current owners, Don Potts, based the business on when he started the company back in 1976. Boat Specialists only represent your major brands that truly stand behind quality and craftsmanship. The company offers unparalleled service and helps every customer select a boat or outboard that fits their needs, application, and budget, thus having loyalty to their clients over loyalty towards a brand.
2. Talk About Your eCommerce Journey. How Did You Get To Where You Are?
For decades Boat Specialists has relied on its stellar reputation in the boating community as its driving force. Over the years, the market for the products they carry and commitment to customer satisfaction has created a demand that led the company to extend its products and services online to better serve its expanding customer base. Shipping boats and outboards across the country is no easy feat and requires the cooperation of a knowledgeable sales team, large warehouse, and dependable freight companies to ensure that these high-value items are delivered safely and securely to our customers. Over the years, the company has perfected the process, recently adding a 30,000 square foot warehouse space, as its e-commerce presence continues to grow exponentially to meet an expanding market.
3. What’s Something You’re Most Proud of Regarding Your eCommerce Journey?
The overall success of our eCommerce site in bringing in more business both online and in-store has been overwhelming. As a small family-owned business, making large investments in specific areas can be risky and leave a company vulnerable. As a result of the pandemic and closing our doors to walk-in customers for most of the year, we were forced to make much-needed improvements to our eCommerce site. The increase in sales has made a measurable impact on the business and the lives of our staff who equally share in the rewards.
4. What Advice Would You Give To A New Business Just Getting Started In eCommerce?
Don’t wait! While it may seem overwhelming to manage an online store, it is ok to start small, experiment, take calculated risks and test your market. As you find what works best for your product and staff, you can define your goals and grow your online store. There is no one size fits all approach to eCommerce, so if something does not work, try, try again. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is so much to learn when starting from scratch; having an experienced support team is critical to creating a successful eCommerce store.
5. What Is Your Biggest Goal For The Next Year For Your Online Store?
With the recent expansion of our warehouse, we hope to meet the expectations of our customer base by offering more products that meet our high standards of quality and craftsmanship. We plan to develop product pages that provide our customers with a closer look at what we offer, including advanced options, professional-grade imagery and video, and live chat so that our online customers can experience the same level of service our in-store customers have enjoyed for decades. Lastly, we hope to make navigating our site more intuitive by improving our menus and categories.
Check out the inflatableboats.net today and see their quality products firsthand!.
Want to know how EYStudios can help your BigCommerce site? Call us at 678-402-6378 or email info@eystudios.com!