The growth is a product of a fair business model, effective marketing, quality inventory, innovation, and outstanding customer support. When we accomplish all these balanced, we can boost the growth of our boat rental business.
Where to start?
Start by giving simple questions to yourself. Why are customers not coming to your business? The correct answer may be sophisticated, but the solution can be simple.
So, we created this post to boost your growth. Let’s start to learn it step by step.
Start with Innovation.
We know it is a vague suggestion so let us break it down. Innovation should include the following components:
User-friendly website with an online booking system.
If you still rely on old-style marketing methods or business models, you are losing a great opportunity. Put yourself in the shoes of a customer. Nowadays, most customers search for products and services online and purchase or book them electronically. If you have low online visibility or do not have online booking features, your growth will be limited. The best remedy is Reservety, as it allows customers to create a professional boat rental website with a ready template and activates booking features to accept booking 24/7
Creative Marketing.
Outdated marketing methods are not converting well anymore. It is because people ignore generic ads. Think of a situation where you clicked away popup ads that distract you from reading the web pages. Many people do it. So, it begs new innovative and creative methods of marketing.
Being present for customers all the time.
Unfortunately, small boat rental companies can’t be online or reachable to customers as they strictly follow their work hours. As a result, some potential customers take their business to other companies that offer all the information they need through their websites. To remedy that, Reservety helps boat renters implement a live chat system to interact with interested customers in real time, a quoting system to provide automated quotes, and an availability calendar so the customers can find all the essential information they seek from your website instead of contacting you.
Social Media Engagement.
Being active in relevant social media groups and forums, participating in group discussions, or simply sharing engaging ads about your boat rental business on those groups to attract organic traffic.
Creating Catalogs and Newsletters
Reservety allows you to create cool catalogs and newsletters and, more importantly, automates their delivery to bulk users through SMS and Email marketing. Consistently changing catalogs and delivering monthly newsletters will inform potential customers about your business. If you have promotions and discount deals for this month, inform your existing customers through newsletters or simple email marketing.
Creating affiliate marketing or referral program.
Did you know that you can turn regular customers into marketers? For instance, Reservety allows boat rental companies to create their referral program with customizable rewards. So, whenever customers refer their friends to your website and they book a boat from you, the referrer gets a percentage from that sale. It is an effective strategy because people usually follow their friends’ and acquaintances’ advice when looking for businesses.
Create video galleries to showcase your boats in a fun way.
You may already know that video streaming platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and others are popular because people prefer videos over text-based content. That being said, when you list your rental boats on your website, you can upload video galleries under each product. That way, customers will see your boats in live action, and they may share those videos with their friends on social media, increasing your chance of going viral. It is easy to create video galleries, upload them under each product, and make them shareable with Reservety.
Create informative blogs.
Established companies use this strategy frequently to bring many online searchers to their websites. Let’s demonstrate this strategy in action. Suppose someone plans to take his family on a fishing trip to Lake Whitney (it can be any lake). So, they may do quick research by searching keywords like “Fishing spots in Lake Whitney,” “Is Lake Whitney good for fishing,” etc. Your website will appear in the search results if you have an informative article relevant to the keywords. At the end of the article, you can mention that your company offers rental boats to make the fishing experience more fun in those areas.
Guest Posting.
The only difference from the strategy mentioned above is that guest posting allows us to post our articles on others’ websites that are relevant to our business. Let’s come back to the Lake Whitney fishing example again. If you are offering your boats around Lake Whitney, you need a website that primarily talks about fishing in Lake Whitney. And you need to contact them to get permission to post your article about your boat rental business on their site to connect with relevant readers and bring in new customers.
Hype up your launch.
If you are a new business or re-launching your existing boat rental business with new inventory and greater strategies (e.g., a transition from a physical to an electronic business model), hype up your audience about the launch date, with countdowns, promotion events, etc. So, customers will be motivated to use your boat rental as soon as your business goes live. Reservety can also help with this strategy. For example, it helps you create attractive countdowns, promotion bundles, and discount coupons to build excitement around your new boat rental business.
Collaborate with Other Companies.
A partnership should be a win-win situation for both sides. For example, you can partner with local tour guides, travel agencies, fishing equipment stores, etc., and have them refer their clients to your rental boats. And as an appreciation, you can refer your clients to them reciprocally or offer bonuses. If a travel agency offers holiday packages, they can add boat rides to their package to attract marine enthusiasts.
Give customers a reason to keep coming back with a great rewards system.
To establish that, you can use Reservety’s All-in-One Boat Rental Software because it allows you to manage customer accounts more efficiently and automatically adds points to customer accounts based on their spending. The longer they stay with your business, they can earn points that they can exchange in subsequent bookings.
Do not just promote your boats; also promote the location.
We all know the primary force behind the desire to rent a boat is a desire to spend time in a pleasant lake, sea, or any body of water. For example, people who are into fishing may want to find a good place to fish. Similarly, families who want to spend quality time in the marine environment may want to find good locations with great views. You got the idea here. So, promote those places first and advertise your rental boats as a means to make the experience more enjoyable. That way, you are engaging in a genuine marketing campaign.
Those are some of the marketing tactics you can use. But marketing without attractive inventory will not do the job. Therefore, offer a wide range of products and services along with boats to give unforgettable experiences to customers.
Here are the 20 Things You Can Offer in Boat Rental Business
Skipper
Most boat rental companies require a boat license if they decide to sail without a skipper. But not everyone has a boat license. Offering skippering service is ideal for serving clients who do not have prior boating experience.
Towable Tubes.
People who are renting boats for summertime fun may rent towable tubes to add extra spice to their fun leisure. Children love them as well. So, offer different designs that will attract the attention of all age groups.
Diving Equipment.
Suppose you are renting out your boats in an area with a popular diving destination. In that case, it is essential to offer diving equipment or snorkeling gear along with boats to provide an all-in-one package to tourists and diving enthusiasts. To make the whole diving experience even more convenient, you can offer an experienced diving guide.
Wakeboards.
Like towable tubes, wakeboards are popular boating accessories that enjoy huge demand in the boating industry. Wakeboarding is a fun activity that can increase the adrenaline and helps to overcome internal fears. However, it can be challenging for new users, but you can always give short training to customers interested in your wakeboards.
Insurance.
Insurance gives peace of mind to business owners and customers. Your business probably got boat insurance already, but it may only partially cover customers’ medical expenses in the case of accidents. So, you can offer separate medical insurance to let the customers know they and their loved ones are protected against possible risks.
Fishing Equipment
Did you know that fishing is the most popular reason people rent boats? So, it would be best to offer fishing equipment as an add-on to your rental boats. Fishing equipment can include fishing rods, reels, nets, fish radars, etc.; on top of that, you can offer a fishing license to turn your boat rental business into a one-stop shop for fishers.
Upgraded Lifejackets.
According to US Federal law, lifejackets must be present on boats and worn by passengers under the age of 13 while the vessel is underway. Similar requirements are also present in other countries. To stay compliant and provide the utmost safety for your clients, you can offer upgraded types of lifejackets for an extra cost.
Coolers
Some people rent boats to stay in the water for a prolonged time. If they rent an open boat or boats without built-in coolers, they may need coolers to keep their food and drinks cool and fresh. You may offer different sizes of coolers because you never know how big or small the renter groups will be.
Boat Grill.
Although it may sound unusual, boat grills are getting popular. As shown in the pictures, those special grills have minimal fire risks to boats as they come with special stands that protrude out of the boat. Boat grills will be a great demand for those wanting to party on the board.
Solar Charger.
Mobile devices turned into life essentials in modern times. So, we carry them around. Yes, even when we are boating. However, there may not be a charging point on every boat. Therefore, solar chargers will be a great solution for those cases. Newer solar chargers are foldable and compact, making installing and carrying easier.
Umbrella.
The marine environment can be super-hot as there are no shades to protect yourself from the scorching hot rays of the sun. Thus, offering umbrellas in your boat rental business may create stable revenue and, more importantly, create extra shade on your boats to give a pleasant experience for boaters.
Underwater Cameras.
Underwater Cameras are waterproof and designed to capture the underwater scenery. Packaging them with snorkeling or diving gear may create an extra buzz in your business. In addition to cameras, you can offer waterproof phone cases so divers can use their smartphones to capture the underwater world
Floating Bags.
You may wonder why it is important. The first importance is that it gives peace of mind to boat renters. You can put all your valuables, phones, documents, and other essentials in it to make them accident-proof. Floating bags can also serve as additional lifejackets in the case of emergencies.
Routers, dishes, and signal boosters.
Some people rent boats to detox themselves from digital devices and signals. On the other hand, some want to stay connected to the internet, even when they are on leisure. Having rental satellite routers on board your rental boats will be a huge plus and possibly give you a competitive edge in the market.
Games.
Boating is all about fun and relaxation. So, the games will be relevant inventory in your boat rental business. You can offer board and watersport games to give memorable moments to your boat renters. Water basketball, volleyball, and other action games will be in high demand as families spend their time playing with their children.
Party Equipment.
Party equipment includes tables, chairs, decorations, dishes, unique lights, bigger speakers, and other things that will be relevant to organize a mini party on a boat. It is usual to see some people celebrate special occasions such as birthday parties, family reunions, and holidays on boats. Party equipment will be as important as your rental boats in those cases.
Catering Service.
Why not offer full catering service with your rental boats for those who want to hold parties on board? Catering service alone is a profitable business, but when you couple that with your rental boats, it would be a great income generator. Catering service usually involves serving hot meals, drinks, and various related services to give the utmost convenience to partygoers.
Binoculars.
Binoculars in the sea and lakes are essential because you can observe beautiful shores, islands, and other marine environments from a distance. Having powerful binoculars in your inventory will be a great asset, as people may want to rent them as soon as they see them on your website.
Sellable items.
The boat rental business should be more than just renting; you can also sell related items on your website. For example, sunscreen, swimming wear, fishing accessories, t-shirt, caps, etc., will sell exceptionally well. It may not seem easy to manage rental and sellable items on a single website, but it is super easy with Reservety. When you list your items, you can post them as either rental or sellable items, and the system walks you through the other steps.
Anything we haven’t mentioned in this list.
Although we offer several products and services that you may offer in your boat rental business, there may be hundreds of items. We just thought boat rental companies should not be limited to boats only. They can add other listings to increase their revenues. And we hope this article will be the beginning of a new innovative journey.
Final Notes
In this article, we have discussed the importance of implementing innovation to grow a boat rental business. We included several tips: using a rental website with an online booking system, utilizing social media to increase business visibility, creating rewards and referral programs to give customers incentives, implementing live chats and galleries on the website, and much more.
Additionally, we included 20 items that you can offer in your boat rental business to maximize your revenues. However, challenges may arise if you try to make every change manually. We recommend using Reservety, an All-in-One Boat Rental Software that allows streamlining and automating rental processes and makes marketing and customer support so much easier.
Please note: Currently, Reservety offers limited-time free web design and migration services for new users. You can also sign up for a risk-free trial which requires no credit card or long-term contract requirements.
