YachtWorld.com Launches Upgraded Web Site
For Immediate Release
New Look and Increased Functionality to Help More Than 1,100 Broker-Members Showcase Over 30,000 Boat Listings To Customers
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 21, 2000--YachtWorld.com, a division of boats.com, today unveiled an upgraded Web site with enhanced functionality as well as a new look and feel. The enhanced site incorporates many of the suggestions received from the more than 1,100 broker-members of YachtWorld.com, including additional boating content and intuitive navigation features.
"As the number one marine Web site, YachtWorld.com has a history of listening to its membership and responding in ways that continue to create additional value for them and their customers," said Jessica Muffett, director of sales, YachtWorld.com. "The newly designed YachtWorld.com site incorporates a great deal of our broker-members' input and taps into the resources of boats.com, our parent company. We've created a product that adds value to our members and keeps YachtWorld.com on the cutting edge of client service and customer relations."
Launched in 1995, YachtWorld.com is the most visited marine site on the Web. YachtWorld.com uses the Internet to establish relationships between yacht brokers and boat dealers, and prospective buyers from around the world. Acquired by boats.com in January 2000, YachtWorld.com now boasts more than 1,100 participating brokers, more than 30,000 current boat listings valued over $9 billion, and the largest photo database of boats for sale on the Internet.
"From the beginning, we saw YachtWorld.com as an important asset, one that would continue to grow in value to our customers and ourselves," said Stuart Johnstone, chief strategy officer, boats.com. "The enhancements to the YachtWorld.com site we are launching today advances our vision to make boating and the boat buying process a more enjoyable experience."
The newly designed YachtWorld.com site includes:
Rich Content
More than 30,000 listings from over 1,100 brokers representing the richest mix of used boats for sale on the Internet.Information Design
The most frequently requested areas of the site are now easier to find, easier to bookmark, and easier to use.Design
The new design has an increase in the use of color and text legibility--including sizeable fonts--and a decrease in the number of graphics. Pages now load more quickly, and visitors can easily and intuitively find what they need.New Editorial Content
Developed in conjunction with the editorial team at boats.com, the site now features an enormously rich library of articles covering power boating, sailing and fishing.Resources
Replacing the News and Weather sections, the Resource center has worldwide resources. Wherever a boater is in the world, they can find weather, tide and other useful data on the YachtWorld.com site.Home Page
The home page frequently updates editorial information so visitors can start their day by reading marine-related news and features.International
YachtWorld.com plans to make a culturally vibrant version of the YachtWorld.com site available soon in pan-European English. Later, culture-specific versions will also be available in French, Spanish, Italian, and German for site visitors who prefer their Web-based marine information to be available in those languages.About boats.com
Boats.com is building the premier online marketplace for the boating community and the marine industry. Having received the exclusive endorsements from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA), the boats.com site will enable boat users specifically and the marine industry as a whole to participate in a thriving online marketplace, opening up new commercial opportunities for the industry while enhancing the consumer's boating experience.
YachtWorld.com, a division of boats.com, is the most visited marine site on the Internet and a trusted partner to the yacht brokerage community. YachtWorld.com pioneered the use of the Internet as a channel for buying and selling broker-listed boats.
The boats.com management team is made up of boating and Internet business veterans, whose depth and breadth of experience has enabled boats.com to build strong strategic partnerships in the brief time since the company's inception. Founded in 1999, boats.com is a private, venture capital funded business located at Pier 38, The Embarcadero, in San Francisco, California.
Contacts
Ken Grimesboats.com
415.947.5015
kgrimes@boats.com
Matt Krebsbach
Applied Communications
415.365.0222
mkrebsbach@appliedcom.com
