Electric Boats: Consumer Trends to Inform Your Marketing Strategy

When it comes to emerging technology, many consumers tend to be hesitant in trying new things, and that includes what many consider to be the future of boating: electric boats. After all, hunters and fishers have relied on gas-powered boats for decades; so why change? To help dealerships learn how to market boats featuring this new innovation, Boatline, an online marketplace for buying & selling watercraft,is sharing responses from an electric boat survey with Hunting Life. This data can assist dealers in identifying current electric boat trends and relevant tips for selling.

Boatline’s Top 5 Tips for Selling Electric Boats

1.Be Aware of Consumer Interest and Trends

When consumers were asked in a survey if they were considering an electric boat for their next purchase, 39% reported that they were exclusively searching for an electric boat. Another 33% stated they didn’t have a preference and therefore were looking for both gas powered and electric boats. Meanwhile, 27% of shoppers said they were exclusively looking for a gas powered boat.

Participants were then asked if they would ever consider buying an electric boat. The majority of respondents (60%) reported that they would consider buying an electric boat immediately or in the near future, while 8% said they would never consider buying an electric boat—demonstrating some consumer uncertainty.

When new technology enters a long undisturbed market, consumers will form opinions that may be hard to shake, which is why having an informed dealer strategy is so important. In addition to these national trends from Boatline, be sure to inquire about electric boat interest among your own consumers, so you can best gauge local market potential for your specific dealership.

2. Identify the Most Persuasive Strategies

Consumers were then asked what would change their minds if they were hesitant to buy.  The results showed that 43% believed the most persuasive messages would be testimonials from current electric boat owners and 42% believed that informative articles would be the most persuasive. Other respondents noted that having more models to choose from would be helpful (37%), while 36% said informative videos and 34% said that seeing more people with electric boats would make a difference in their decision. 

When thinking over strategies for selling, dealers should consider creating marketing materials that highlight consumer testimonials or even publishing articles and videos on their website that provide more information about electric boats.

3. Reinforce the Benefits

There are many benefits to electric boats that dealers should lean on in their messaging and sales strategies whether it’s through conversations at the dealership or through informative materials on their website. Of our survey respondents, the most appealing elements of electric boats were quiet engines (54%), saving money on fuel (47%), and producing less emissions (46%)/having less of an environmental impact (45%).

4. Educate Your Consumers

It’s just as important to address the concerns of consumers as it is to highlight the benefits of electric boats. You can overcome concerns and drawbacks by educating shoppers. The survey results showcased several obstacles including the top concern, engine charging time (49%), as well as the weight of electric batteries (38%), lack of infrastructure (35%), and the higher initial price (34%). Reshape the conversation by reinforcing the long-term benefits such as savings on batteries versus soaring fuel prices as well as those mentioned above. 

5. Create Effective Listings

When it’s time to drive sales, a picture speaks a thousand words. That’s why it’s important to create quality online listings. It should be clear what you’re selling whether it’s gas, hybrid, or electric. Taking high-quality photos and videos of the unit, setting a market-competitive price, ensuring listing descriptions are comprehensive and accurate, providing up-to-date contact information, and staying on top of leads are all ways in which dealerships can ensure they’re creating effective listings and driving quality leads.

As seen in the survey, electric boats are an exciting new product for customers, presenting a great opportunity for dealers to drive sales. If you want to know more about consumer trends and how to market your new electric inventory, check out Boatline’s latest whitepaper: https://pages.boatline.com/electric-boats.