Transforming Premium Boat Buying Online
MarineMax
The Challenge
MarineMax, the world's largest recreational boat and yacht retailer, has long been a leader in adventure, leisure, and lifestyle. While it offers expert guidance, service, and fun throughout the boat-buying experience, the broader digital retail landscape has raised expectations, especially for mobile-first, visually engaging shopping experiences.
Recognizing the opportunity to elevate its product detail pages (PDPs), MarineMax set out to better connect the inspiration of boat ownership with the convenience of modern online browsing. What started as a project to redesign pages evolved into a transformational partnership built on MarineMax's vision and Verndale's ability to help bring it to life.
The Solution
MarineMax partnered with Verndale not as a vendor, but as a long-term strategic guide embedded across digital functions, from experience design to infrastructure stability. Through Verndale's Managed Services model, MarineMax gained an extended team that helped evolve content strategy, optimize conversion, and improve digital operations.
Key Moves
- Led customer needs assessment to inform strategy with insights, identifying a subpar mobile experience, misaligned content, and conflicting calls to action (CTAs) on its PDPs.
- Simplified PDP layout and prioritized bottom-funnel actions, enabling the pages to be a compass for boat shopping.
- Integrated a financing calculator, removing friction and helping improve conversion.
- Used Sitecore's AI tools to personalize content and recommend the right products.
- Provided SEO strategy, extending reach, and helping drive traffic.
- Redesigned the homepage through flexible resourcing, helping MarineMax demonstrate results quickly while preserving long-term transformation goals.
- Provided critical support when issues arose, stabilizing infrastructure and ensuring fast responses.
The Outcome
Known for attracting diverse buyers, from lake-bound wakeboarders to Miami yacht owners, MarineMax's new PDP experience transformed how these customers explore, compare, and act, especially on mobile.
Product navigation guides visitors with less friction and greater confidence through streamlined pricing displays, form transparency, and clear financing options. The project's outcome reflects thoughtful design and the value of a true partnership—one where MarineMax's deep customer knowledge and Verndale's digital expertise worked hand-in-hand to adapt and grow.
Increase in PDP Engagement
Surge in Page Views
Growth in Views Per Session
How We Got It Done
Solutions
Technologies
Algolia
Success Stories
Aspen Snowmass
Sitecore
Panera Bread
Sitecore
Get in Touch
Allen Schweitzer
Chief Revenue Officer