Marketing

If you read the companion article to this one, the Top Ten Mistakes in Dive Store Website Design, you know that there are a lot of ways in which otherwise good dive store websites can go wrong. And, while it is easy to criticize, what’s more important is to show how to do things right. That’s why we have this article.

Truly effective dive store websites share a number of features in common. If you can learn what these features are, then incorporate them into your store’s website, chances are you’ll increase sales and profits.

How This Article Works

In the pages that follow, we describe a number of features effective dive store websites share. Each of these pages will contain one or more links to a dive store website where you can see actual examples of what we describe. (These links open in a separate window, which you can close when done.)

There are a number of good dive store websites we could have used to illustrate each of the points in this article. The catch is, because these are good websites, they are constantly being changed and updated. That put us at risk of linking you to pages which might no longer contain what it was we wanted you to see.

To solve this problem, we created a complete — but entirely fictional — website for a dive store that doesn’t exist. We call this store Spring Country Dive Adventures, and located it in the town of Gainesville, Florida. The website is real; only the store is phony.

To make our website seem as real as possible, we pretended our phony dive store certifies through PADI and is a dealer for AquaLung, SeaQuest, Suunto, Dive Rite, Atomic and Henderson. The principles we cover, however, will work for almost any dive store, regardless of training agency affiliation or product line.

You may want to spend some time poking around the Spring Country Dive Adventures website, just as though it belonged to a real store. You may find a number of ideas worth taking advantage of — ideas that go beyond just website design.

Read whole article here...

PADI Provides Members Access to High Quality Marketing and Promotional Materials

Got to say, PADI has at last seem the light and given a real boost to online maketing dive centres around the world. Any dive centre who is affiliated with PADI who does not do this should be shot (or don't boither as they are shooting themselves in the foot anyway!)

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PADI Simplifies Marketing for Dive Centers and Resorts with materials that can be customized for each individual dive store or resort.

Creating custom professional marketing pieces has never been easier because PADI Americas has expanded the PADI Marketing Center available exclusively to PADI Dive Center and Resort Members via Merrill Corporation. Since 2006, PADI Dive Center and Resort Members have been able to personalize and order a variety of marketing materials to support their diver acquisition and retention efforts.

Members can access materials - from flyers to posters to brochures or postcards - that support all PADI marketing campaigns. PADI Members can use the materials as-is or personalize each piece to meet their individual needs. New for 2007, businesses can brand each piece with their logo by using the logo upload function. Now, customers can instantly recognize the dive center or resort's promotion.

“Access to professional, quality promotional materials and images has traditionally been limited and expensive,” says Bill Hamm, PADI Americas Director of the International Resort and Retailer Associations. “Through the Merrill Corporation, PADI Dive Centers and Resorts can quickly and easily produce high quality promotional materials at a fraction of the cost if they did it themselves. Now, they can seamlessly integrate these pieces into their existing marketing efforts - helping drive even more customers into their stores.”

Now marketing is even easier because dive centers and resorts can upload a customer list to drive promotional mailings. Once members have personalized their marketing materials online they can initiate a mailing with one click. Reordering is even easier because all transactions are stored as part of the member’s purchase history.

“Providing PADI Dive Center and Resort Members the tools they need to market their businesses is essential to helping them grow their business,” continued Hamm.

PADI Business Members can access these online tools via the Pro Section at padi.com by clicking on “PADI Marketing Center” under either the International Resort and Retailer Associations heading or in the IRRA Toolbox. For more information about all of the tools and benefits offered to PADI Dive Center and Resort Members, call the PADI International Resort and Retailer Associations at 800 729 7234 (US and Canada), or +1 949 858 7234, ext. 2247.

Others promise … PADI delivers.