Website Success Story: FastBoats Marine Group

A website is the public face of your business. Often it is the first thing people see when they do research on your company. If someone wants to know who you are and what you’re about, they reach for their computer, smartphone or tablet — making a strong web presence more important in today’s business climate than ever before.

As the old saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” and one company that does not disappoint with its web content is FastBoats Marine Group of Pompano Beach, Fla., fastboats.com.

Managing partner Kim Sweers, who owns the business along with her husband, Randy, and is a 20-year veteran of the marine industry, says a lot of attention is paid to maintaining the site and keeping it fresh and up to date. The site’s landing page is changed monthly, and the dealership’s business manager makes it a priority once a month to evaluate the site in its entirety, ensuring all links are active and content is relevant and valid. Kim also says that every three years, the site is completely redesigned with a new, revamped look.

Aside from its rich and engaging content, which includes current inventory, photo and video gallery, and an entire “Community Involvement” section that highlights all the charity work FastBoats and the Sweers do throughout South Florida and beyond, the site boasts some unique features. For example, a “Concierge” tab encourages customers to alert FastBoats staff via e-mail if they’re planning to use their boat so that, upon request, the dealership can top it off with fuel, stock the fridge with provisions, detail the boat, or perform any necessary service work before the customer plans to head out of the slip.

“No one wants to come into town and not have their boat ready,” Kim explains. And it’s never hard to reach anybody at FastBoats. Not only does the company include sales and after-hours phone numbers on each and every web page, but an extensive “Team FastBoats” page lists the name, contact information and photo of all staff members, making it easy for visitors to find the individual they want/need and contact that person directly. This type of personal interaction is key to making a connection with current and potential customers.

Equally as important is the overall impression a website makes on its visitors. Traditionally thought of as just a high-performance boat dealership, FastBoats is oh-so much more than that, and Kim Sweers says the design and content of the company’s website has convinced people of this fact.

“Our site has helped change peoples’ perception of us,” says Kim. She explains that from the website’s content, visitors can see that while go-fast boats are how the dealership made its name, FastBoats is involved in all aspects of boating besides the high-performance market, everything from fishing to knot-tying.

The FastBoats website is well designed, easy to navigate and includes engaging content that defines what the dealership is and how dealership personnel interact with customers. It’s a great example of how to put your best foot forward on the internet and make a lasting impression.

Check out the FastBoats website for yourself by clicking here.

How do I incorporate the MICD logo into my dealership branding?


The MICD Program logo is a powerful symbol. It represents your dealership’s ongoing commitment to excellence throughout all facets of your business — customer service and follow-up, sales processes and procedures, employee satisfaction and retention, facility upkeep, etc.

Now that you’re an MICD, it’s time to shout it from the rooftops! Becoming Certified is a big deal. It took a lot of hard work and effort to get here, so there’s no time like the present to make a splash of it and let current and potential customers know about your achievement.

In case you’re unaware, the MICD Program has a new logo as of late last year. Check and be sure you’re using the correct one on all of your collateral. The new logo can easily be downloaded from the MICD Portal on MRAA.com.

OK… now for some tips on incorporating the MICD logo into your dealership branding and marketing materials. Obviously, you received MICD logo window clings as part of your MICD Welcome/Recertification packet. But don’t let the promo stop there. There are many more opportunities to work the logo into your dealership identity.

Here are the top three most influential places to use the logo to its fullest:

(1) Personnel. One key place to “logo it up” is on your dealership personnel. Have the logo embroidered on your logoed shirts, hats, visors… anything and everything your staff wears on a regular basis. This ensures your most valuable asset — your people — are truly representative of MICD and that they embody the philosophy the program espouses. Any customer, be they repeat or a first-timer through the door, will see the logo emblazoned on your employees, and this helps connect your brand in their minds with the idea of being Marine Industry Certified.

(2) Boat show signage. This is a critical venue for potential boat buyers to come check out, touch and feel, and get direct questions answered about your products. As we all know, consumers are doing more homework than ever before in advance of plunking down their hard-earned dollars on a boat, and when they see you at the show they’re typically armed and ready with info and inquiries. Proudly display the MICD logo on boat show promotional material and signage. Have your salespeople wear pins or buttons that say “Ask me what it means to be Marine Industry Certified.” Encourage salespeople to talk with visitors to the dealership’s display about Certification and what it means for boat buyers. Boat shows are the prefect opportunity to talk about MICD and how Certified Dealerships are the most reliable and trustworthy sources to buy a boat from. After all, consumers won’t get a guarantee from the guy selling a boat in his driveway or off Craigslist. But they will from YOU, the Marine Industry Certified Dealership!

(3) Social media. It’s no longer a question of whether or not you WANT to be on social media; you NEED to be on social media! Make sure your dealership’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, LinkedIn, etc. all feature posts and/or photos related to MICD. These are excellent venues to continuously remind people what it means to be Marine Industry Certified. Social media is expected to feature daily updates, so there’s no shortage of opportunity to chat people up about your involvement in the program, what it means you are providing them as boat buyers, and how it protects them throughout the sales process (and long after, for that matter). Use these outlets to the fullest and make it know on social media that you are a proud MICD.

Stop Taxpayer Support for Ethanol

Since the creation of the domestic market for corn-based ethanol as an additive for gasoline, the federal government has nurtured and maintained the ethanol industry with a steady stream of subsidies. Originally sold as a way to achieve energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ethanol has been a favorite issue of lawmakers.

Ethanol producers have received favorable treatment under the tax code and even a government mandate for its usage. U.S. taxpayers have spent billions of dollars subsidizing ethanol production. But as the boating industry has learned, there’s a price to be paid for ethanol usage, including damage to marine engines and fuel systems; a significant reduction in important wetlands (as land is converted for corn production); an increase in greenhouse gases; and a threat to the safety of American families while recreating on the water.

Subsidies for the corn ethanol industry litter the U.S. tax code, including tax breaks for biodiesel and blender pumps. The tax extender bill being written in the Senate Finance Committee would extend the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, which provides a 30 percent tax break for gas stations installing E-85 blender pumps.

Thankfully, the $6 billion-per-year tax credit was retired by Congress in 2011; but the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandate still requires oil and gas companies to blend increasing amounts of ethanol with gasoline each year, and it takes special action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to override the mandate. In addition, EPA approved corn biobutanol as a new, advanced biofuel. Corn ethanol has already exceeded its RFS 15-billion-gallon annual mandate, causing numerous unintended consequences, such as higher food and feed grain prices and higher greenhouse gas emissions.

Here’ s a small example of federal programs that enhance corn ethanol usage and production:

• $55 million in grants and loans to advance biofuels facilities and annual production

• $25 million in loan guarantees to advance facilities, including power facilities

• $6.9 million in reimbursement payments for biorefineries to replace fossil fuels

• $200 million to facilities dispensing ethanol fuels in the form of a 30 percent tax credit

• $13.4 billion to master limited partnerships where investors are treated for tax purposes as if they already earned income

• $14 billion as a biodiesel production tax credit of $1.00 per gallon (part of the tax-extender bill to renew)

The list goes on and on.

MRAA believes the mature corn ethanol industry should no longer receive taxpayer support, whether through infrastructure subsidies for ethanol blenders in the tax code or production subsidies through the Department of Agriculture. Contact your Congressional representatives and let them know you want to stop these taxpayer incentives today!

Ethanol Worse for Environment Than Gasoline, Study Says

A new University of Nebraska study released April 20 in a publication called Nature Climate Change says eliminating ethanol as a biofuel can actually decrease soil organic carbon. The study claims cellulosic biofuels like ethanol actually generate more greenhouse gases than gasoline.

As expected, the biofuel industry is speaking out against the Nebraska study, calling it deeply flawed and out of step with science.

“MRAA has long supported repeal of the ethanol mandate,” says MRAA president Matt Gruhn. “Not only do boaters have to pay more for ethanol enriched gasoline, but of much more significant concern is the damage ethanol causes to older marine engines and fuel systems. We’ve been telling Congress for years that ethanol creates a bad situation for boaters and the industry, and hopefully a bill will pass this year to stop this public policy that’s gone horribly wrong.”

Now’s the time to reach out to Congress and express your concerns about ethanol, even if you didn’t attend last week’s American Boating Congress in Washington, D.C. Join your industry colleagues by contacting your local representatives and telling them that it’s time to end the current ethanol mandate.

Contacting your Congressional leader(s) is easier than you might think. Simply visit the MRAA website, “Stop the corn ethanol mandate. Support the pair of bills being sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA): H.R. 1462, which suspends the current EPA waiver that permits the sale of E-15 and requires a comprehensive assessment by the National Academy of Sciences regarding the effects of mid-level ethanol on marine engines; and H.R. 1461, which would repeal the renewable fuel standard.”

Ethanol levels of 10 percent already cause major problems for boaters, and an increase to 15 percent (E-15) or greater will pose serious mechanical and safety concerns. Ninety-five percent of boats are trailered to the water; fuel pumps containing E-15 will for sure lead to misfueling of boats and damaged engines this spring and summer.

Bush Tax Cut Extensions Likely to Progress in Senate

The U.S. Senate voted 96-3 to open debate on a bill that will renew several tax breaks known as the Bush Tax Cuts, first passed in 2008 to help stimulate the economy. Several issues important to marine retailers are included in the tax-extender package, including a return to the $5 million exemption for the estate tax and a federal sales tax deduction for people who purchase boats that live in a state without income tax.

The bill may hit a snag during the Senate floor debate because the expired tax breaks will add an estimated $85 billion to the federal budget deficit. Some Republican lawmakers have indicated that they would like to change the package to lessen the deficit impact; in the pay-as-you-go world of federal legislation, where tax cuts must be met with equal tax increases, the breaks offer no way to pay for themselves.

Based on merit, it’s expected that the bill has the more than 60 votes needed to pass.

MRAA will continue diligently working on this issue. Estate tax reform and maintaining the sales tax break are key issues for marine retailers.

USFWS Announces $14.27M in BIG Projects

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service gave recreational boaters and anglers good news May 9 when it announced program competitive grants totaling $14.27 million to 10 states and Washington, D.C. from the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program. The Service also will provide $2.48 million to 27 states willing to match smaller, non-competitive grants. These funds will pay for the construction of boat slips for transient boats more than 26 feet in length.

“These grant funds come from the ‘user pays, user benefits’ BIG program of the Sportfish and Boating Trust Fund, which MRAA strongly backs, and help support boating, fishing and many small businesses,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA president.

The funds come from federal excise taxes and other taxes on fishing equipment and gasoline. They pay for floating docks, fixed piers, mooring buoys, sewage pump-out stations, and other infrastructure to help provide access to the water and local communities for transient boaters.

MRAA Resource Center: Put $3K Back in Your Pocket

If you seek educational information at the touch of a button, look no further than the MRAA Resource Center. This online portal is an excellent place to soak up information on a variety of topics, ranging from financial management advice to sales and marketing suggestions. Access to the Resource Center is included in your MRAA membership dues and and can easily be managed from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Information available to MRAA members in the Resource Center is worth more than $3,000 in annual savings. This value pays for your annual membership dues 8 times over!

Right now, MRAA is hard at work on a virtual tour of the Resource Center, which we expect will be available on MRAA.com by the end of May. It will provide an online tutorial, designed to give current and prospective members a window into all the great tools, ideas and insights in the Resource Center and how to best take advantage of them.

For more information, CLICK HERE or contact MRAA membership coordinator Hannah Muerhoff at 763-333-2420 or hannah@mraa.com.

Attend MDCE… For FREE!

During the month of May, MRAA is offering dealers who have already registered for the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo an opportunity to pass a $25 discount along to all their dealer friends through MRAA’s “May Referral Promo.” The dealer with the most friends that register for MDCE in the month of May will be refunded up to two MDCE registration tickets, at a cost of nearly $500 apiece.

If you’re a dealer that registered to attend MDCE in the month of April, you should be receiving an e-mail with a promo code to share with your dealer friends. Remind them to put your name in the referral box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure you receive credit for the referral.

CLICK HERE to learn more!

Purchase MICD Custom Marketing Materials

The MICD Program offers customized marketing materials to help you promote your Certified status. Access to these materials, which include a brand-new, 6-foot-tall stand-up banner, is an exclusive MICD benefit.

Certified Dealers receive stand-up banners and other customized marketing materials for use in their dealerships at a significantly discounted rate. Items are available for purchase in the MICD Portal.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Discover Boating New Campaign Launch: It’s Official!

If you missed the all-industry webinar April 22 unveiling plans for the 2014 Discover Boating marketing campaign, CLICK HERE to download the full recording today. Learn more about the integrated marketing mix on tap for the national campaign this spring/summer.

Discover Boating launched its documentary-style series “Stories of Discovery” May 1 on DiscoverBoating.com. Further campaign elements include enhancements to the Discover Boating website; social media outreach on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pintrest; and an exciting new partnership with country music star Jake Owen that includes Discover Boating as the presenting tour sponsor.

To learn more about how Discover Boating benefits your business and how to get involved, CLICK HERE.