10 Tips for Increasing Revenue to Grow Your Boat Marina Business Rastrac Team | Aug 4, 2022 11:00:00 AM

Managing a boat marina business comes with several unique challenges that can hurt your profitability. 

One of the most notable challenges is ensuring that your boats are well-maintained and in good working order. This can be a costly operational expense because boats are expensive to repair and maintain.

What’s more, when it comes to developing and implementing an efficient marina business plan, you need to consider how you stand out from the crowd. With nearly 10,000 marina businesses in operation in the U.S., according to marina industry research, there is a lot of fierce competition. 

This is why your marina business plan needs to include ideas for generating revenue through various streams that solve for the specific pain points and goals of your customers.

10 Marina Management Tips to Increase Your Revenue

Diversifying how your marina organization serves your ideal customers through various marina services can take a lot of time and planning. But with a clear roadmap and a list of what you need to do to hit your business goals, you can act fast and start generating revenue now. 

Follow along with these tips for improving how you manage revenue operations for your marina:

1. Prioritize Customer Service

This may seem obvious, but several organizations fail to adopt a “customer first” mentality. Some leaders don’t know how to turn this idea into a reality. 

Marina managers should prioritize customer service by creating a welcoming and helpful environment, addressing customer concerns promptly, and always striving to improve the quality of service. By providing excellent customer service, marina managers can deepen relationships with their customers and ensure that they keep coming back.

Creating a positive, transparent culture is the first step to providing great customer service. This means that employees should be friendly and accommodating, and that the physical space should be clean and well-maintained. In addition, customers should be able to easily find the information they need.

If a customer has a concern, your team should address it promptly. This shows that your business cares about the customer and is committed to providing a superior experience. Make sure your team is following up with customers after addressing their concerns to make sure they are satisfied.

You can also distribute customer surveys to collect feedback from all your customers quickly and efficiently. These insights can show your leadership team how to train their employees to improve specific areas of customer service. 

By providing great customer service, you’re not only able to retain your customers, but you can also build a positive reputation in your community. This can lead to referrals so you can gain new customers by delighting your current ones. 

2. Keep Your Marina Clean

A clean marina is important for both aesthetic and safety reasons. It's vital to keeping customers happy and coming back, as well as attracting new business. A well-maintained facility also helps protect against liability issues.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when it comes to keeping your marina clean. 

First, regular trash removal is a must. All debris should be promptly removed from the docks and parking areas.

You also need to have a plan for dealing with spills and other accidents. Spills can cause slip-and-fall accidents, so it's important to have a system in place for quickly cleaning them up. You should also post signs warning of potential hazards.

Additionally, it’s important to have a regular maintenance schedule for your docks and other marina infrastructure. This will help prevent problems before they start and keep your facility looking its best. 

3. Enhance Marina Safety Measures

Safety is of the utmost importance in a marina. There are a number of potential hazards present, from slip-and-fall risks to exposure to harmful chemicals. It's important to have strict safety protocols in place to protect both customers and employees.

Some tips to keep your team and customers safe include the following: 

• Establish and enforce strict safety rules. 
• Educate staff and customers on proper safety procedures. 
• Inspect docks and other marina infrastructure regularly. 
• Establish documented schedules for preventative maintenance for your watercraft rental fleet.  
• Install safety features such as railings and lighting. 
• Post signs warning of potential hazards. 
• Have a plan in place for dealing with spills and accidents. 
• Train staff in first aid and CPR. 
• Conduct regular safety drills. 
• Keep the marina clean and well-maintained. 
• Have a clear evacuation plan in case of an emergency.

Creating a safe environment is essential for building positive relationships with your customers and your communities. This supports long-term growth for your business. 

4. Invest in New Amenities

Most marinas provide a few basic amenities, such as restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities. Some also offer more extensive amenities, such as restaurants, bars, swimming pools, dockside TV, and tennis courts. Others may even have their own grocery stores or gas stations.

Look at your competitors in your area and find what you can offer that sets you apart from them. Additionally, you can use customer surveys to better understand needs they have and find ways to provide specific marina services and amenities that fit those needs.

5. Expand Your Marina Services and Products

Many marinas offer a wide range of services to their customers, from boat storage and repair to charter services and more. Look at what you currently offer and listen to what your customers are saying.

Customer feedback is key because they can tell you exactly what marina services they're looking for. If you're not meeting their needs, a competitor in your area might. 

Depending on what your customers want and what your company can provide, here are some ideas on new marina services and products you can provide: 

• Transient Dockage
• Annual Dockage
• Moorings
• Dock Side Pump Outs
• Mobile Pump Outs
• Haul Outs
• Launch Services
• Winter Storage
• Bottom Painting
• Fiberglass and Gelcoat Repair
• Mechanical Services and Repairs
• Electrical Services and Repairs
• Sailboat Rigging
• Interior and Exterior Detailing
• Canvas Cleaning and Repair

Another common service that can increase your revenue involves watercraft and equipment rentals, as outlined below. 

6. Rent Out Equipment

Provide customers with the opportunity to rent specific items, including marina safety equipment or other useful products to provide them with a positive experience. This might include renting dock carts, ladders, and dock lockers. 

This provides a lower cost investment for customers who may not need to purchase specific pieces of equipment. 

Additionally, you can rent watercraft items, like boats and jet skis. Just be sure you have a system in place for protecting both your equipment and the renters using your equipment.

For example, GPS tracking helps you keep boat operators safe while protecting your watercraft inventory. You can use software tools for tracking where your rentals go to prevent theft and use geofencing to help boaters avoid dangerous waterways.

GPS tracking software for marinas helps you protect your investments and maximize the lifespan of your fleet. This helps maintain a good profit margin on your products and services. 

7. Host Events

Providing fun events is a great way to keep your current customers engaged and happy, while also attracting newcomers! Marketing your event is really important so you can get the word out and attract the right people to your upcoming events. 

Some marina event ideas include:

• Sailing Races
• Boat Shows
• Charity Events
• Fishing Tournaments
• Poker Runs
• Wakeboarding Competitions
• Fireworks
• Concerts
• Children scavenger hunts
• Raffles

Use these events to showcase your marina's top notch customer service, and be prepared to connect with people who may be interested in your marina for future services. 

8. Become Location Experts

Educate your team on local attractions and fun ideas that they can share with your customers. Conduct ongoing training to keep your team up to speed on all the fun local things to do. 

Be prepared for customers to ask your team for advice on where to go and what to do. You can build a library of content specific to your local attractions and provide your customers with access to these pieces of content. This may include formats like digital brochures, physical copies of pamphlets, or social media posts that your customers can share. 

9. Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Using SEO best practices ensures your boat marina shows up on search engines when your target audience is searching for services or products you provide. For example, if boaters search for "marinas near me" or "boat dockage services," they will either be finding you or your competitors. 

Effective SEO strategies focus on solving for a searcher's pain point by creating helpful content. So if your marina's website is not optimized and it fails to target the right keywords, you need to invest in updating your digital presence. 

While SEO takes a lot of time and consistent effort, the presence and authority you build is great for building brand awareness and trust for your marina business. 

10. Establish a Social Media Presence

Social media continues to grow, and certain channels are great for building your brand. Depending on your target audience, you can focus on creating helpful and engaging content on specific platforms. 

It's a good idea to test and evolve your social media marketing strategy over time. To get started, check out what your competitors are doing or take notes on how other marinas in different regions manage their social presence. 

Drive Revenue With These Marina Management Insights

Following the tips we covered will set you up for business growth. Make sure you keep your entire organization aligned with the direction of your efforts as you move forward. 

Sustainable revenue growth for your marina requires consistent effort. By following these tips and evolving your marina business strategies over time, you're well equipped to continue to grow your business.