Sportsman's Guide Lures Customers With New Site

The Sportsman’s Guide has launched BoatingSavings.com to help build a targeted list of fishing and marine enthusiasts.

The e-commerce site went up May 30 and includes fishing and marine items such as life vests, paddles, rods and reels, as well as items for towing a boat.

But instead of pushing the URL to its current audience, Mike Hanson, vice president of Internet says the company is using both natural and paid search to bring in a new batch of customers.

“We figure there are a lot of people who own a boat who might be looking to save some money right now, and we could offer them a one-stop shop on the Web,” Hanson said. “With that URL and the name, it offers what those boaters are searching for online.”

But customer acquisition is also key. Hanson says BoatingSavings.com customers are likely to also be outdoors enthusiasts—and that means marketing The Sportsman’s Guide to them is a natural fit.

Hanson says the new site will be a success if it brings in customers who are not already a part of The Sportsman’s Guide’s house files. But is it a strategy that can work for all merchants?

Hardly, says Hanson.

“Before you get into something like this, you have to look at your product mix,” he says. “If you have just two types of fishing rods and a jacket, it’s not going to work.”