Competitive analysis
We extensively researched successful mobile apps in the yacht market, with a focus on visual design, interface, services, and features offered. To gain a better understanding of the global market, we also analyzed the offerings of direct competitors worldwide regardless of location.
Indirect competitors
We also evaluated indirect competitors, referring to applications that people use in addition to our own to solve their problems. We assessed their versatility and convenience and determined whether there is an opportunity to create a superior tool.
They offer precise and comprehensive guidance on navigation, ports, berths, gas stations, and other infrastructure. Users can easily locate and contact relevant contacts via phone or radio. However, it is important to note that this service cannot replace the convenience and function of online booking and parameter-based marina searches.
Key research takeaways
No competitors here in UK
no direct competitors in our location
Availability - key feature
providing the opportunity to see the availability of marina seats is a business advantage
Book & Pay - must have
the ability to book and pay - an advantage
We can make it better
ability to improve and optimize the search process
User research
The target audience
MarineStartUp will provide a platform for participants in the yacht market to interact. Therefore, the app's target audience will be:
1. Boat owners, as well as renters, regardless of experience level
2. Marinas, as well as service providers and equipment sellers in the future.
To create a business process that considers everyone's needs, we researched UK boaters and marinas.
Personas (UK Boaters)
Based on the results of extensive market research in the UK and analysis of our app's target audience through open sources such as blogs, thematic forums in social networks, special publications, and statistics, we have identified three personas. These personas help us better understand our users' behavior, pain points, and areas of opportunity. During the design sessions with our client, we conducted an analysis for each persona to determine their actions and uncover ways that our business can provide solutions to their needs.
The results were regrouped, depending on the goals and the user:
• Short-term parking (finding a marina to book in advance)
• Short-term mooring (finding a marina urgently on-site)
• Long-term rental (in advance)
• Search for a marina by a foreigner
Possibilities presented by the business have been sorted and ranked. Conclusions have been reached from the resulting graph regarding the high-priority tasks for the application, including its set of functions and features.
User research (UK Marinas)
Research description
We have analyzed existing internet resources for marinas in the UK and discovered that:
• There is no centralized information source for all marinas.
• Comparing marinas and making decisions about booking and prices is difficult due to lack of options.
• Publicly available booking conditions are rare.
• There is no search function for services.
Moreover, we contacted the marinas and acquired firsthand insights directly from them.
– The internal booking system
The number of available berths is not known in real-time. Typically, an employee conducts a round of the marina at 10 a.m. and records the available berths; occasionally, this process is repeated later in the day. However, this is not a real-time process. To secure a visitor berth quickly, it is advisable to call a few hours or days in advance. Reservations are made only through requests, which can take some time.
– Visitor berths typically cost around $2-$3 per meter. Booking through a mobile app is the most convenient option.
Annual berthing costs in the neighborhood of £600-700 per meter. That amounts to over £6,000 for a 10-meter motor yacht. It's difficult to imagine users paying such an amount via a mobile app. If the payment is limited to the deposit through the app, the user journey will be interrupted, and thus, the app will not offer a solution to the problem.
– User experience
Many marinas promptly answered our calls during business hours from 9am to 5pm, while a few had answering machines with a 30-60 second delay.
Research conclusions
The competitors still haven't addressed the issue.
Info services do not provide adequate information for decision-making and booking.
MarineStartUp aims to develop a mobile app that will facilitate booking and consolidate information on all marinas in the UK
This problem could be solved in two ways:
1) Integration with marinas booking systems is not possible as we discovered they do not exist.
2) In order to have a mobile application that displays availability and allows for booking, we will need to create our own marina management system. Although this option is costly and demands additional efforts from the business-side to partner with others, it is necessary.
As a result, we decided to create a web-based service that allows for interaction with marinas through a shared database, making it an integral platform for booking in the UK.
Service map draft (and its entities)
Based on co-design sessions with the client and analysis of data from user research, we created a service map that outlines the necessary components. The service needs to process marina reservations, and will include both a web and mobile application for user convenience. The diagram displays key entities that will be utilized.
Then a service blueprint was created which illustrates the user's journey from searching a marina to leaving a service review. The blueprint outlines the interaction between the marina, the user, and the data processing system during key stages such as registration, search, booking, payment, and review. The information architecture of the service and the complete user flow of the mobile application, whose interface will be the primary focus in the future, were developed based on this blueprint.
