Case Study for:
Marine Sales & Services Company Harris & Ellis Yachts

 The Company

Established in 1976 in Ontario, Harris & Ellis Yachts provides yacht brokerage services for buyers, sellers including international transactions.

 The Challenge

The primary challenge related to the development of the Harris & Ellis website was the organization of content. As a storied brand in the North American yachting industry, the Harris & Ellis principals were focused on presenting  their company in the right way. Striking a balance between showcasing their impressive history and catering to a modern online audience was crucial. The new website needed to  not only boast their extensive listings and brokerage services but also convey the passion and expertise that have garnered them trust for over four decades.

Ultimately, the website’s success hinges on effectively translating Harris & Ellis’s established brand values into a captivating and immersive online experience, ensuring they continue to be a leading force in the yachting industry.

 The Process

Colophon New Media worked with the Harris & Ellis team to first collect all relevant content and then plan all key areas of the new website. As subscribers to the YachtWorld API, Harris & Ellis provided Colophon with the required details of their account so that yacht search and display system could be installed on the website.

 The Solution

Leveraging Expertise for a Seamless Yacht Broker Website:

Colophon New Media, with its established Three Phase Web Development Process, expertly crafted a new website for Harris & Ellis. This data-driven approach ensured a seamless integration of boat listings using the YachtWorld API. The process involved:

Phase 1: Discovery & Planning:

• Collaborating with Harris & Ellis to understand their brand, target audience, and website goals.
• Analyzing the existing website and competitor landscape to identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Defining the website’s architecture, information hierarchy, and user interface.

Phase 2: Design & Development:

• Designing a user-friendly and visually appealing website that reflects Harris & Ellis’s brand identity.
• Implementing the YachtWorld API to seamlessly integrate real-time boat data and listings.
• Developing custom features and functionalities to enhance the user experience, such as search filters, blogging tools and lead capture forms that are routed to assigned brokers and stored in a central database.

Phase 3: Launch & Support:

• Thoroughly testing and refining the website before launch.
• Launching the website and providing ongoing support and maintenance.
• Monitoring website performance and analytics to make data-driven improvements.

By following this structured approach and leveraging the YachtWorld API’s capabilities, Colophon New Media delivered a website that streamlines Harris & Ellis’s operations, attracts new clients, and strengthens their online presence within the yacht brokerage industry.