Tag each visitor by what they looked at, and send updates that match those tags on a schedule of about four months. In GoHighLevel, interest tags drive the workflows, and Stop on Response and a booked appointment pull buyers out when they engage. The bottom line: a buyer who visited once and went quiet is usually still shopping, and the dealer who sends the next relevant boat is the one who is remembered.
How long boat buyers take
A lead analysis by Info Link for Dominion Marine Media covered more than 2.3 million leads on YachtWorld, Boat Trader, and boats.com between October 2010 and September 2013. It found 12.4 percent of leads purchased a boat, that 28 percent of buyers bought new and so the rest bought pre owned, and that over half of new boat buyers purchased within 60 days of their first inquiry. An NMMA study of 3,295 new powerboat buyers found an average of 3.3 months from a boat show to the purchase. Those studies are dated and cover new boats and online portals, so use them for direction: most leads never buy, and the ones who do often decide within two to four months.
That gives the follow up a shape: heavier in the first two months, then lighter through about four months. A 2022 RBFF, MRAA, and NMMA study adds that used buyers are as satisfied as new buyers but far less likely to use a dealer for service, so the plan should include an after sale offer.
Tags and what to send
| Tag | What the buyer gets |
|---|---|
| Center console, 24 to 27 feet | New arrivals and price changes in that range |
| Outboard brand | Engine hours and service notes on matching boats |
| Financing | A financing overview and a pre approval link |
| Trade in | An appraisal request link |
| Weekend or fishing use | Photos and a sea trial invitation |
The schedule
| Day | Step |
|---|---|
| 1 | Thank you for visiting, with the boat they viewed |
| 7 | Two similar boats |
| 21 | New arrival or price change in their range |
| 45 | Invitation to a sea trial |
| 75 | Market update and financing reminder |
| 120 | Last check in, then move to a monthly list |
Build it in GoHighLevel
- At the visit, add tags for the boat type, size range, brand, and any financing or trade in interest.
- Build a workflow with a tag added trigger for Visited once that starts the schedule from the table.
- Add an If/Else on interest tags so each email shows the matching content.
- Add an Add Contact Tag action when the buyer clicks a link, so interests build up over time.
- Exit buyers who book an appointment or reply, with Stop on Response and a condition on appointment status.
- Create Smart Lists by tag, for example center console buyers who did not respond, for monthly inventory emails.
- In the workflow's Settings tab, turn on Stop on Response, choose the Timezone, and set a Time Window for weekday business hours.
A third party guide describes Smart Lists as dynamic segments that update as contacts' tags and behavior change, which is what makes the monthly lists work.
GoHighLevel's Workflow Settings page says Stop on Response removes a contact from the workflow when they respond to a message sent from that workflow, and only for that contact. It says Allow Reentry controls whether a contact can enter again, that Allow multiple Opportunities lets each of a contact's opportunities start its own run (on by default in new workflows), that the Timezone can follow the account or the contact, and that the Time Window restricts when communications go out, uses one window for every day, and does not affect internal actions such as tags, fields, or opportunities. Its Automating Opportunities page lists the Pipeline Stage Changed and Opportunity Status Changed triggers, both filterable by standard and custom opportunity fields, and its Opportunity Changed trigger page adds that this trigger also detects changes to lead value, assignment, and custom fields, with date field filters. A HighLevel agency help center article says opportunity custom fields are created under Settings, then Custom Fields.
What the workload looks like
For example, a dealer with 300 single visit buyers a season and six touches each sends 1,800 messages. If 12.4 percent eventually buy, that is about 37 buyers (300 times 0.124), a share that a quiet list would never surface.
Mistakes to avoid
- One generic message for everyone. Match the boat they looked at.
- Stopping at 30 days. Many buyers take months.
- Ignoring after sale. Used buyers often skip the dealer for service.
- No exit on booking. Buyers who engage should leave the sequence.
How this was handled before
Boat dealers kept a floor traffic sheet and a salesperson's memory of who liked which hull. Boat shows and portals brought in more leads than one person could recall. Interest tags and a schedule move that memory into the CRM, so a buyer who liked a center console hears about the next center console.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Boat buyers often shop with a spouse, so ask who should receive the updates. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
How long do boat buyers take to decide?
Info Link's lead study found over half of new boat buyers purchased within 60 days, and an NMMA study found 3.3 months on average after a boat show. Both are dated.
What share of leads buy?
Info Link found 12.4 percent of portal leads purchased a boat.
Do used boat buyers use the service department?
A 2022 industry study found used buyers are far less likely to visit a dealer for service.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.