Introduction
A better website for a longtime boat dealer
Nixon's Marine has been helping Eastern Washington boaters find the right boat since 1959. After 13 years on Dealer Spike, the dealership needed a website that was easier to manage and better suited to its business.
Cougar Digital built a custom WordPress website with searchable boat inventory, an interactive Boat Finder, professional photography, and a more flexible content management system. The new website gives customers a better way to shop and employees more control over everyday updates.
The Challenge
Replacing an expensive, restrictive dealership platform.
Nixon's Marine was paying a substantial monthly subscription for Dealer Spike, yet the platform made it difficult to control what appeared on its website.
Automatically populated manufacturer catalogs and promotions sometimes displayed boats or brands the dealership no longer carried. Routine updates were cumbersome, and the generic website template didn't reflect how Nixon's Marine actually operated.
Our Solution
A website built around how Nixon Marine does business.
Custom Website Development
Modern website design & inventory management.
We replaced Dealer Spike with a custom WordPress website built around how Nixon's Marine actually operates. The new site gives employees direct control over homepage content, promotions, featured boats, and inventory without relying on a third-party dealership platform.
We also migrated the dealership's existing boat inventory into a custom management system. Staff can easily update listings with pricing, availability, specifications, photos, and video—all from a familiar WordPress dashboard.
Inventory Search & Boat Finder
Making it easier to find the right boat.
We made it easier for customers to find the right boat with searchable inventory and practical filters for brand, condition, boat type, and other specifications.
For shoppers who aren't sure which model fits their needs, we developed an interactive Boat Finder that connects them with available inventory based on activities like bass fishing, walleye fishing, and watersports.
Photography & SEO
Showcasing the dealership, online and in search.
Professional photography of Nixon's Marine's boats, showroom, team, and service operations gives customers a better feel for the dealership before visiting. Detailed photo galleries also help shoppers explore individual boats.
We organized the website with dedicated boat listings, clear inventory categories, and search-friendly navigation. This makes it easier for customers to find relevant information while helping search engines understand the dealership's inventory and offerings.
The Results
Lower website costs. More control.
Nixon's Marine now has a custom dealership website built around its own sales process. Employees can manage inventory and featured content directly, while customers have easier ways to browse available boats.
By replacing Dealer Spike, the dealership eliminated its expensive monthly website subscription, substantially reducing ongoing website costs.
The new platform also provides a flexible foundation that can evolve alongside the dealership's inventory and business needs.
"We recently had Travis and his team build a custom website for our Boat Dealership. Nixon's Marine. Josh, Nick, and Travis were awesome. We got tired of the common dealer site and they hit it out of park with our website. What a great project!! Thanks so much for making it easy."
Willie Nelson
Nixon's Marine
Summing it Up
Their inventory. Their website. Their rules.
Nixon's Marine needed to move beyond a costly dealership platform without losing the inventory that keeps its business moving.
Cougar Digital delivered a custom website with migrated boat data, searchable inventory, and easier day-to-day management—all in a system the dealership controls.
