As a dive shop owner, expanding your reach by selling gear in-store and online is a great move to boost your sales and attract a broader customer base. With more shoppers seeking convenient online options, now is the perfect time to take your store online and maximize your business potential.
When you’re ready to kick things off for your online dive store, you’ll need a solid, feature-rich e-commerce solution. It should seamlessly integrate with your inventory, customer data, and point of sale (POS) system.
To help you get started, our experts curated a shortlist of e-commerce providers that can create a smooth and efficient online shopping experience for your dive store.
Dive Shop 360
Dive Shop 360 is an e-commerce and point of sale system designed to meet the unique needs of divers and dive centers. It’s an all-in-one solution for managing your online dive store, from daily operations and inventory management to customer relationships and sales data. With a quick setup process and preconfigured options for selling dive gear, organizing trips, and offering training courses, it’s designed to meet your shop’s unique needs right from the start. The platform also includes an integrated online reservations system, simplifying the booking process and boosting sales. As a leading e-commerce provider and shop designer, Dive Shop 360 lets you sell your stock both offline and online.
Pros
- Inventory synchronization: With Dive Shop 360’s integrated e-commerce solution, you no longer need to juggle two separate inventories. Sell products online from the same stock as your in-store inventory and get real-time updates, simplifying management and streamlining operations.
- Automated reordering: Dive Shop 360’s e-commerce platform works directly with its point of sale system and inventory management tools. You can configure automatic reorder points from an extensive list of preloaded vendors, minimizing the risk of stockouts.
- Built-in marketing tools: With Dive Shop 360, you can create and tailor your e-commerce marketing campaigns. Effortlessly set up automatic reminders, share informational content, and send promotional offers through the platform. E-commerce solutions with built-in marketing make creating a positive customer experience easier.
- Made for dive enthusiasts: Over the past 20 years, more than 1,000 dive industry professionals have contributed to shaping Dive Shop 360’s features, including its e-commerce tools. This extensive collaboration has resulted in a platform specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of dive shops, making it highly effective and user-friendly for store owners and customers. The software only gets better over time, with frequent updates rolled out automatically.
Cons
- Learning curve: Dive Shop 360 is professional-grade software for the diving industry. If you’re new to this type of POS system or e-commerce platform, you may need some extra time to familiarize yourself with all of its features.
- Internet connection required: Dive Shop 360’s e-commerce tools require a stable and reliable internet connection. For the best experience, make sure you have access to high-speed internet.
Pricing:
You can schedule a demo to experience Dive Shop 360 firsthand. Contact customer service for a customized quote tailored to the needs of your online dive store.
ScubaPRO
ScubaPRO is an integrated business management solution for dive shops and certified dive centers. It streamlines and automates many daily tasks in running your store, including setting up and managing an e-commerce outlet.
Pros
- Easy e-commerce set up: Setting up an online store with ScubaPRO takes five minutes. It’s preconfigured to meet your dive shop’s unique needs, offering options for selling dive gear packages, organizing dive trips, and setting up training courses.
- Automatic data fill-in: ScubaPRO seamlessly imports data from the management tools your business already uses. When you register a new sale, whether in-store or online, it automatically updates and fills in all the essential information for you.
- Reservations system: Integrate an online reservations system into your e-shop with ScubaPRO. No more worrying about missed reservation calls — let your customers sign up online, simplifying the booking process and boosting sales.
Cons
- Long feature list: ScubaPRO can feel bloated with too many features for small and medium-sized diving businesses looking for a simple e-commerce provider. Many overlap with tools your business may already use, such as accounting software or activity calendars.
- Complex role management system: While ScubaPRO lets you assign different roles and levels of software access to your staff members, configuring them can be complicated and time-consuming.
Pricing:
ScubaPRO recommends contacting one of their sales representatives for a price estimate.
Bloowatch
Bloowatch is management software for various outdoor activity businesses, such as water sports centers and dive shops. Its e-commerce platform lets customers shop for gear and sign up for dives online.
Pros
- Customizable inventory management: Bloowatch’s inventory manager gives you complete control over how much of your stock is available on your e-commerce platform, item by item. You can list everything or create exclusive product combinations reserved for online sales.
- Supports multiple payment options: Setting up payments for your online shop on Bloowatch is easy. The program has Stripe enabled by default, but it can be customized to support various other payment processing options. You can also configure whether to accept deposits, set up multiple payments, or process refunds directly through the platform.
- Mobile-friendly: Bloowatch gives you full access to all its features from any mobile device, including your online store’s control panels. This means you can manage your online shop on the go, even with a cellular connection.
Cons
- Complex integrations: Bloowatch integrates its features into your dive shop’s website and online store through a custom widget system. Setting these up may take time, but Bloowatch’s support team can assist you.
- Requires emailing customers: By default, Bloowatch is set up to send payment validation emails to customers through Stripe. However, this method isn’t as quick or convenient as having a direct checkout option on the platform.
Pricing:
Bloowatch offers three pricing plans, starting from 49 EUR/month for the START plan and going up to 119 EUR/month for the GOLD plan. All pricing plans include annual billing, basic accounting tools, and 24/7 online booking system access.
EVE Diving
EVE Diving is one of the longest-standing POS software programs for scuba diving shops. It offers a wide range of modules, making it easy for shop owners to manage everything, from daily operations to online sales.
Pros
- Dedicated e-commerce module: EVE Online is EVE’s dedicated online store module, preconfigured with every option your dive shop needs. It supports selling inventory, scheduling dive trips and training courses, and providing other services.
- Marketing campaign builder: You can create an online marketing campaign with EVE Agent that encourages your customers to visit your online store, increasing conversion rates.
- Website management system: EVE includes a web hosting module called EVE Websites, which supports your e-commerce platform by displaying your store’s contact details, social media links, course offerings, galleries, FAQs, and blog.
Cons
- Supports PADI shops only: EVE Diving’s features are tailored specifically for dive centers offering Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) courses. If your dive shop is affiliated with other training organizations, it may not fit your needs.
- Features spread between many modules: EVE Diving is not a single integrated application but a collection of various modules and SEO tools. Each module requires a separate subscription, and there is no free plan available.
Pricing:
EVE recommends contacting its customer support to discuss your dive center’s specific requirements and get a customized quote on pricing plans and monthly fees.
Get More Online Sales With Dive Shop 360
If you’re a dive shop owner looking to sell online, numerous platforms offer features to help you manage your online dive store and connect with customers. However, only Dive Shop 360 provides a baked-in e-commerce solution with a user-friendly interface.
With features like inventory synchronization, automated reordering, and built-in marketing tools, it offers dive professionals an all-in-one platform to manage their operations efficiently and enhance their online presence.
Schedule a demo with Dive Shop 360 today and see why it’s the go-to e-commerce platform for dive professionals.
