An Epiphany
I had an epiphany about yacht charter websites yesterday while standing, of all places, in the toilet aisle at The Home Depot.
It was after about 10 minutes of increasing frustration, as I wandered up and down the aisle trying to ascertain the difference between about 30 different toilet models. There was a “self-help” guide posted to help me make my choice, and when I asked a salesman for help determining which toilet would be best for me, he referred me back to this guide–which basically directed me to compare the advertising copy that each toilet’s manufacturer had written. I was looking for unbiased, expert assistance, and I was being told that I didn’t need it.
I left the store frustrated and without a new toilet. But I did take home this epiphany: Virtually all of the yacht charter websites popping up on the Internet nowadays are nothing more than glorified versions of that toilet aisle.
I know as much about toilets as you probably know about charter yachts. You can see the pictures, and you can read the marketing copy, but unless an expert is available to help you understand the unadvertised differences between each one, you are likely to end up frustrated–sometimes after spending money on the wrong thing.
This is the point I have been trying (admittedly long-windedly) to make here on the Editor’s Blog in my previous two posts. Here it is in plain English:
CharterWave is different from all the other yacht charter websites (and many magazines) because we provide more than just information. We provide evaluation, as well as links to reputable charter brokers who can help you evaluate your vacation options further.
Let me give you an example.
There are countless websites and magazines that will tell you “Yacht XYZ sleeps 12 guests.” That’s all well and good, but CharterWave is more likely to publish this sentence: “Yacht XYZ sleeps 12 guests, but four of them are in twin-size Pullman berths that are best-suited for children.”
That’s evaluation vs. plain old information. And the former is obviously more helpful to you as someone trying to choose a charter yacht. If you can’t find that sort of evaluation about a boat you see here on CharterWave, then you absolutely can get it from the reputable brokers we support.
Our independent editorial reviews, and our links to reputable brokers, are the missing part of most yacht charter websites’ equations. They’re the “helpful salespeople” who are supposed to be standing by your side as you sift through an endless stream of information. That’s a big part of the reason why we interview them: to help you get to know them better. As you might guess, each broker is different, too, and will bring a different perspective to charter vacation questions.
Funny that it took me a frustrated 10 minutes in the toilet aisle of The Home Depot to clarify my thoughts on this subject. Now, I’m clicking over to Google to see if I can find the CharterWave of toilet websites. I need more expert help than I’m being offered by the mass-marketing types.
And I know that I can’t find that kind of help just anywhere. It’s worth seeking out.