Navisyo: Boat rental and tours marketplace

The idea

The founders wanted to build a booking marketplace for boat stays, voyages, and maritime events, connecting boat owners with travelers seeking affordable and authentic experiences on the water. They needed a development partner who could both advise on product decisions and build the platform. We began working with Navisyo in late 2020.

What we built

A Sharetribe marketplace developed over a multi-year partnership, with extensive customizations beyond the default template:

• Custom design for desktop and mobile High-quality design tailored to Navisyo's maritime aesthetic, customizing the initial template
• Three booking categories Floatels, Voyages, and Events, each with its own step-by-step listing creation and public view, supporting overnight stays, day bookings, and trip bookings
• Price negotiation for events A unique transaction process allowing providers to set prices based on guest requests
• Parent and child listings Cabins as child listings under parent boat listings in the Floatels category, with updated search queries and listing visibility
• Voucherify integration Managing discounts, coupons, gift cards, and an Ambassador program to track and manage user earnings
• SEO optimization Updated meta information, sitemaps, image optimization, and cache policies to improve search engine rankings
• Season pricing and extended bookings High and low season pricing defined by boat owners, with off-session payments supporting booking periods up to one year

The result

A fully functioning marketplace that evolved from a simple concept into a mature product. The category-specific features and custom design enhanced the user experience. Price negotiation and parent-child listings added flexibility to the booking process. SEO work increased visibility and traffic. Voucherify integration incentivized user growth. Season pricing and extended booking periods made the platform adaptable to market demands. The founders later pivoted to a new direction, which is a normal part of the startup journey.

In our collaboration with IT House over 2 years, they were insightful and excellent in communication. Whenever we faced challenges, they provided us with cost-effective solutions. We found the right development partner.

Alexander Michaels CEO & Founder, Navisyo Group · United States