Most maritime tech companies are stuck using outdated sales and marketing strategies.
We analyzed the websites of 483 maritime tech companies across Europe to evaluate their digital marketing strategies, CRM adoption, content effectiveness, and lead generation efforts.
The results?
Most companies underutilize their CRM, neglect content marketing, and do not leverage paid ads effectively. These gaps don’t just slow growth—they cost companies leads and revenue.
This guide breaks down the most significant digital marketing challenges in maritime tech and, more importantly, explains how to fix them step by step.
Tracking leads in spreadsheets and scattered apps wastes time and money.
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system isn’t just a database—it’s your team’s command center. It helps you track leads, automate follow-ups, and organize your sales pipeline.
Without a CRM, you risk:
A well-integrated CRM centralizes contact details, emails, deals, and marketing interactions so your sales, marketing, and customer success teams can easily collaborate.
Without CRM integration, leads get lost, follow-ups slow, and website activity—pricing views, case studies, and emails—remains unseen.
A CRM integrated with your website captures this context, enabling personalized outreach. It also eliminates manual data entry, reduces errors, and frees up time for selling.
Of 483 maritime tech companies, 62.1% had no detectable CRM integrated with their website.
Among those that do have a CRM integrated with their website:
This data shows that most maritime tech firms still manage sales using outdated, manual systems or have not properly integrated their CRM with their marketing and website.
Some sales teams resist CRM adoption, seeing it as extra work, unnecessary complexity, or a disruption to their daily workflow.
Many maritime businesses think CRMs are too complex and require extensive IT support, which prevents them from using tools that could simplify sales.
Cost is another worry. Some avoid CRMs, not realizing how much money they lose from slow follow-ups and disorganized leads.
Adoption can be challenging even with a budget. Without proper onboarding, sales teams see CRMs as extra work instead of a tool that helps them close more deals.
These concerns are common, but the real risk isn’t adopting a CRM—it’s losing leads, wasting time, and missing sales opportunities without one.
But here’s the reality: a CRM doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
The right one can save you time and increase revenue—if you implement it correctly:
You don’t need a complex enterprise-grade system if you’re just getting started. HubSpot offer user-friendly options that scale with you and has essential features like:
Your CRM is only as good as the data it collects. Connect it to:
Maritime sales involve multiple decision-makers—shipowners, fleet managers, procurement teams, and compliance officers. Set up workflows that:
Even the best CRM won’t help if your sales team doesn’t use it.
Set up practical training sessions to show them how the system makes their lives easier. Offer incentives for logging activities, tracking leads, and updating data.
Without CRM integration, your website is just a digital brochure, not a sales engine. Your CRM must be connected to your website to capture, track, and convert leads efficiently.
Think of your website as your 24/7 sales rep.
It’s often the first place potential buyers visit to learn about your solution.
However, if your site is slow, outdated, or difficult to navigate, you will lose leads before they reach your sales team.
The Content Management System (CMS) you choose determines how easily you can update content, capture leads, and integrate with other marketing tools.
Yet, many maritime tech companies stick with WordPress simply because it’s the default option—not because it’s the best fit.
We analyzed 483 maritime tech websites, and here’s what we found:
The rest use custom solutions and smaller platforms.
While WordPress is the clear leader, that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for everyone.
WordPress is popular, but it comes with some significant limitations:
1. There is no built-in automation or reporting. Unlike HubSpot CMS, WordPress doesn’t natively support lead capture, CRM integration, or reporting features.
2. Security risks and maintenance headaches. Frequent plugin updates, security vulnerabilities, and slow load times can create a poor user experience (and a nightmare for your IT team).
3. Slower performance. Many maritime tech websites overload WordPress with plugins, making pages sluggish and hurting SEO and conversions.
If your goal is to generate leads, nurture prospects, and turn website visitors into customers, consider these options:
HubSpot CMS (a part of the HubSpot Content Hub) is Ideal if you want an all-in-one marketing and sales platform that integrates seamlessly with CRM, email marketing, and automation tools.
Your website isn’t just an online brochure—it’s where most buyers will research your product before contacting your sales team.
If your CMS is not helping you generate leads and close deals, you should rethink your use of it.
Your buyers aren’t making quick decisions.
In maritime tech, deals take months—sometimes years—to close.
So, how do you stay top-of-mind while they research, compare, and get buy-in from multiple stakeholders?
The answer is content marketing.
When you consistently create helpful, relevant content—blog posts, case studies, reports—you build authority, attract inbound leads, and nurture prospects through long sales cycles.
But here’s the problem: most maritime tech companies aren’t doing it consistently.
The reality is that most maritime tech companies barely invest in content:
That means most companies we analyzed are missing out on one of the most cost-effective ways to build awareness, attract qualified traffic, and generate leads for their sales team.
Many maritime companies hesitate to invest in content marketing for a few reasons:
But here’s the truth: every buyer researches your company online before talking to sales.
If you’re not creating content to answer their questions, your competitors will.
If you don’t have a content strategy yet, don’t worry—you don’t need to publish a new blog daily.
Start with these high-impact content types:
1. Blog posts that rank in Google and LLMs
Answer common buyer questions (e.g., "How to Reduce Fuel Costs in Shipping" or "Best Fleet Management Software").
Focus on industry keywords that attract search traffic. Remember that this content can be distributed through other channels, such as paid social media and email marketing as well.
2. Case studies that prove ROI
Showing real-world success stories is the best way to build trust with your target market.
Follow this structure: Challenge → Solution → Measurable Results.
Publish case studies on your website and get sales to use them actively during their sales process.
3. Industry reports, whitepapers and webinars
Offer data-backed insights in exchange for an email address.
Let's say you wrote a “2025 Maritime Digital Transformation Report.”
This asset can be used to generate email subscribers or webinar leads.
4. LinkedIn content to engage your network
Share quick insights, company updates, and thought leadership posts.
Then, use LinkedIn Ads to amplify reach and drive traffic to your website.
Unlike ads, which stop generating leads when you turn them off, content continues to work month after month. A single, well-optimized blog post can bring in leads for years.
Wouldn’t it be great if buyers just came to you?
That’s precisely what happens when you use paid ads strategically.
Unlike organic traffic, which takes months to build, paid ads put you in front of decision-makers right now—whether they’re searching for solutions on Google or scrolling LinkedIn.
But here’s the problem: nearly half of the maritime tech companies we analyzed don’t advertise.
Out of 483 maritime tech companies, we found that:
This can mean that many companies rely solely on outbound sales and referrals, missing out on high-intent leads from digital advertising on channels like LinkedIn.
Many companies try paid ads, don’t see results, and give up.
Why? Because they make one (or more) of these mistakes:
If you’re not using paid ads yet—or if your ads aren’t working—here’s a better approach:
1. Split your budget between awareness and high-intent search
Use paid social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) to educate and build awareness.
Then, use paid search (Google Ads) to capture buyers actively looking for solutions.
A general rule is to spend 70-80% of your budget on awareness if your company is not well known in the market, then gradually move more of your budget to lead capture campaigns.
2. Use retargeting ads to stay visible over time
If someone visits your website but doesn’t convert, show them ads using platforms such as LinkedIn.
If they read a blog post about fuel efficiency, you can show them an ad inviting them to a webinar about the same topic or invite website visitors to follow you on LinkedIn.
3. Promote relevant content, not just meetings
Instead of only running "Contact Us" ads, try offers and CTAs such as "See How [Company] Reduced Costs by 20%" to drive engagement and traffic to your content.
4. Start with €1,000–€3,000/month and scale
Even a tiny budget can generate results if it’s appropriately targeted.
Many maritime tech firms hesitate to invest in ads because they’re used to long, relationship-driven sales cycles.
But here’s the thing: your buyers see someone else’s ads online. Even with a limited budget, you can reach your whole target market if you target a small market segment.
Your website isn’t just a digital business card—it should be your best salesperson.
But here’s the problem: most maritime tech websites aren’t designed to convert visitors into leads.
After analyzing the 483 maritime tech websites, the data is clear:
What’s wrong with this?
It’s both too generic and requires much commitment too soon.
Most visitors aren’t ready to book a demo or talk to sales—they’re just researching.
If your site doesn’t make the next step easier, they will leave without engaging.
If you want to turn more visitors into leads, you need better CTAs. Here’s how:
Not every visitor is ready for a sales call.
Instead of “Contact Us,” try content-driven CTAs that match their intent:
Buyers in maritime tech need data and proof before making decisions.
Offer something valuable in exchange for their email:
Many companies hide their CTAs at the bottom of the page. Instead, test:
Most websites show the same CTA to every visitor, but buyers are at different stages.
Smart CTAs in HubSpot adapt based on their journey:
New Visitors → Educate with valuable content (“Read the Fleet Optimization Guide”)
Leads → Encourage deeper engagement (“Watch the On-Demand Webinar”)
Sales-Qualified Leads (SQLs) → Drive action (“Book a Consultation to Cut Fuel Costs”)
Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, match CTAs to visitor intent.
This is a simple way to convert more traffic into leads.
Maritime tech companies don’t need more traffic—they need better conversions. Small changes, such as stronger CTAs and free resources, can multiply leads.
Take a look at your website.
Does it clearly explain why your solution differs and why buyers should choose you over competitors?
If your homepage is filled with generic claims like “leading provider” or “cutting-edge technology,” you’ve got a problem.
Buyers don’t care about vague marketing talk—they care about results.
The biggest issue in maritime tech is that too many companies describe what they do but not why it matters.
Of the 483 maritime tech websites we analyzed, most suffer from the same positioning mistakes:
1. Overused buzzwords. (“Innovative maritime solutions” means nothing without proof.)
2. Vague target audiences. (“We serve the marine industry” is too broad—who exactly is your ideal buyer?)
3. No ROI-driven messaging. Buyers want to know how you’ll reduce costs, improve efficiency, or solve a specific problem.
Buyers will bounce if your website doesn’t answer “What’s in it for me?” in the first few seconds.
If you want to stand out and close more deals, your messaging needs to be:
Weak: “Our platform provides real-time analytics and advanced reporting.”
Strong: “Reduce unplanned downtime by 30% with real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance alerts.”
Buyers don’t care about features—they care about outcomes.
Weak: “We help maritime companies optimize operations.”
Strong: “We help fleet operators reduce fuel costs by at least 15%, and shipowners ensure compliance with IMO regulations.”
The more specific, the better.
Buyers in maritime tech are highly ROI-driven.
If your website isn’t showcasing measurable results, you’re losing deals.
Weak: “We improve vessel performance.”
Strong: “Shipowners using our platform cut fuel costs by an average of €500,000 per year.”
Numbers build credibility.
Many maritime tech solutions help with sustainability, compliance, and emissions reduction—but most companies fail to highlight this.
Example: “Ensure compliance with IMO 2030 emissions regulations while cutting fuel costs by 12%.”
If regulatory compliance is part of your value, make it a key selling point.
The difference between an average maritime tech company and a market leader often comes down to positioning.
If your messaging isn’t clear, specific, and outcome-driven, buyers will find it more challenging to say “yes.”
Take a fresh look at your website, sales materials, and marketing content.
Are you talking about yourself—or showing buyers why they need you?
The data is clear:
Most maritime tech companies are missing key opportunities to generate leads, close deals, and scale growth. But that also means there’s room for you to get ahead.
Here’s where to start:
1. CRM Adoption is Critically Low—Fix This First
62% of maritime tech companies still don’t use a CRM. We recommend integrating HubSpot with your website for its automation and reporting features.
2. WordPress Dominates, But It’s Not Always Ideal
70% of maritime tech firms use WordPress, but many struggle with slow load speeds and poor CRM integration. Optimize WordPress performance or consider alternatives like HubSpot CMS.
3. Paid Advertising is Underused—A Missed Opportunity
Nearly half of maritime tech companies don’t use paid ads, missing high-intent leads. Use LinkedIn and Google Ads to build awareness, attract traffic, and capture leads.
4. Content Marketing is an Untapped Goldmine.
Only 24.6% of maritime tech companies blog regularly. You will get more sales opportunities by consistently publishing blog posts and case studies and distributing them via LinkedIn and email.
5. Weak CTAs Are Killing Conversions
85% of maritime tech companies use "Contact Us" as their primary CTA. Use lower-friction CTAs like downloadable resources, webinars, and case studies.
6. Your Positioning Needs to Be More Customer-Centric
Many maritime tech companies rely on feature-driven messaging instead of business outcomes. What to do next: Highlight customer results and measurable ROI in your positioning.
Start small and build from there. Whether you adopt a CRM, run your first paid ad, or publish a case study, pick one area to improve today.