How the OutboardListings.com Dealer Network Works
Five-minute read. The first 3 marine dealers per state get 12 months of Dealer Pro tier ($599/mo value) at no charge, plus a fully built bulk-upload pipe and lead-capture on every listing.
What a Founding Dealer Slot Includes
12 Months Free Dealer Pro
$599/mo retail value. Locked in for the full 12 months — no surprise bills.
100-Listing Allotment
Bulk upload up to 100 active engine, boat, or trailer listings during the free period.
CSV / DMS Sync Onboarding
We build the field mapping for your DMS export (Lightspeed, DealerSpike, ZiiDMS, BiT, IDS).
Featured State Placement
Pinned to the top of your state’s dealer directory and category pages.
Lead Capture on Every Listing
Buyers contact you directly through the listing — no third-party gatekeeping.
Performance Dashboard
Listing views, lead counts, and import history all in one place.
From Application to Live Listings — 4 Steps
Most dealers go from sign-up to live inventory in under one business day.
Apply (5 minutes)
Fill out the dealer application: business name, state, brands carried, DMS platform, and approximate inventory size. Submitted directly to our onboarding queue.
Open Dealer ApplicationApproval & Founding Slot Confirmation
We confirm whether your state still has open Founding Dealer slots (3 per state). If yes, your account is approved and you receive a dashboard login link. Typical turnaround: 1 business day.
Bulk Inventory Upload
Sign in to your Dealer Dashboard. Upload a CSV from your DMS, paste a spreadsheet from Excel/Google Sheets, or send us your XML feed URL. Our parser auto-maps standard headers; you preview every row before committing.
See the Upload PipeListings Go Live + Leads Start Flowing
Inventory appears in the OutboardListings.com directory, state pages, search results, and the AI Scanner part-match flow. Buyers contact you through each listing’s lead form. You manage everything from the dashboard.
The Bulk Upload Pipe — What It Does
The Dealer Dashboard ships with a production CSV import workflow today. Built for marine dealers exporting from any DMS or just pasting a spreadsheet.
Auto Header Mapping
Our parser recognizes 50+ common column names across Lightspeed EVO, DealerSpike, ZiiDMS, BiT, IDS, Boats.com export, BoatTrader feed, and raw spreadsheets.
Examples: make = Brand / Manufacturer / Mfg / Engine_Make. price = AskingPrice / ListPrice / MSRP.
Preview Before You Commit
Every upload runs through preview first — detected headers, valid rows, error rows with reasons, and allotment check. Nothing goes live until you click Confirm & Import.
Re-runnable Without Duplicates
Each upload becomes a tracked batch. Want to revert a bad import? We can roll back the batch as a unit. Daily auto-sync (Dealer Pro tier) skips already-imported rows.
Cross-Referenced to Engine DB
Listings auto-match against our 5,000+ engine database for spec enrichment — HP, stroke type, shaft length filled in if you leave them blank.
Required CSV columns:
make ·model ·price
Everything else (year, hp, hours, photos, condition, location) is optional but recommended for SEO ranking.
Download Sample CSV TemplateOn DealerSpike? Here’s exactly how to sync your inventory
DealerSpike can push your Major Unit inventory to an outside listing site as an outgoing feed — you just have to request it. Follow these three steps and your inventory stays in sync with us automatically, with nothing to re-type.
Request an outgoing feed
In your DealerSpike Help Center, request a new Major Unit inventory feed to a third-party listing site (an outgoing feed) — or call/email your DealerSpike account rep or support.
Point it at us
Tell DealerSpike the site is OutboardListings.com and send the feed to [email protected]. It refreshes nightly — you control the fields from your Inventory Manager.
We take it from there
Once the feed is live we map your columns, remove duplicates, and go live. Price changes and sold units update on their own — no manual uploads, ever.
Not on DealerSpike? Same idea — ask your DMS or website provider for an outgoing inventory feed, or send us a CSV/spreadsheet export or an API endpoint + key. Just tell us what your website runs on and we’ll handle the rest.
Pricing After the Free Period
At month 13 (or for dealers joining after the 3 founding slots in their state are filled), standard pricing applies. No auto-charges — we send a renewal notice 30 days before any tier change.
Dealer Starter
$299/mo
25 listings
- Bulk CSV upload
- Lead capture
- Standard placement
Dealer Pro
$599/mo
100 listings
- Everything in Starter
- Featured state placement
- Daily DMS auto-sync
- Priority support
Dealer Enterprise
$999/mo
500+ listings
- Everything in Pro
- Multi-location support
- API access
- Custom onboarding
Your Two Profiles — How They Differ
When you join OutboardListings.com as a dealer, you have two separate profiles that serve different purposes. Both are valuable and work together to maximize your visibility.
Dealer Program Account
This is your selling identity — where you manage and publish inventory.
- Bulk upload inventory (CSV, spreadsheet, XML feed)
- Manage active listings from your Dealer Dashboard
- Lead-capture form on every listing
- Performance metrics (views, leads, imports)
- Featured state placement for Founding Dealers
How you get it: Apply at the Dealer Network page
Apply NowMarine Directory Profile
This is your public business identity — how customers find your location and services.
- Business name, address, phone, website, hours
- Services offered and brands carried
- Photos of your shop or showroom
- Appears in local search & map results
- Always free to claim and maintain
How you get it: Search the directory for your business, then click "Claim This Business"
Search the DirectoryWhy claim both?
Your Dealer Program account powers your inventory listings — the engines, boats, and trailers you sell. Your Directory profile is how customers find your physical business when searching by location, service type, or brand. Together, they give your dealership maximum exposure: buyers searching for products find your listings, and buyers searching for a local dealer find your directory profile.
Important: These are separate systems today. Joining the Dealer Program does not automatically claim your directory listing, and vice versa. We recommend doing both.
FAQ
How does staff time on our end compare to listing on Boats.com or BoatTrader?▾
Most dealers spend less than 30 minutes total. We handle the field mapping; you upload one CSV. After that, you’re live.
Can we still sign up if our state’s 3 Founding slots are filled?▾
Yes — you can join at standard Dealer Starter ($299/mo) or Pro ($599/mo) at any time. Founding terms aren’t retroactive, but the bulk upload, lead capture, and dashboard are identical.
Is the bulk upload secure? Are listings reviewed?▾
Uploads are gated behind dealer authentication. Each row is validated before commit. Photos must be image URLs (we mirror them to our CDN on import). Spam/fraud-flagged dealers are removed and refunded.
Can we remove listings or cancel anytime?▾
Yes. Listings can be deleted individually or in bulk from the dashboard. Account cancellation is one click in your Dealer Dashboard · Settings.
Where do leads go?▾
Each listing has a built-in lead form. Submissions email directly to your dealer contact email and appear in your Dealer Dashboard inbox.
Do listings sync back to our DMS?▾
Currently one-way (DMS → OutboardListings). Two-way sync is on the Q3 roadmap for Dealer Pro and Enterprise tiers.
What’s the difference between my Dealer account and my Directory listing?▾
Your Dealer Program account is for selling — uploading inventory, managing listings, and capturing leads from your dashboard. Your Marine Directory profile is your public business page — address, hours, photos, brands, and services that help local customers find you. They’re separate systems. Joining the Dealer Program does not automatically claim your directory listing. We recommend setting up both. Scroll up to “Your Two Profiles” for a full breakdown.
Ready to Claim Your State?
The Founding Dealer program is capped at 3 dealers per state, 150 dealers nationwide. Apply now to lock in 12 months of Dealer Pro tier free.