OCEAN CITY – “Log on before you drop in.” That’s become the underlying theme of Kcoast.com, the latest addition to the ever-expanding Ocean City surf shop.
K-Coast Surf Shop has grown dramatically since opening its doors nearly 20 years ago, expanding on its locations, products and customer base. The most recent expansion has been revamping the website and creating a new and improved online store, giving customers the chance to experience their favorite surf shop from home.
Kcoast.com has been available to customers for years, but the website re-launched with a new look several months ago.
“We wanted to create something that was really interactive and easy to use,” said Bryan Russo, who worked on the site with Max Hamby, owner of Jigsaw Solutions.
The website was not the only area to be revamped, the online store received a facelift as well.
“We actually had an online store already and it was quite successful,” said co-owner Mark Pugh. “We wanted an entirely new look and in-house control, so we developed [the online store] from the ground up.”
The online store features a variety of items including accessories, boards, surf gear, gift certificates, K-Coast apparel, stickers and decals and apparel for men, women, groms, and girls. The easy to navigate, interactive online store can take you to women’s watches or bags in just a few clicks. Another few clicks and your shopping is complete.
“We wanted to create something that was really easy to use. We wanted it to be simple, but still look good,” Russo said, explaining that too many graphics can be aesthetically appealing, but can make navigating difficult.
The site was developed to be interactive, providing sections for customer response and feedback.
“It’s a new venture so we’re not really sure what people want, that’s why we wanted it to be interactive,” Russo said.
The goal in creating a new website and online store was to combine the two elements and allow people to experience a piece of the beach at home, wherever that may be.
“We wanted an online store within a website, but we also wanted a way to give people plenty of info on the bricks and mortar store,” said Pugh.
With virtual tours, galleries and daily surf reports, users have the option to do more than shop.
“It seems like the younger kids use not only the online store but the website itself,” Pugh said. “… Its been going great so far. For it being open so close to Christmas we’ve had a tremendous response.”