Making Waves Overseas: Wave Direct Launches New Website for the US

With augmented reality features and next-generation technology, the brand-new website can show users what a hot tub looks like in their home. 

Wave Direct, an inflatable hot tub retailer based in Newcastle, is making a splash overseas with the launch of their new website for the USA. The new site debuts the brand’s fresher image, offering visitors all the latest functionality and intuitive services, including an augmented reality feature, which allows customers to see what a Wave Spa would look like in their garden.  

Originally a side-line business between friends, Wave Direct shot to success in March last year as demand for inflatable and foam rigid hot tubs soared over lockdown. Since then, the business posted revenue of £13million in 2020, which was 2700% over its original projected goal. 

Capitalising on this remarkable success, the US site was built collaboratively with Middlesbrough-based eCommerce agency, Techquity, using Aero Commerce. The site is part of Wave’s large scale-up strategy with the end goal of creating country-specific websites worldwide.  Having already made £1 million worth of sales in the US last year, the company hopes that their immersive new site and augmented reality shopping tool will continue to bring them success overseas.  

The hot tubs in the AR view are shown both to scale and in high-definition, the CEO of Wave says. He claims that: 

"Customers can gather an understanding of what the products look like in real life. Customers want to visualise products in their home and garden before they purchase, which is why the feature has become such a prominent part of the new web design. If customers are undecided, they can take a snapshot of the hot tub within the AR experience and save the products for later in their wish list."

Speaking about the look and feel of the brand-new site, Wave Direct’s Ecommerce Manager said:

This my 18th year in eCommerce and in all that time I have never worked directly with a website that has such a strong mix of style, usability and performance as our new flagship Aero site. We're so proud of it that we'll be rolling out this template across all of our new global domains in the coming months.

Aiming to provide its customers with the best browsing experience possible, the site, which launched in late March, has seen a strong start with a high volume of both new and returning customers. The company believe they owe this to the site’s improved usability across all devices and the incorporation of useful features, such as user-generated galleries where visitors can see images of real customers enjoying their hot tubs. 

The comprehensive website will be updated on a regular basis with all of Wave’s latest products, news, corporate milestones, and hot tub advice.  

Visitors are encouraged to explore the site at https://us.wavespas.com/.