You're Losing Seafarers if You're Not Using Us!

Are you a crew manager, recruitment officer or manning agent who is struggling to find certain ranks to fill your jobs at sea in time for your crew changes? Do you have plenty of cadets applying for your jobs but nowhere near enough, for example, Chief Officers, Second Engineers or Masters? Here’s why you might be missing a trick.

If you’re not using Martide to advertise your jobs at sea, chances are you’re neglecting a huge number of job hunters who use our website and mobile seafarer job app to find their next contract.

Want to know why? Keep reading and we’ll let you into a little secret.

Why using Martide to advertise your seafarer jobs helps you attract more candidates

We’re just going to say it: A lot of websites that advertise maritime job vacancies are somewhat dated and don’t display correctly or responsively when accessed on a cell phone or tablet.

They’ve been built to be viewed on a laptop or desktop computer and not on a much smaller screen.

So why is that a problem?

It’s a problem because the vast majority of seafarers use their cell phones to find and apply for jobs. And how do we know this with such certainty? We can see this data from the software that we use to check Martide’s website internet traffic.

It tells us what countries users are from, how they find our website (Google, Yahoo etc) and what device they use to visit us. And by a huge percentage, the devices used to visit our jobs page are cell phones and NOT laptops or desktops.

So what does that mean for your company? It means that it’s harder and more inconvenient to apply for YOUR jobs if you’re using a mobile-unfriendly site to advertise your vacancies.

In today's world, having a mobile-friendly website isn't just a nice thing to have - it's practically a necessity.

Why you need to advertise on mobile-friendly websites

Let’s look at a few reasons why the seafarer job websites you choose to advertise your jobs on ships and tankers need to be mobile-friendly.

You’ll reach a wider audience of seafarers

Over half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices. And at Martide, as we’ve explained, it’s exponentially more than that when it comes to tracking visitors to our seafarer jobs page. This means that if the websites you advertise on aren’t mobile-friendly, you're essentially excluding a huge portion of your potential job applicants.

By only choosing to advertise on job sites that are optimized for mobile phones and other smaller devices such as iPads, you’ll ensure that everyone can find your jobs, regardless of their device.

You’ll improve user experience

A clunky, unusable website on a mobile device is a guaranteed way to frustrate seafarers and send them running to a job site that is easy to use - and it may be a site that you’re not advertising on.

A mobile-friendly website adapts its layout and content to smaller screens, making it easy to navigate, read, and interact with job ads. This leads to a more positive candidate experience, which can translate into more applications for your jobs.

Google likes mobile-friendly websites

Google (and other search engines such as Bing, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo to name a few) prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results.

This means that if the website you’re advertising your seafarer jobs on isn't optimized for mobile, it - and your jobs - are likely to be buried on the second page of results, where visibility is significantly lower.

More applicants for your jobs at sea

A study by Google found that 61% of users are more likely to make a purchase from a mobile-friendly website. This makes perfect sense: If a user has a smooth and seamless experience on their phone, they're more likely to complete their transaction.

And the same theory applies to seafarer job sites: those that are optimized for mobile will increase your chances of seafarers not only finding your vacancies, but applying for them too.

Your company and brand look better

A polished and professional mobile website - even if it’s not your own - shows that you care about your company and brand and are committed to providing a great experience for everyone.

This can go a long way in building trust and loyalty with seafarers. And let’s face it - do you really want your company to be associated with a job website that looks dated and functions poorly?

Seafarers expect you to be mobile friendly

These days job applicants from all walks of life expect to be able to apply for jobs quickly and easily. And that means making sure they can actually apply for your vacancies effortlessly - no matter where they are in the world and whether they’re onboard or ashore.

In the maritime industry, fast turnaround is key, and seafarers are constantly looking to line up their next contract. If the jobs sites you advertise on are clunky and time-consuming, they’re going to abandon them and look elsewhere.

How to see what your seafarer job ads look like online

So now we’ve told you why you should be advertising your seafarer jobs on websites that work well on phones and tablets but how can you tell?

Simple: Grab your phone and take a quick look at the sites you advertise on (including your own!) and see how the job ad is laid out and how easy it is to apply for it.

Check whether or not it does your company’s brand justice too while you’re at it.

Mobile-friendly websites are good. Seafarer mobile job apps are even better!

Mobile-friendly job websites for seafarers are all well and good but do you want to know what’s even better?

A mobile app created specifically for seafarers so that they can find and apply for jobs at sea and then track their job applications. And yes, we are talking about Martide’s mobile seafarer job app!

Our app has been created by us for seafarers. It makes it easier for them to apply for your jobs, even when they’re on the go.

(The app also lets you send crew change and travel details and even eTickets via Martide from your laptop to the app so that your seafarers are ready and prepared to meet their embarkation date. But that’s a whole other story!)

Why you should advertise your jobs at sea on Martide

Not convinced yet that Martide is the place for you to advertise your maritime job vacancies? We’ll sum it up for you.

Advertising your jobs on Martide’s mobile-friendly website and app:

Helps you reach more seafarers who are using their phones to find and apply for jobs
Ensures your jobs look good with branded adverts and your company’s information
Helps seafarers quickly and easily apply for your jobs in just a few clicks
Makes sure your job ads are found and not buried in Google’s search results
Puts your ads in front of seafarers who are actively looking on our app
Is cost-effective - and that’s because advertising your jobs on Martide is FREE

Yes, you read that correctly. It doesn’t cost you a penny, euro, peso or dime to advertise your seafarers jobs on Martide. There’s no catch, it really is just free.

(Wondering how we make money? We charge a sensible subscription fee for shipowners and manning agents who want to use other, premium aspects of our crewing system to run their hiring and crew planning operations.)

Ready to get started?

Create your (free) Martide account now and you’ll be posting seafarer job adverts for free in a matter of minutes. Applications from candidates come directly to you via Martide and you have total control over who you do or don’t want to follow up with.

Martide isn’t just mobile-friendly. We’re employer- and manning agent-friendly too!