Marines.com gets new look

9 Nov 2002 | Marine Corps Recruiting Command

On October 31, 2002 the Marine Corps launched an updated version of the Marines.com website. Marines.com is the website established by Marine Corps Recruiting Command to inform young men and women about the opportunities available to them in the Corps.

"We revamped the site to make it more user friendly and give it a modern look," said Capt. Robert Geiger, Lead Generation Officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Command. "While the new site is not meant to replace the recruiter, it will serve as a useful tool and provide an efficient means to reach out to prospects."

The Corps reaches out in a number of different ways with the improved site, from the use of animation, sound and video, to testimonials by real Marines. Even though the website's target market is the young men and women who are eligible for enlistment, the Marine Corps is also reaching out to their parents and advisors. The website does this by providing information tailored to the parents' questions and concerns.

The previous Marines.com and MarineOfficer.com were launched in February of 2000. The goal of the sites was lead generation through a guided process in order to drive a prospect to a face-to-face meeting with a Marine recruiter.

"While continuing to serve as a strong tool for prospects to navigate self-guided, the new site will incorporate some of the processes used by recruiters to identify the needs of the youth market and encourages them to seek more information from a Marine Corps recruiter," said Geiger.

A qualified prospect is a young man or woman who meets the basic entrance requirements and has expressed an initial interest in joining the Marine Corps. The website collects their voluntary information so that a recruiter can follow up with a more personal meeting.

"During Fiscal Year 2002 Marines.com generated 88,183 qualified leads. That accounted for more than 20% of all contacts from individuals expressing interest in becoming Marines last year," said Geiger.  "Web leads turn to contracts at about twice the rate of any other lead generation source."

The result is that the websites currently serve as the highest lead-generating source for the Marines Corps with a relatively high probability of enlistment.

The website is yet another tool in a recruiter's arsenal in the very difficult mission to recruit young men and women for service to the Nation.
Marine Corps Recruiting Command