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With World Diving Review, scuba divers worldwide now have a definitive and easy-to-use resource to locate the perfect dive spot or shop. The first-ever online resource of its kind, World Diving Review is a one-stop website that provides reliable reviews of dive centers, information on documented dives worldwide and diver education.
“We are eager to broaden the horizons of an activity that has been overly confined to specialists until now,” says Guillaume Ponticelli, the website’s owner. “We hope to inspire people everywhere to experience scuba diving with the help of this virtual diving community. Both veteran and novice divers can lean on us for the information and tips they need – and can do so through a user-friendly interface designed to help users access what they need quickly.”
Developed by a group of diving enthusiasts from the United States, Hong Kong and France, World Diving Review already features more than 450 dive centers in more than 100 regions, all of which have been “starfish” rated by World Diving Review for meeting certain criteria, from service to safety, value, professionalism and more. Moreover, the site’s developers designed the site to support a high level of functionality. For example, a “Special Functions” button allows users to hone in immediately on potential dives by specifying such parameters as budget, level and schedule.
Provided they link their websites to World Diving Review and receive at least five customer reviews annually, dive centers of all sizes and types will receive a free listing on WorldDivingReview.com. Centers receive their own web page providing standard information, World Diving Review’s personalized rating and review, plus a site user rating. World Diving Review verifies customer reviews for legitimacy and undertakes a secret shopper service to ensure its own ratings accurately reflect the integrity and key characteristics of listed shops. The Review estimates its rating accuracy at 99 percent.
Reviews of dive regions, spotlighting popular and hidden gems, are also central to World Diving Review. Like the dive centers, regions are starfish rated and carefully assessed by the experts at World Diving Review. Moreover, users can rank the regions on criteria such as “worth it” and “marine life,” and site visitors may learn basic characteristics of the dive as well as browse a photo gallery.
Because one of the site’s primary goals is to create greater community and communication within diving circles, World Dive Review has launched a live forum devoted to scuba diving discussion. Guests can log on and post comments or questions related to scuba diving lessons, safety, equipment and whether a particular dive is really worth the effort. The regular forum activity ensures fresh content and idea sharing that keep the site relevant and updated.
“Since we started developing this scuba diving community just two years ago, it has received an Alexa position of 310,000 and a Google PageRank of 4, putting it in the number-two spot on the first page of a Google search,” Ponticelli says. “Novice and expert scuba divers alike, as well as businesses dedicated to diving, are very actively and easily connecting on this new hub dedicated to scuba diving.”
World Diving Review is also available as an iPhone app and an Android mobile app.
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
