The Audit
We reviewed 25 maritime security company websites across three sub-sectors: vessel protection services, port and facility security, and maritime risk consulting. We evaluated each on five dimensions: visual differentiation, technical credibility signals, content specificity, mobile experience, and perceived premium positioning.
The results confirm what we've suspected: an industry protecting billions in assets presents itself online like it's selling office supplies.
The Patterns
Pattern 1: The Blue Wall
22 of 25 companies use blue as their primary brand color. Navy blue, specifically. Often paired with white text and stock photography of open water. The intent is obvious — blue signals trust, authority, maritime heritage. The effect is the opposite: when everyone signals the same thing the same way, nobody signals anything.
A prospect evaluating three maritime security providers will see three blue websites with nearly identical visual language. The differentiator becomes price, not capability. That's the most expensive outcome possible for companies competing on expertise.
Pattern 2: Stock Photography Epidemic
19 of 25 sites use stock photography as their primary imagery. We identified the same Getty Images yacht photo on three competing websites. The same radar screen stock image appeared twice. One company's "Our Fleet" page used stock photos of vessels they don't operate.
In an industry where trust is the product, using imagery that isn't yours is a fundamental contradiction.
Pattern 3: Capability Claims Without Evidence
Every site claims "world-class" or "industry-leading" capability. None of them prove it visually. No operational imagery. No technology demonstrations. No data visualizations of coverage areas or response capabilities. Just text making claims that every competitor also makes.
Pattern 4: Mobile as an Afterthought
14 of 25 sites perform poorly on mobile. Slow load times, broken layouts, tiny text. This matters because maritime security decisions increasingly involve stakeholders reviewing vendors on mobile — on a vessel, in transit, between meetings. A site that doesn't work on mobile is a site that doesn't work where decisions happen.
Pattern 5: No Technical Depth
Only 3 of 25 sites demonstrate any technical sophistication in their web presence — custom interfaces, interactive elements, or technical documentation that signals engineering capability. For companies selling technology-enabled security solutions, this is a missed opportunity. Your website is the first piece of technology a prospect evaluates. If it feels dated, they'll wonder about everything else.
The Tier Breakdown
Tier 1: Premium (2 of 25)
Distinctive visual identity. Custom imagery or renders. Mobile-optimized. Content that demonstrates specific expertise rather than claiming it. These two companies are operating at a different level visually — and almost certainly benefiting from premium pricing conversations as a result.
Tier 2: Professional (8 of 25)
Clean, functional websites that don't embarrass but don't differentiate. They look like they were built by a competent generalist agency. Nothing wrong, nothing memorable. These companies are invisible in a competitive evaluation.
Tier 3: Dated (11 of 25)
Visually outdated. Slow. Poor mobile experience. Stock imagery throughout. These sites are actively working against the companies they represent — signaling a lack of investment that prospects will extrapolate to operational quality.
Tier 4: Liability (4 of 25)
Broken elements, security warnings, or designs so outdated they undermine credibility entirely. These companies are paying a trust tax on every prospect interaction.
What the Top 2 Do Differently
The two Tier 1 companies share three characteristics:
Proprietary visual assets. Custom photography, 3D renders, or branded illustrations that no competitor can replicate. The imagery communicates "this is our operation" rather than "this is a maritime company."
Specificity in content. Instead of generic capability claims, they show specific operational details — coverage maps, technology interfaces, case-specific examples. The content proves expertise rather than asserting it.
Technical performance. Fast load times, smooth interactions, mobile-first design. The website itself demonstrates the operational standards the company claims to uphold.
The Opportunity
The maritime security industry has a massive visual credibility gap. For any company willing to invest in closing it, the competitive advantage is disproportionate — precisely because so few companies have done it.
When 22 of 25 competitors look the same, looking different isn't just differentiation. It's market positioning that compounds on every prospect interaction, every RFP response, every trade show conversation that starts with "I looked at your website."
Where Does Your Company Stand?
We score maritime security companies across the same five dimensions used in this benchmark. The evaluation takes 48 hours and includes a detailed comparison against your direct competitive set — not the industry broadly, but the specific companies your prospects are also evaluating.