Company news
Polaris Names PowerSports Extreme Digital Marketing a Certified Website Provider (2019)
The March 2019 news that Polaris named PSXDigital a certified website provider, what it covered, and how dealers can check a provider's OEM claim today.
Quick answer
In March 2019, Polaris named PowerSports Extreme Digital Marketing (PSXDigital) among the earliest participants in its Polaris Certified Website Program, a preferred-provider program for Polaris dealer websites. This post records what the announcement said, what the websites included, and how a dealer can check whether any provider's OEM certification is current today.
This is a dated company news post. On March 4, 2019, PowerSports Extreme Digital Marketing, Inc. announced from Houston, Texas, that it and Polaris Industries, Inc. had entered into a strategic agreement. The agreement named PSXDigital among the earliest participants inducted into the Polaris Certified Website Program, a certification program dedicated to offering industry-leading website products and services to Polaris motorsports dealers.
We have kept the facts and the CEO's quote from that announcement. We have added what a dealer principal or general manager needs today: what OEM website certification does and does not tell you, and how to check a provider's claim before you sign.
For the dealer meeting where PSXDigital showed these websites the same week, see our Polaris spring dealer meeting 2019 recap. This page covers the certification itself.
What the 2019 announcement said
The release described PSXDigital as a veteran of the industry that had built a customer experience management platform powered by artificial intelligence, CXMAi. The goal was a more personal experience for each shopper, from the dealer's custom website to the showroom floor, across all devices, with a single login.
According to the release, Polaris proactively sought PSXDigital's unified website solution as an extension of its own philosophy of premier products built on innovation, quality, value and service.
Larry Bruce, CEO of PowerSports Extreme Digital Marketing at the time, said:
"The preferred Polaris partner websites partnership is an exciting opportunity for growth at PSXDigital. The premium brand market is competitive and Polaris dealers deserve access to the highest converting website platform possible. We are proud to be the first provider certified in the program. We look forward to welcoming more Polaris dealers into our community."
PSXDigital exhibited at the Polaris Spring Sales Meeting, March 4 to 6, 2019, at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida. Two weeks later PSX released eight updates to its mobile CRM, recorded in our PSX powersports CRM release notes from March 2019.
A later version of the release, dated June 20, 2019, called the program the "Polaris Digital Certified Website Program." It was issued ahead of the Polaris Summer Sales Meeting at the Minneapolis Convention Center, where PSXDigital exhibited again.
What a PSXDigital Polaris certified website included
The 2019 release listed five advantages for Polaris dealers. The table records each one as history and shows where the same need is covered today.
| 2019 feature, as announced | What it meant for the dealer | Today |
|---|---|---|
| SEO-incorporated custom responsive design | A custom site built for search and for phones | AI-powered dealer websites with mobile design and SEO foundations |
| Artificial intelligence platform | Data-based sales and marketing decisions, more leads and faster lead response | The PSX Ascend platform |
| Integrated inventory management with mobile photo capture and syndication | Units photographed on a phone and sent to the site and listing channels | AI inventory management for capture, pricing, merchandising and syndication |
| AI-powered CRM and Automated Marketing Platform (AMP) integration, including Digital HeliX Technology | Website leads flowing straight into the CRM and marketing | The AI-powered powersports CRM and AMP. Digital HeliX is a 2019 name the live site does not use |
| Dedicated Performance Xperts with real-time support and monthly performance consultations | A named support team and a monthly review | 2019 history. The current product pages do not describe this service |
The original release also gave a two-way connection rate. It was a vendor claim with no published method behind it, so we have removed it.
What OEM website certification does and does not tell you
The top search results for this topic are mostly vendors saying they are certified. None explains what the label can and cannot show a dealer.
| A certification may show | On its own, it does not show |
|---|---|
| The OEM reviewed the provider against its program rules at some point | That the provider is still in the program today |
| The provider can carry OEM-approved branding and content | That the site will convert better than a non-certified one |
| Program benefits, such as co-op support, may apply | What your contract, ownership and exit terms are |
| The provider knows the OEM's requirements | How fast your leads reach a salesperson |
Program names change, and vendor pages can stay up long after a program ends. The page that matters is the OEM's own, or your rep's written answer.
How to check a provider's OEM certification claim
Use these steps before you sign with any provider that says it is certified by Polaris or another OEM.
- Ask your OEM rep, in writing, whether the program exists today, what it is called, and whether this provider is in it.
- Check the OEM's dealer resources for the current approved-provider list, if your OEM publishes one to dealers.
- Ask what the certification gives you, such as co-op eligibility, OEM content feeds or program pricing, and get the terms and amounts from the OEM, not the vendor.
- Read the date on any certification page or badge. A 2019 announcement is history, not proof of status.
- Ask what happens if the provider leaves the program. Does your site, domain and data stay yours?
- Test the integration, not the badge. Submit a test lead and time how long it takes to reach a person.
For the wider list of questions to ask any site partner, see our guide on how to choose a dealership website provider.
What has changed since 2019
Today PSX presents its products, platform included, under the PSX Ascend name. PSX's dealer websites connect inventory, lead capture, CRM and marketing within the PSX Ascend platform. ALMA, the Automated Lead Management Assistant, works inside the CRM and AMP to re-engage stalled prospects after associates have worked the lead. It brings customers back to a live conversation with a person and makes no AI voice calls. For website accessibility, see our ADA website accessibility service.
This post does not claim that the Polaris Certified Website Program still runs or that PSX is in it today. We could not confirm either on a live official Polaris page on October 16, 2026. A few months after the Polaris news, PSXDigital also announced a Harley-Davidson certified provider agreement, which is also dated history.
You can also see the same certified dealership websites on our sister site, PSXDigital's certified dealership websites page.
Sources
- PR.com, Polaris Names PowerSports Extreme Digital Marketing a Certified Provider for Websites, press release, June 20, 2019 (program name, Polaris Summer Sales Meeting venue).
- Polaris Inc., Investor Relations corporate overview (the OEM's official company overview).
- The March 4, 2019 announcement text, quote and feature list are from PSXDigital's original release as published on this page in 2019.