Top 10 Winning ED Web Sites and Tips for Getting There               

February 2005

By: AngelouEconomics

Before engaging in any other marketing activity, an economic development organization must invest in developing a winning Web site. Web sites are often the first impression of a community to outsiders and the first filter used in the site selection process. Its appearance, design, and content should be targeted and carefully managed.

Communities across the U.S. are making significant investments in their Web sites, and understanding the best practices of others is an important first step in the design process.

Top 10 Economic Development Web Sites

AngelouEconomics recognizes that a community’s Web site is its most important marketing tool. We have developed a system for evaluating economic development Web sites, giving them a score of up to 100 points based on how well they meet the needs of expanding companies and site selectors.

Out of 100 points, for example, 40 are assigned to variables related to the quality and relevance of the site’s content. Aspects of the site’s structure (layout and ease of navigation) are given a possible 25 total points. Interactivity-related variables, or the ability of the site to engage the user and keep them coming back, are assigned 20 points, while the graphic appearance of the site receives a maximum of 15 points.

In November 2004, we scored more than 50 sites to form our top 10 list of best medium-to-large sized communities' economic development Web sites.

These sites received the highest scores because they are not only highly informative and easy to navigate, but many also contain research tailored to their specific audiences. The winners include state, regional, and local economic development groups. The states of Michigan and New York are richly detailed and convey sophisticated statewide support for economic development. Charlotte and Little Rock’s sites are good examples of how regional organizations can brand a large geographic territory while showcasing the unique features of each local constituent. Other winning sites show how well an individual city can create a strong Web site on a budget, by adding special features such as Lincoln’s online GIS or Modesto’s instant building fee estimate.

Web Site Wish List

Too often, economic development organizations develop Web sites before they have identified their target audiences or what factors drive the audiences’ site selection. As a result, their Web sites appear to be more like online brochures than valuable resources for expanding and relocating companies. The more value you provide to the user, the more likely it will be that they revisit the site and the more opportunity you have to promote to them.

Expanding companies and site consultants begin their searches by conducting their own internal research. Long before an economic developer becomes aware that his community is under consideration, the company or site selector has scoured the Internet for information. Their search involves collecting information from national Web sites such as the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also involves a review of the candidate communities’ Web sites. The sites that are true marketing tools, such as the ones in the top ten list above, are data rich and contain information targeted to specific industries. These sites give the impression that your community, no matter what size, is sophisticated and well prepared for business.

We recommend five easy tips that will help you develop a Web site that becomes your most effective marketing tool:

1.  Create a clean home page

The home page is not a rest stop; it should give a clean first impression and allow the user to quickly move into the content of the site.

• Make sure the URL is easy to remember and that the domain is listed with search engines like Google™ and www.dmoz.org. When setting up accounts with search engine companies, do not overuse metatags (search words); rather, select a few key words that are related to your target audiences, such as biotechnology, aerospace, or energy. Link the new Web site to others that have a similar purpose. Ask other organizations in your community to include a link to your organization on their Web sites. This will also increase your site’s searchability in Google.

• Your homepage should clearly state what your community represents through a combination of carefully selected graphics, photos, and well-written copy. Keep written copy concise.

• The homepage should also contain easy navigation to other parts of the site. Organize the architecture of the site around your target audiences. “For site selectors,” “for the media,” and “for our community,” are examples of user-oriented pathways.

2.  Include rich, up-to-date research

Because research is the primary reason your target audiences visit your site, be sure the data you include is as up-to-date as possible. Consider grouping research into six topics: 1) demographics, 2) economic conditions, 3) workforce and education, 4) infrastructure, 5) business climate, and 6) quality of life. As you plan for Web site development, be sure to also budget time and funds to pay for a staff person responsible for keeping research current.

• Target the research you present. Dedicate pages within your site to each one of your target industries. Identify and address the target audience’s site selection requirements by tailoring the research that you present on the page. If you are targeting an automotive manufacturer, for example, the page may include data on the availability of production workers, large sites, and incentives. If your audience is software companies, you may include research about the availability of venture capital, graduate level computer engineering programs, and affordable office space. This process is not only a good way to go about organizing research, but it also shows your audiences that you are aware of their unique needs.

• Utilize pdfs to supply additional data. To keep the Web site trim, you may only highlight research within the site and attach more detailed information in pdf brochure formats.

• Allow users to download data. Present data in a downloadable format such as an Excel table. This allows them to manipulate the data in their own calculations, and saves them the time of keying in information.

• Include comparative data. Include information that benchmarks your community against other places vying for your target audience.

• Present honest information. Remember, there is no perfect community! Even if your community does not rank at the top of the comparison, it is still important information to present to a prospect.

3.  Post good local and regional maps

Though not all communities have the resources necessary to develop online GIS capabilities, it is still critical to include good maps on your site. Assume your site’s visitors have no idea where your community is located. Good maps can answer many questions very quickly. At the minimum, include a local map to highlight transportation infrastructure and a regional map to highlight your proximity to neighboring markets.

4.  Make your site interactive

An interactive Web site involves the user and gives them a reason to return to your site. Interactivity can be enhanced, for example, by including GIS mapping, a real estate database, or user surveys and forums. Other ideas include:

• Creating a searchable company database. The best marketers of your community will be the companies currently doing business there. At least you hope so! Location consultants are interested in finding out what companies are located in your community. Prospects want to know how close they will be to suppliers, potential customers, and complementary industries that will supply qualified employees. Include on your site a database of your local companies that is searchable by industry classification, products and services, and employee count. Each record should, at a minimum, include the company’s contact information and Web site.

• Allowing visitors to register and receive news. Capture visitors’ contact information in a web-based form and send registrants monthly HTML newsletters with links to local news and research. Incentivize users to register by offering them, for example, subscriptions to industry publications or discounts to events.

5.  Provide your contact information on every page

This is an easy task but one that is frequently overlooked. At the bottom of every page of your site, include an email address and telephone number of someone who will be readily available to answer questions. Consider paying for a 1-800 number to help prospects save money and indicate your interest. Communities with bigger budgets may even consider investing in a 24-hour line to accommodate international prospects (and night owl location consultants).

Once your Web site is launched, subscribe to a web-tracking tool. Several online applications, such as WebTrends Live, are available for a cost of $30-$250 per month. These applications provide you with traffic reports that describe who is logging on, how long they stay logged on, what pages they visit, and how often they revisit the Web site. These reports will help you assess how well your site is promoting your community, and what changes may be needed to increase its effectiveness.

AngelouEconomics can help you design a winning Web site. 

We welcome your questions. If you are interested information about our Web site evaluation services or assistance designing a winning site, please contact Kimberlee Hodges at khodges@AngelouEconomics.com or 512-225-9318.