embracing the digital age in economic development

May 2, 2023 Community Systems Digital EDU 2016 1

Embracing the Digital Age in Economic DevelopmentHow to use digital tools to compete in the world of today and tomorrow


Recognizing Our Partner in Digital Economic Development


Introductions

Ben WrightCEOCommunity Systems

[email protected]

www.twitter.com/communitysys

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.twitter.com/communitysys

http://www.twitter.com/communitysys


Session Overview• A Vision of the near future• Introduction: What Technologies Should Be Part of Your Strategy?• Are You Providing the Right Content?• Completing a Website Self Review

• 8 Components to a World Class Economic Development Website• Recommendations

• Steps to Creating Your Digital Strategy• Why Your Community Should Implement Digital Strategy• How Other Communities are Implementing This

• Columbus 2020• Henry County Development Authority

• How You Can Implement a Great Digital Strategy• Summary: Key Takeaways• Next Webinar• Contact Information


A vision of the near future


What has happened to ED in the last 20 years?

• Faster growth in the southeast and West• A re-investment in aging cities• Shift from manufacturing employment to services employment

• Globalization • Rise in telework • Dramatic advances in speed of response and decision making by prospects – 6 months to 60 days


My own story as a prospect


Which Technologies Should BePart of Your Strategy?


What Technologies Should Drive Your Strategy and When Did They Come on the Scene?

Computers

(1983)Email

(1991)

Website

Content Mgmt (1995)

Email Survey

s (1997)

Google (1998)

CRM System

s (1999)

GIS system

s (2000)

Social Media

for Busines

s (2003)

Online Meetin

gs (2004)

Smart Phones/ Mobile

Devices (2007)

Digital Proposa

ls (2009)


Are You Providing the Right Content?


What Should You Be Looking For?

• Branding – Are you intrigued?

• Navigation – Do I know where I want to go?

• Content – Is it scannable and engaging?

• Social and Email – Is it easy for me to sign up to get more?

• Property/GIS Content – Can I find a location for my business?

• Companies Content – Can I get more information about companies there?


Completing a Website Self Review


8 Components of a World Class Economic Development Website

1. Authenticity of place branding and messaging2. Clarity of navigation 3. Depth and quality of content4. Use of search marketing approaches5. Use of email marketing and news sections6. Frequent performance tracking7. Use of maps and GIS technology8. Use of new media


1. Authenticity in Branding Recommendations

Strategies

Do: Don’t:

Communicating a true positioning of the region

✔ Stick to the facts – how is your community really better?

❌ Use overly puffy language or stretch the truth

Utilizing recognizable national elements

✔ Pick the thing that the nation thinks of you, often not the “sexy” thing

❌ Try to steal someone else’s brand (Silicon what?)

Ex: The Rushmore Region


2. Clarity of Navigation Recommendations

Strategies Do: Don’t:Cater to your prospects

✔ Create a prominently placed prospect-specific section

❌ Make it hard for visitors to find what they are looking for

Highlight valuable content and data

✔ Keep valuable content 3 clicks or less from the homepage and utilize IEDC data standards

❌ Have a confusing or hard to navigate sitemap

Keep the top 10 most requested pages in mind

✔ Provide easy access to your most “sticky” pages

❌ Leave out pages because you think they aren’t important


Top 10 Pages Most Visited on Economic Development Websites

1. About Us (about the organization)

2. Programs (that the organization offers)

3. Data Center4. News5. Relocate and Expand6. Find Property*7. Site Selection Services*8. Workforce Data and

Information*9. Database of Companies or

Largest Employers*10. Maps of the Area*

*Data points that should also be shown on a map

Ex: The Right Place – West Michigan


3. Depth and Quality of Content Recommendations

Strategies Do: Don’t:Update weekly ✔ Spend 50% of a FTE

staff person’s time ❌ Let updates slip to

less than weekly

Use a content management system that enables publishing of pages, downloadable documents, and data

✔ Use a CMS that allows for easy editing (open source and Microsoft [both offered by Atlas] are best)

❌ Use a home-grown, overly basic system

Create scannable & relevant content

✔ Use a mix of links, bullet points, and downloads to limit scrolling

❌ Pretend your pages are 8.5 x 11 word documents


3. Depth and Quality of Content Recommendations

• Make content easily scannable and consumable

• Using a Content Management System (CMS) that enables publishing of pages, downloadable documents, and data

• Weekly updates• Offering prominent contact info

• Integrating content with system features

Ex: Think KC


4. Search Engine Marketing Recommendations

Strategies Do: Don’t:Increase your website’s visibility

✔ Ensure your company is listed in reputable directories, like econdevdirectory.com

❌ Pay to be in a general directory –search engines don’t like them

Ensure your website is easily accessible

✔ Optimize your website for mobile by using responsive design

❌ Overlook mobile responsiveness or hide your address or contact details

Target the right people

✔ Take advantage of geographic/location targeting through market research

❌ Be too general in your messaging and keywords

Send your traffic to the right places – and add some variety

✔ Send clicks to product pages, blog posts, content offers, and high-quality landing pages

❌ Send clicks to only your homepage


4. Search Engine Marketing Recommendations

Ex: Oklahoma Department of Commerce – use of contact info, pages, and specific/targeted keywords


5. Email Marketing and News Sections Recommendations

Strategies Do: Don’t:Monthly email newsletter to investors, prospects

✔ Send email consistently, with a year long calendar

❌ Rush to send email “just to stay in front of folks”

Track performance of newsletters

✔ Track open rates, click-through rates, and who opens email

❌ Keep sending email if your open rate is below 5 percent

Post newsletters and news items to your website and integrate email with other marketing campaigns

✔ Post items relevant to your key audiences

❌ Post news just because you feel you have to


5. Email Marketing Recommendations

Ex: Atlas Advertising High Performance Economic Development Email – use of images, brief messaging, call-to-action buttons & language


6. Frequent Performance Recommendations

Strategies Do: Don’t:Track everything ✔ Track unique visits,

referrers, downloads, homepage interactions, etc.

❌ Overlook website visitor data

Create a monthly/quarterly/yearly report

✔ Report tracking data over time to identify trends, weaknesses, and strengths

❌ Just check analytics data without recording it

Identify data trends and apply across your marketing campaigns, website, and PR

✔ Integrate tracking of advertising, web, social, PR, etc.

❌ Be afraid to test methods and drop tactics/platforms that aren’t performing


6. Frequent Performance Recommendations

Ex: Google Analytics Dashboard


7. Maps and GIS Technology Recommendations

Strategies Do: Don’t:Use a variety of map types (Static Maps, GIS Maps)

✔ Use maps with various layers (transportation, education, etc.)

❌ Provide “one-dimensional” maps that don’t include community assets

Make your maps/property search easily accessible

✔ Make your maps or property search available in 2 or less clicks

❌ Make it difficult or time consuming for visitors to access your maps/property search

Consider integrating interactive GIS technology to your website

✔ Use integrated GIS technology to retain more website traffic

❌ Lose traffic by using outside sources for property search


7. Maps and GIS Technology Recommendations Ex: TVA – Fully

integrated GIS


Data on GIS Integration

Source: Study of Analytics of Atlas websites with a link to an external GIS, May 2013


8. News and Social Media Recommendations

Strategies Do: Don’t:Keeping social media accounts active

✔ Link your active social accounts to your website so visitors can easily view them

❌ Link to social accounts that are not updated or in use

Make it easy to share content

✔ Incorporate “sharing” features and buttons on your website and relevant content

❌ Share content that is exclusive to certain offers – only make that available for people that sign up, etc.

Take advantage of blogging

✔ Use blogging for providing valuable information, company/product updates, etc. and post new articles 3-4 times a month

❌ Make blog posts too “sales-y” or too focused on you


Steps to Creating Your Digital Strategy


5 Steps to Creating Your Digital Strategy

1. Define a purpose and set goals for your new digital presence

2. Develop your timeline and project plan3. Set up your project team4. Weigh your budget options5. Gaining support within your organization


1. Define a Purpose & Set Goals

Example Purposes for Economic Development Websites

1. To be the definitive source of economic data about my area or region. 2. To increase the number of conversations we have with expanding or relocating companies. 3. To tell a story about our community. 4. To join the rest of the economic development world and simply have a website. 5. To inspire workforce and trailing spouses to move to our community. 6. To professionalize the image of our organization locally.7. To engage our board members and investors.


Purpose Drives AudiencePurpose Key Audience

1. To be the definitive source of economic data about my area or region.

Local companies, relocating companies, general public

2. To increase the number of conversations we have with expanding or relocating companies.

Local companies, relocating companies

3. To tell a story about our community. All 4. To join the rest of the economic development world and simply have a website.

Unknown

5. To inspire workforce and trailing spouses to move to our community.

Workforce currently evaluating moving to our area

6. To professionalize the image of our organization locally.

Local companies and legislators

7. To engage our board members and investors.



Understanding Your Audience Needs

Purpose Key Audience

Needs Content

1. To be the definitive source of economic data about my area or region.

Local companies, relocating companies, general public

To know what to expect in the market going forward. How to compare your market against others

Local: Time series information, stories about companies. Relocating: Comparative data

2. To increase the number of conversations we have with expanding or relocating companies.

Local companies, relocating companies

What resources are available to help my company?

Service offerings, incentive offerings, who to contact, and why

3. To tell a story about our community.

All Various Various

4. To join the rest of the economic development world and simply have a website.

Unknown Unknown Unknown

5. To inspire workforce and trailing spouses to move to our community.

Workforce currently evaluating moving to our area

Why is this community a good one?

Job opportunities, housing, schools

6. To professionalize the image of our organization locally.


What is this EDO really doing?

Staff bios, wins, accomplishments

7. To engage our board members and investors.


What is this EDO really doing?

Meeting times, wins, accomplishments


2. Develop Your Timeline & Project Plan

1.Start with a good strategy – without it you will make costly changes down the line.

2.Initiate the project with your entire team – to get all input going forward.

3.Content will take four hours per page, or 120 hours for a 30 page website.

4.Don’t forget staff training on how to manage the website!


3. Set Up Your Project Team: Roles & Responsibilities

Role ResponsibilitiesExecutive

Defines the purpose of the website, approves the resources.

Project ManagerOrganizes the resources on a project, and keeps everyone on task

WriterDefines the site map and the content outline

Researcher Sources data from the community

DesignerDesigns the website to match the brand, sizes photography, designs functional elements

ProgrammerPrograms the site in the chosen technology


Roles on a Project TeamRole Responsibilities One Time or

Ongoing?Executive

Defines the purpose of the website, approves the resources

Ongoing


Ongoing

Writer Defines the site map and the content outline

Ongoing


One time

DesignerDesigns the website to match the brand, sizes photography, designs functional elements

One time

Programmer Programs the site in the chosen technology

One time


Roles on a Project TeamRole Responsibilit

iesOne Time or Ongoing?

In House or Outsource?

ExecutiveDefines the purpose of the website, approves the resources

Ongoing Has to be in house


Ongoing In house

WriterDefines the site map and the content outline

Ongoing In house


One time Outsource

Designer

Designs the website to match the brand, sizes photography, designs functional elements

One time Outsource

ProgrammerPrograms the site in the chosen technology

One time Outsource


4. Weigh Your Budget Options

Role DIY Low Cost Outsource

High Cost Outsource

Executive Same role Same role Same role

Project Manager In house project manager

In house project manager

Outsource project management

Writer Same role In house Outsource writing

Researcher Post files yourself GIS data Custom research+ GIS data

DesignerHave a designer on staff, or pick a template

Pick a template Custom designed

Programmer One time Outsource Custom developed


5. Gain Support Within Your Organization

1.Select a purpose that matters and drives action2.Discuss what outcomes you will get3.Gain a commitment of staff time4.Gain commitment of budget


Why Your Community ShouldImplement Digital Strategy


Why Your Community Should Implement Digital Strategy

• Everyday, 90% of site selection decisions start online

• The economic development industry is embracing digital more and more each day – your organization needs the skills and strategy to compete online in today’s digital age

• Having a great digital strategy will help your organization and community succeed


How Other Communities are Implementing This


How One Community is Implementing Website Review & Enhancements: Columbus 2020

• As part of a comprehensive website overhaul, Atlas worked with Columbus 2020 to:

• Define their goals for conversations, traffic, and more

• Designed a website with an industry first conversation conversion tool (“Connect with Us”)

• Integrated the site with Community Systems’ GIS system.

Columbus 2020 webpage example


How One Community is Implementing Website Review & Enhancements: Columbus 2020

Results from Columbus 2020 Website Launch

100% INCREASE IN WEBSITE TRAFFIC


How One Community is Implementing Digital Strategy: Henry County Development Authority

• Henry County Development Authority (HCDA) sought out Atlas’ expertise to help create a winning digital strategy including:

• Creating a website and accompanying messaging that could effectively convey Henry’s assets

• Displaying valuable data and information easily and effectively

• Integrating and deploying a lead generation platform to enhance online presence

• Using differentiated, authentic, and relevant content & community marketing tactics to directly reach important audiences

Henry County Microsite Design


How to Implement in Your Community

• Follow the 5 steps in creating a winning digital strategy for your organization

• Complete a website self review• Present the results and propose improvements in your digital

strategy• Implement your changes• Track your results!


Summary: Key Takeaways• The economic development industry is moving to digital• Evaluate and choose the best modern technologies to support your digital strategy

• Ensure you are providing the right content to your audience (branding, navigation, social/email, property/GIS, companies, etc.)

• Evaluate your website for the 8 components of a world class econ dev website

• Develop a successful digital strategy for your organization

• Implement your strategy and track the results and trends


How You Can Implement This


Steps to Implement This Program

• Determine the best track of study for you or your EDO

• Create an account to become a Registered Learner• Purchase your selected Certification Track or Single Session(s)

• Enroll for each Digital EDU 2016 corresponding course module

• Become Certified by fall of 2016!


How to Register• Visit training.communitysys.com• Create an account to become a registered learner• Login to your account and visit the eCommerce page to select & purchase

your package or single session(s)

http://training.communitysys.com/


How to View Videos & Take Tests

• Visit My Courses and Open the course you want to register for

• Select Sessions and click Register


How to View Videos & Take Tests• You will receive a confirmation email with login details

• You may launch live session 10 minutes before it begins using the same steps

• Your registered webinars will be visible on the Home page under Upcoming Trainings

• View & take tests under the module section under My Courses

• Tests, webinar recordings, and webinar slides will be available 24-48 hours after the live session


Ben Wright & Newly Certified Duane Lavery

• Photo taken at the Digital Economic Development Summit 2.0 in Anchorage, AK


Digital Economic Development Summit 3.0

Topic: Creating a Digital Road Map for Your EDOWhen: Sunday, September 25th @ 3:45pm – 5:15pm (EST)

Register here: http://community.communitysys.com/digital-ed-summit-cleveland

http://community.communitysys.com/digital-ed-summit-cleveland




Contact Community Systems

For curriculum & course questions contact:

Ben Wright720.420.3800 [email protected]

929 BroadwayDenver, CO 80203www.communitysys.com

For registration & enrollment questions contact:

Lindsay Williams720.420.3800 [email protected]


http://www.communitysys.com/


embracing the digital age in economic development

Economy & Finance