Q STRATEGIES

  • Home
  • Why Q
  • Services
    • Public Relations
    • Strategic Communications
    • Government Relations
    • Inbound Marketing
  • Our Team
    • Tom Griscom
    • Christina Siebold
    • Kelly Allen
    • Careers
  • News
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Why Q
    • Public Relations
    • Strategic Communications
    • Government Relations
    • Inbound Marketing
    • Tom Griscom
    • Christina Siebold
    • Kelly Allen
    • Careers
  • News
  • Contact
Q_NEWS_HERO_v3.png

Q Strategies Blog

Q Strategies shares client news, staff updates, and best practices for marketing, public relations, strategic planning and crisis management. 

  • All
  • Advertising
  • Business
  • Client News
  • Communication
  • Community Relations
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer Service
  • Economic Development
  • Government Relations
  • Internal Affairs
  • Marketing
  • Media Relations
  • Public Relations
  • Q Strategies News
  • Research
  • SEO
  • Social Media
  • Surveys
Economic Developers

Four Elements Your Economic Development Website Needs to Attract Site Selectors

Shaina Rantung February 26, 2019

Beautiful land, functional utilities, talented workforce… your community has it all. So why are site selectors and businesses not flocking in? Before blowing all your budget on a one-time advertising campaign, consider that the element your economic development group is missing just might be a high-quality, interactive website.

Your website is the starting point for site selectors looking into your community. A recent study by the Development Counsellors International uncovered that “65 percent of respondents reported a strong likelihood that they would visit an economic development organizations’ website during the next site search.” Therefore, it is imperative that the information they value most is readily available when they come looking. This information can live on a specific landing page built into your county or regional website, or it can be on a stand-alone site that is specific to your economic development efforts.

 
Site Selectors
 

Having worked with a number of economic development groups and county chambers through the years, Q Strategies knows a thing or two about creating strategic plans and attracting attention to your site. Based on our experiences, these are the four elements your website needs to attract site selectors:

1. Optimize the user experience.

User experience describes the overall experience visitors go through when using a website. Your website’s design should be clear and easy to navigate. While it is important to take creative liberties with your design to stand out, visitors do expect websites to follow standard industry formatting and practices, e.g.the navigation should be on the top of the page, alongside the logo.

Optimize your site’s user experience by improving the accessibility of information and efficiency of user interactions on your website, so it’s easy for visitors to find what they want or follow a thread of information. Some things to put on your checklist include ensuring that the different topics have clear dividers, that all links work and that there are clear calls-to-action/share buttons in the right places.

B2B marketing gurus, Kinesis Inc. provided the following data highlighting the vital role of a company’s website. When credibility and first and last impressions are at stake, the site essentially turns into the face of your organization.

B2B marketing gurus, Kinesis Inc. provided the following data highlighting the vital role of a company’s website. When credibility and first and last impressions are at stake, the site essentially turns into the face of your organization.

2. Prioritize your messaging points.

According to a Time article, over half (55%) of internet users spent fewer than 15 seconds actively on a page. With a constant stream of information coming to your audience, it is more important than ever to present your story quickly before losing your visitor’s interest.

Tying in with the point above about user experience, use white spaces and do not clutter your page. Include the details they want to see, like an information sheet, GIS data and site renderings first and foremost, before adding in extra information on the other pages.

3. Provide high-quality photography, renderings and videos.

Use professionally photographed and created images and graphics to enhance the visual aesthetic of your website. Very rarely will site developers survey the area in person at this stage of their research. So, to ensure they are “seeing” your area, you can add a photo slideshow of the community on the homepage to showcase different points, and you can also create an interactive map of the community where the user can click on each area for a demographic and site breakdown to help orient visitors of the geography of your community.

You want to captivate them with both the beauty and practical functions your site offers, even from thousands of miles away.

4. The site needs to be mobile-friendly.

We recommend your new website be responsive, meaning it can be viewed on desktops, tablets and smartphones. Since users spend over half of their digital media time on their mobile devices, having an easy-to-use, functioning website on all devices is critical. Additionally, Google penalizes sites that aren’t mobile-friendly, which negatively impacts your ranking in online searches.

In summary, online users make critical first impressions based on the design of a website. It must be clean, organized and easy to use. Consistency with colors, text, images and brand is imperative, and each page should have a unifying look and feel as well. But does it really work?

Yes, it does. Just ask the local government of Marion County, Tennessee. Situated in the beautiful Sequatchie Valley, Marion County is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with options to fish, ski, cave, bird watch, four-wheel, camp, rock climb and hike. Upon realizing that they could do more to promote their spacious land to tourists and economic developers, the Marion County mayor and team decided to take action.

With Q Strategies’ help, www.marioncountytn.net was overhauled and SEO-primed. Detailed descriptions and images of county attractions and business opportunities were added, and a whole page was dedicated to bringing the latest county news. This user-friendly website helped disperse important information to audiences far and near and reduced the number of emails and phone calls that were previously fielded by internal staff. The pageviews increased 126%, and the number of unique visitors to the site grew to more than 27,000 the following year.  

Need more marketing solutions for your county, small-size city or rural region? Q Strategies created an in-depth economic development game-plan for you. And it is free. Let us help you get the attention your community deserves! Visit www.qstrategies.com/economic-development for your copy of the game-plan.

InEconomic Development, Marketing, Public Relations, Community Relations TagsWebsite, Site Selectors, Internet
  • Q Strategies Blog
  • Older
  • Newer
 
http://www.qstrategies.com/contact-1/
 
  • 2024
    • Jul 24, 2024 Q Strategies Organizes Successful Groundbreaking Event for Central Crossing Condos
  • 2023
    • Aug 1, 2023 Q Strategies Gains Media Attention for Lola Beans Coffee’s One-Year Birthday Party
    • Feb 9, 2023 How Gen Z Is Changing Social Media
  • 2022
    • Jun 1, 2022 Common Mistakes in the PR Industry
    • Mar 8, 2022 Q Strategies Organizes Successful Groundbreaking Ceremony for Steam Logistics’ Future Headquarters
    • Jan 18, 2022 Q Strategies Sponsors Mainx24, Chattanooga’s Favorite Day of the Year
  • 2021
    • Dec 13, 2021 Q Strategies Gains Publicity for New Chattanooga Restaurant Six18 Restaurant & Lounge
    • Nov 16, 2021 Q Strategies Sponsors Glass Street Live 2021
    • Nov 15, 2021 Annual Report Tips from Local Nonprofit Experts
    • Sep 23, 2021 Q Strategies Managed Major Land Acquisition Announcement and Secured Media for Tennessee River Gorge Trust
    • Aug 31, 2021 5 Social Media Trends to Implement in 2021
    • Jul 19, 2021 Internal Communication Tips for Small to Medium Organizations
    • Jul 9, 2021 Q Strategies Hires Amanda Ellis as Senior Manager of Marketing & Communication
    • Jul 7, 2021 Q Strategies Successfully Markets Burnside Neighborhood
  • 2020
    • Oct 27, 2020 Q Strategies Secures Media for Moccasin Bend Announcement
    • May 13, 2020 COVID-19 Return-to-Work Communications for Employees
    • Apr 24, 2020 Crisis Management Resources
    • Apr 14, 2020 Communicating in the Age of COVID-19: Understanding Expectations
    • Apr 7, 2020 Q Strategies Launches Campaign for $25 Million Southside Development
    • Apr 1, 2020 Communicating in the Age of COVID-19: More Substance, Less Noise
  • 2019
    • Apr 23, 2019 Blogging Your Way Into Site Selectors’ Short List
    • Feb 26, 2019 Four Elements Your Economic Development Website Needs to Attract Site Selectors
    • Jan 31, 2019 Four Things Small Business Owners Need to Check Before Hiring a Marketing Firm
    • Jan 15, 2019 20 Overused Marketing Words Explained in Plain English
  • 2018
    • Dec 13, 2018 National and Local Media Call On Tom Griscom
    • Dec 11, 2018 Chattanooga’s Best-Kept Secret and How Word Got Out
    • Jul 11, 2018 Taking Your Business' Instagram to the Next Level
    • Jun 6, 2018 What Chattanooga-based Businesses Need to Understand About GDPR
    • Apr 11, 2018 8 Pro Tips for Starting Your Company’s Social Media Accounts
    • Mar 5, 2018 The Importance of Having a Media-Trained Spokesperson for Your Business
    • Mar 5, 2018 Facebook as a Platform: A Brief Q&A with Q Strategies’ Director of Strategic Communication
    • Jan 10, 2018 The Atrium Opens Following Major Renovation by Noon Development
  • 2017
    • Nov 10, 2017 Q Strategies and Noon Development Team Up for Successful Groundbreaking Ceremony
    • Oct 6, 2017 5 Tips for Successful Pitching to Reporters
    • Sep 13, 2017 How Heinz is Taking Advantage of the #Aesthetic Instagram Story, and 4 Ways You Can, Too
    • Aug 3, 2017 Guide to Better Communication with Your Co-workers
    • Jun 20, 2017 7 Practical Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills
    • May 30, 2017 Go Back to the Basics: How to Increase Readability for Your Press Release
    • Jan 3, 2017 3 Common Customer Survey Fails & How To Fix Them
  • 2016
    • Dec 15, 2016 Take Your Facebook Page to the Next Level
    • Dec 2, 2016 Planning a DIY Public Relations Plan? Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes
    • Oct 31, 2016 Why Customer Service Should be in Your Public Relations Plan
    • Oct 13, 2016 Picture This: A Peek Into the Snapchat Rebranding
    • Oct 5, 2016 Is It Time to Hire a Public Relations Firm?
    • Sep 28, 2016 Why Your Business Should Be Blogging
    • Sep 21, 2016 Q Strategies Promotes Glass Street LIVE
    • Sep 19, 2016 3 Steps To Build An Amazing Employer Brand
    • Aug 22, 2016 A Dose of Intentional Networking
    • Jul 28, 2016 9 Signs Your Communication Strategy Is Outdated
    • Jul 20, 2016 Blogging for Beginners - Find Your Voice
    • Jul 7, 2016 5 Ways Blogging Can Help Your Startup
    • Jul 5, 2016 How to Market to College Students Through Social Media
    • Jun 9, 2016 When to Use Old School Communication Tactics for an Effective Campaign
    • May 24, 2016 PR Firm Q Strategies Lands Fleetwood in the News
    • May 3, 2016 The Names We Never Forget: Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week
    • Apr 21, 2016 5 Questions to Ask Before Launching Snapchat for a Small Business
    • Apr 6, 2016 7 Ways to Eliminate Distractions at Work
    • Mar 8, 2016 10 Tips To Grow Your Government Relations Program
    • Feb 11, 2016 Create A Limitless List Of Blog Post Ideas
    • Jan 5, 2016 Networking Tips for Beginners: Don’t be Weird
  • 2015
    • Nov 10, 2015 Effective Communication Strategies for Startups
    • Sep 29, 2015 Get More Mileage Out of Your Press Release with Inbound Marketing
    • Sep 25, 2015 Q Strategies Helps Manufacturer Land Media Coverage
    • Sep 17, 2015 Best Practices for Simplifying Open Enrollment Communications
    • Sep 8, 2015 PR Firm Q Strategies Pitches Hotel Story to Chattanooga Media Outlets
    • Aug 27, 2015 Awkward Questions You Should Ask Your Public Relations Agency
    • Aug 19, 2015 3 Successful Communication Strategies You Should Ignore (Sometimes)
    • Aug 13, 2015 Using Strategic Communications to Grow Your Business
    • Aug 6, 2015 Apartment and Real Estate Marketing in Chattanooga
    • Jul 29, 2015 5 Reasons to Use Inbound Marketing
    • Jul 15, 2015 Public Relations Strategies for Small Businesses
    • Jun 25, 2015 PR Firm Q Strategies Helps Gain Media Attention for New Store
    • Jun 24, 2015 Move Beyond Keywords to Generate Business Leads on Facebook
    • Jun 18, 2015 5 Benefits of Social Media Marketing
    • Apr 30, 2015 Chattanooga Allergy Clinic to Open Downtown Location This Summer
    • Apr 29, 2015 Q Strategies Assists Armed Forces Day with Public Relations
    • Apr 27, 2015 Zipflip Sets the Stage for Beta Launch in Chattanooga
    • Apr 17, 2015 4 Steps to Prepare for Your Media Announcement
    • Apr 16, 2015 CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY STORE TO OPEN ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE
    • Apr 10, 2015 4 Ways to Gauge Your Crisis Plan’s Effectiveness and Prepare for Next Time
    • Apr 9, 2015 Zipflip Shifts into High Gear with Hackomotive 2015 Win
    • Apr 2, 2015 Claude Ramsey Launches Government Relations Firm
    • Apr 1, 2015 5 Steps to Effectively Communicate in a Crisis
    • Mar 25, 2015 4 Steps for Crisis Management Planning
    • Mar 19, 2015 Tennessee Public Relations Alliance Adds Chattanooga's Q Strategies to Group
    • Mar 11, 2015 3 Affordable Ways to Gather Data On Your Target Market
    • Mar 6, 2015 Q Strategies Offers Social Media Tips for Bands
    • Mar 4, 2015 5 Smart Questions Startups Should Ask to Identify their Target Market
    • Jan 29, 2015 Q Strategies Helps Cogent Studio Announce Merger
  • 2014
    • Nov 12, 2014 Tom Griscom Remembers "Tear Down This Wall"
    • Oct 24, 2014 Q Strategies Lands Clients In the News
    • Oct 10, 2014 Q Strategies Helps Bi-Lo and Publix Speak Out on Wine in Grocery Store Vote
    • Oct 3, 2014 3 Ways to Ask Better Questions
linkedin

Q STRATEGIES
423-602-9645  /  www.qstrategies.com
Chattanooga / Tennessee
All rights reserved 2022

Q STRATEGIES

Q Strategies is an integrated public relations and marketing firm, specializing in research-based planning, crisis management, and government relations.

Q STRATEGIES | 715 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN, 37402, United States

linkedin