What are the top ED website trends heading in to 2017? Will your organization be up to date, or will you fall behind? Join Golden Shovel CEO Aaron Brossoit and GIS Planning VP of Marketing, Alissa Sklar for a look at the 10 most important trends in economic development marketing online for the coming year, with live examples and practical tips related to the following factors - and more! * Design trends * Strategies for engagement * Microsites * Interactive and dynamic features * Visualizing data *Tracking website visitors

1. Alissa Sklar, Ph.D.
Director of Marketing
GIS Planning Inc.
asklar@gisplanning.com
GISPlanning.com
@gisplanning
10 Key Trends for
Economic Development Websites in 2016-17
Wednesday, September 21st, 2016.
Aaron Brossoit
Chief Executive Officer
Golden Shovel Agency
abrossoit@goldenshovel.com
GoldenShovel.com
@goldshovel

2. What’s next in economic
development marketing?

3. 10
STORYTELLING & CONTENT

4. Why Storytelling?
The human brain is hard-wired for narrative.
Comprehension: We use stories to make sense of the world.
Recall of information is significantly higher when information is
presented in narrative forms.
Resonance: Stories make a strong impression upon us.

10. Good Stories Make the Best Content
Keeps website current
Great first impression
SEO benefits
Informs local businesses
Educates stakeholders
Shows industry engagement
Many types of content...

11. Local Content
Local Newspaper
Current ED news
Events
Local Businesses

12. Editorial Content
Success Stories
Business Parks
Testimonials
Local Businesses
Made in advance
Keywords

13. National & Expert Content
Current
ED Focused
Educate
Stakeholders
Blogs

14. Social Media

15. Video for Storytelling

16. Feature on Home Page

17. How Often Should I Post?
Weekly…
at minimum.

19. Using data for storytelling
http://www.santarosaedo.com/demographic.html

20. http://www.ga-sites.com/industries/aerospace.html

21. 9
DATA

26. How Two Communities Put Data to Work
Greater Gallup EDC GallupEDC.com

27. How Two Communities Put Data to Work
Expand Greater Springfield ExpandGreaterSpringfield.com

30. 8
INFOGRAPHICS & VISUALIZING
DATA

31. http://www.greatlakesbaysites.com/communities.html

32. The power of images
90% of the information that comes to our brain is visual
The human brain can absorb visual information in 1/10th of a second.
The average person is exposed to 174 newspapers full of information every
day.
Only 1% of that information actually makes it through to our brains.
We remember new and different things more easily when they are presented in
a visual format.

34. Infographics are illustrations of data or ideas that can communicate
complex information in a way that can be quickly absorbed,
easily understood and remembered.
Websites with infographics realize an increase in
traffic of 12% over those that don’t.

35. http://www.gemstateprospector.com/communities.html

37. 7
MOBILE

39. Our analytics show that up to 30% of web traffic on our clients’
site selection pages are coming from mobile devices.
If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you are
losing leads without knowing it.

40. Responsive Design
Irvine Chamber Economic Development

41. Responsive Design
Northeast Wyoming Growth Alliance

42. Responsive Design
Great River Energy

43. 6
REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

57. 5
MICROSITES

58. Types of Microsites

60. Microsite for Housing

61. Microsite for Industrial Parks

62. Microsite for Workforce Attraction

63. Microsite for Site Selection

64. Microsite Portals for Data Resources

66. 4
WORKFORCE ATTRACTION

67. Profile Talent Pool Data

68. Dedicated Site for Workforce Attraction

72. Social Media for Workforce Attraction

74. 4,556
LIKES

75. Workforce Attraction Ad Campaigns
Targeted Workforce Marketing
Promote Jobs
Generate Likes to Social Media Pages
Drive Website Traffic

76. 3
TOOLS FOR ENGAGEMENT

77. Search widgets for any website page
http://www.elkgrovecity.org/city_hall/departments_division
s/economic_development/

78. Search buildings, sites,
communities and
businesses
ZoomProspector GIS site selection tool

79. User-defined search
for sites and
buildings based on
location & size

80. Property list is also displayed
on interactive map

81. 5 Intelligence Components for website pages
1- Mapping

82. 2- Business Data

83. 3- Demographics

84. 4- Compare Communities

85. 5- Infographics

86. 2
SOCIAL MEDIA

89. Who is using what tool?

102. Fully embedded social sharing

104. Mine your data tools for a consistent source of social
content:
● Properties of the week
● Businesses of the week
● Interesting heat maps

106. 1
USING WEBSITES STRATEGICALLY
FOR LEAD GENERATION

107. A)Lead generation:
How will your website be found?

108. Connecting businesses with communities.

109. The U.S. national site selection website
Be found.
Free searches of 1000+ data points for EVERY
community in the U.S.

110. B) Do you know who’s visiting your website?
ZoomProspector does.

113. Top 10 Trends in Economic
Development Websites for 2016
10) Storytelling & Content
9) Data
8) Infographics & Visualizing Data
7) Mobile
6) Regional connectivity
5) Microsites
4) Workforce attraction
3) Tools for engagement
2) Social media
1) Websites for Lead generation

114. Alissa Sklar, Ph.D.
Director of Marketing
GIS Planning Inc.
asklar@gisplanning.com
@gisplanning
Thank You!
Any Questions?
Aaron Brossoit
Chief Executive Officer
Golden Shovel Agency
abrossoit@goldenshovel.com
@goldshovel