What are the top ED website trends heading in 2020? Will your organization be up to date, or will you fall behind? Join GIS Planning VP of Marketing, Alissa Sklar, Ph.D. and Golden Shovel CEO, Aaron Brossoit, 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 *VR video and augmented reality * Visualizing data *Tracking data about your data

1. Alissa Sklar, Ph.D.
VP of Marketing
GIS Planning Inc.
asklar@gisplanning.com
GISPlanning.com
@gisplanning
Aaron Brossoit
Chief Executive Officer
Golden Shovel Agency
abrossoit@goldenshovel.com
GoldenShovel.com
@goldshovel
10 Key Trends for
Economic Development Websites in 2020

3. What’s next in economic
development marketing?

4. 10
STORYTELLING

5. COMPREHENSION
RECALL
RESONANCE
Comprehension
Resonance
Recall

6. STORY IS THE CONTENT OF WORD-
OF-MOUTH MARKETING

7. WHAT MAKES A GOOD STORY?
Credit: StoryBrand.com

9. https://www.greaterdubuque.org/business
-advantages/success-stories

10. http://www.irvinechambereconomicdevelopment.
com/doing-business-in-irvine/resource-
library/p/item/5687/irvines-economic-success-
story

11. STORYTELLING
IS VISUAL

12. https://www.exploremoregroton.com/

13. http://www.choosemason.com/

14. http://www.parkered.org/

15. Using data for storytelling

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

17. 9
DATA

18. “Data is your community’s first impression. It
is at your fingertips and can be viewed by all.
It is critical for the economic development
professional to understand the story the data
is telling. It’s the missing chapters you have to
write to be successful.”
GRAY SWOOPE| PRESIDENT/CEO
VISIONFIRST ADVISORS

19. Businesses and site selectors are researching
locations online.
Site selection research may be performed after
business hours & weekends by potential
investors all over the world.

20. Site selectors and businesses making location decisions research your
website before they call or email.
What data will they find on your website?
Prospects qualify themselves with interactive tools, leading to more
genuine opportunities.
Informed buyers
look at fewer
properties and
have shorter
sales cycles

22. “One of the most useful components of an ED website
is a current (and well maintained) sites and building
database. In the event that database can be coupled
with additional data (e.g. – workforce, business
environment, infrastructure, etc.), it provides a leg-up
on the competition, especially for projects that do not
have a consultant”.
JOSH BAYS | PARTNER
SITE SELECTION GROUP

23. What kinds of data do you offer site selectors?
● Demographic
● Available sites & properties
● Labor force
● Business
● Industry
● GIS
● Local data
● Talent
● Housing
● Transportation
● Energy
● Education
● Comparison
● Maps
● ….and more

24. Search sites and buildings alongside thousands of data points

27. 6 Intelligence Components for website pages
1- Mapping

28. 2- Business Data

29. 3- Demographics

30. 4- Compare Communities

31. 5- Infographics

32. 6- Talent Pool

33. http://www.palestinetexas.net/

35. ExpandGreaterSpringfield.com

38. 8
INFOGRAPHICS
& VISUALIZING DATA

39. 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.

41. 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.

42. https://www.zoomprospector.com/edos/northern-kentucky-tried/278

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

44. 7
Business Retention & Expansion

46. Visit this site: https://properties.zoomprospector.com/ohio

48. BUSINESS DIRECTORY
https://www.apexgetsbusiness.com/

49. https://www.ramseycountymeansbusiness.com/

50. RESOURCE LIBRARY

51. NEWS & EVENTS
https://www.katyedc.org/news-and-media

52. NEWS & EVENTS

53. 6
MICROSITES

54. TYPES OF MICROSITES
WORKFORCE ATTRACTION
INDUSTRIAL PARKS
HOUSING
START UPS
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
TARGET INDUSTRIES
DISASTER RECOVERY
SITE SELECTION & DATA

58. Microsite for Site Selection

59. Microsite Portals for Data Resources

61. 5
MOBILE

64. Our analytics show that up to 40% 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.

66. Irvine Chamber Economic Development
Responsive Design

67. Responsive Design

68. Responsive Design

69. 4
WORKFORCE ATTRACTION

73. SUCCESS STORIES

74. JOB POSTINGS

77. SOCIAL MEDIA

78. Profile Talent Pool Data

79. Add Emsi, JobsEQ, FDI and Local Data
Visit this site: https://properties.zoomprospector.com/charlotteregion

80. Visit this site: https://properties.zoomprospector.com/charlotteregion

85. 3
VIDEO & VR

86. Video attracts engaged visitors
Content marketing with video is increasing
Video marketing is cost effective
Video drives SEO
Videos are impressionable

91. Up to 75% retention of information compared to
less than 10% with traditional formats.
Source: Masie Center for Learning
VR can ‘trick’ your brain into thinking
that the experiences are actually happening.
Source: Mashable
VR creates more empathy in viewers
compared to other media.
Source: Stanford
VR and 360 video provides
a real sense of presence.
Source: Interactive Architecture Lab

92. WORKFORCE ATTRACTION TOURISM
SITE TOURSFAMILIARIZATION TOURS

93. Many Uses: In-person Meetings,
Trade Shows, Job Fairs and Online

94. GoldenShovel.com

102. VR MEETINGS

104. GoldenShovel.com

105. 2
ADVANCED MARKETING

114. Aerospace Companies Impressed

115. We Know the Size of the Companies
And Where They Are From

116. What Their Roles Are

117. EnerBlu Announcement
Facebook & LinkedIn Together

118. EnerBlu Announcement
Facebook & LinkedIn Together

120. Fully embedded social sharing
Visit this site: https://www.scpowerteam.com/properties/

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

123. 1
TRACKING & LEAD GENERATION

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

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

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

129. Lead Conversion

131. Top 10 Trends in Economic
Development Websites in 2020
10) Storytelling
9) Data
8) Infographics & Visualizing Data
7) Business Retention & Expansion
6) Microsites
5) Mobile
4) Workforce Attraction
3) Video & VR
2) Advanced Marketing
1) Tracking & Lead Generation

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