OCTOBER 29, 2014
Scottsdale honored for economic development website
A Scottsdale website dedicated to assisting business attraction and support was honored recently by the International Economic Development Council.
The city’s “ChooseScottsdale.com” website received the council’s Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award in the general purpose website category for cities its size.
The honor was presented at an Oct. 20 awards ceremony during the council’s annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas.
"Economic development efforts have long been a keystone in the quest to bolster the economy and improve quality of life in every locality across the country," said Bill Sproull, chair of the International Economic Development Council. "As the nation continues to tackle challenges in the midst of global uncertainty, these efforts have taken on an even greater significance. With this award, we laud trendsetting organizations like the city of Scottsdale’s Economic Development Department for leading the charge."
In 2013 the city’s economic development team identified a strong need for its dedicated economic development website to launch more dynamic content, imagery, and tools to serve the department’s existing and prospective client base.
Completed in only 90 days using in-house resources in response to expert firm recommendations, the project involved a complete revamp of the website with a separate URL contained behind the city firewall.
The project involved a comprehensive rewrite of all content and integration of new analysis tools such as the “SizeUp Local Business Intelligence” competitive tool and the “ArizonaProspector.com” site tool.
A redesigned graphics scheme was carried through all material allowing a unity of theme and flow. The site also incorporated social media and news article features. Finally, integration with the department’s recently launched contact management system allowed an online request to immediately drop information into the leads database for tracking and follow-up.
The impacts of this project were immediately visible – in the first week after relaunch 74 percent of the visitors were new as a result of marketing efforts and unique visitors increased by 32 percent.
The Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. These awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban and rural communities.
