ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - EDC Sites
Designing an Economic
Development Corporation Web Site
by Patrick Nehring, Community, Natural Resource, &
Economic Development Agent, UW-Extension Waushara County, August
27, 2001
There are two primary
types of economic development web sites depending on the focus
of the organization. One type of web site is focused on tourism;
the other type of web site is focused on business development.
The focus of this analysis is the latter.
For this analysis, the
web sites of county economic development corporations or similar
entities for the counties in Wisconsin were looked at. To start
off the web sites for the Fond Du Lac County, Grant County, Sauk
County, and Waupaca County economic development corporations,
identified by Kathy Heady from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce
as examples were analyzed. After looking at web sites from around
the state, the following were identified as examples of county
economic development corporation web sites targeted more towards
business development than tourism development:
Home Page
The web addresses given
above are the home pages for these county economic development
corporations. The home page is listed with search engines. This
is usually the first page that people see. The home page contains
a list of the categories of information accessible from the site.
The county economic development corporation web sites contain
six types of information. They are information about the economic
development corporation, contact information, building and site
availability, community profiles, county profile information,
and available assistance and resources.
Economic Development
Corporation/Organization Description
On a separate page or
sometimes on the home page, the web site contains information
about the county economic development corporation or organization.
The site gives a general view or summary of what the organization
does, this maybe the organization’s mission, goals, activities
participated in, services offered by the organization, and newsletters
or press releases about the organization. In addition, the site
contains a list of staff and/or board members by name and title.
Sometimes, a picture or brief resume of the person is included.
Contact Information
An important element
contained on all of the web sites is contact information. Contact
information maybe a separate page, contained on the home page,
or listed on every page. Contact information includes the name
and possibly title of a contact person, the organizations address,
telephone number, FAX number, and e-mail address. The e-mail address
should be linked so that an interested person can click on the
address and instantly be able to send a message. In some instances,
in addition to the linked e-mail address, an electronic form is
included so that an interested person can fill in the blanks to
send a message to the economic development corporation.
Available Buildings
and Land
The next type of information
contained on the county economic development web sites is a list
of buildings and sites that are available for industrial or commercial
development. Most of the web sites contain a map identifying in
general where these buildings and sites are located in the county.
Many web sites have separate pages for available buildings and
available land. Some have a separate page for industrial parks.
Information on available
buildings include the community the building is located in, the
building type and/or zoning category, the size of the building
in square feet, the asking price or rent, and contact information
for further inquires about the building. The contact information
is the person, entity, or realtor selling/leasing the building,
the contact’s telephone number, and an e-mail address linked
to the seller, building manager, or realtor. Other descriptive
information that maybe included on the web site are a picture
of the building, the building’s address, the dimensions
of the building, the construction materials, transportation access,
parking, the age of the building or the year it was built, and
utility information, cost and availability.
Information on available
land in or out of an industrial park includes the name of the
community, the size of the lot in square feet, the asking price,
and contact information for further inquires about the property.
The contact information is the person, company, or realtor selling/leasing
the land, the contact’s telephone number, and an e-mail
address linked to the seller or realtor. Other descriptive information
often included is a map of the industrial park and identification
of the neighboring land uses.
Community Profiles
Another type of information
accessible from a county economic development corporation’s
web site is profiles of communities in the county. The community
profiles are accessible from a separate page that identifies the
communities that have profiles. Many times the page includes a
map indicating where communities are located in the county and
pictures of various locations around the county.
The community profiles
provide basic information about a town, village, city, or region
in the county. Some of the information that is provided includes
the location, demographic and economic statistics, labor information,
education opportunities, local wages, local utilities, taxes,
transportation, general quality of life or tourism information,
local assistance and resources available, and contact information
for the community.
Location
The location of the
community is indicated in two different ways. The first way is
indicated the location of the community with a written description
describing its location in the county and state, its relation
to natural and man made landmarks like rivers and highways, and
its proximity to other communities. The other way of indicating
the location of the community on a map. Some community profiles
include both a description and a map.
Demographic, Economic,
& Labor Statistics
Community profiles include
many of the following demographic, economic, and labor statistics.
Population statistics include the current population, population
growth over time, and population by age and sex. Income statistics
include the per capita income, average income, and/or median income.
Housing statistics include number of housing units available,
the average and/or median value of residential property, and the
vacancy rate. Other economic data include the major employers,
occupations of residents, local wages by occupation, labor force
availability, education attainment of the labor force, and other
market and tourism data.
Utilities
The community profiles
often contain a list of the utilities available in the community.
The name of the provider and contact information is included for
natural gas, electricity, sewer, and water services. In addition,
the average cost for each service is given.
Taxes
A list state and local
taxes that apply to businesses is provided on the web site. These
include local property taxes, sales taxes, corporate income tax,
and capitol gains tax. The list includes the tax rate for each
type of tax.
Transportation
Transportation information
included as part of the community profile describes the transportation
opportunites available to both business operation and individual
employees and customers. The proximity to major highways is described.
The distance to major cities or regions is given. The air service,
rail service, port/barge service, delivery service, and public
transportation (including bus and taxi service) available to the
community is given including the name of the provider and possibly
contact information.
Quality of Life /
Tourism Information
The community profiles
include information on the quality of life in the community or
tourism information. This information is the type of information
one would be interested in if they were planning a vacation. It
includes recreational opportunites available in and around the
community; the local weather; cultural, historical, natural, and
entertainment attractions; restaurants; and other features of
the community. In addition, public services, like fire protection,
police protection, and medical services are described.
Assistance &
Resources Available
Local assistance and
resources available in community are described, and a local contact
is provided. The assistance and resources available from the local
government, chamber of commerce, the community’s economic
development corporation, and other local organizations is described.
In addition, a list of local services such as realtors, construction
firms, and financial institutions maybe provided. The name of
a local contact person from the community’s economic development
corporation, chamber of commerce, or local government unity is
given with contact information.
County Profile Information
The county profile information
is many times divided up into separate categories in the web site.
The information that is provided is similar to the community profile
information provided above, but on a county level. The information
provided includes demographic statistics, economic statistics,
labor information, wage data, education resources available, utility
information, tax information, transportation opportunities, and
general quality of life/tourism information.
Assistance and Resources
Available
The county economic
development corporation web site includes information on assistance
and resources available to businesses in the county. The assistance
and resources maybe provided by the county economic development
corporation, a county or local organization, a local business
(including real estate agencies, construction companies, and financial
institutions), a local government, a state agency or organization,
a national organization, or a federal agency. The type of assistance
maybe financial, educational, legal, or other assistance to startup,
operate, and maintain a business. Resources available maybe access
to information, financial capitol, labor, or other resources needed
to startup, operate, and maintain a business.
Return to CNRED
Economic Development
|
