Project Title: Ellon Web Site – A Strategy for Self Promotion. Started in 2006

Description: The aim of this project is to design, develop and commission a sustainable high quality web site for the town of Ellon and the surrounding area utilising the world wide web as the main communication medium to reach visitors, current and new customers, including businesses and potential investors.

Objectives: The main objectives of establishing a web site are to:

·        Promote Ellon and the surrounding area as a place of opportunity to companies, visitors and investors at a local, national and international level.

·        Promote Ellon Town Centre as a place to shop and do business.

·        Attract new customers to businesses operating locally and provide an enhanced service and current information to the wider community and all with Internet access.

·        Improve the quality, level and flow of information in order to promote Ellon and the surrounding area, its services and the opportunities it provides to stakeholders and the wider world.

·        Provide a linkage facility to other local sites to ultimately provide core  

            information on activities, services, projects and events.

Process/Stages:

• At meetings of the Ellon Tourism Group in the summer of 2006, after consideration of the new town tourism strategy, it was agreed to set up a town website. Feedback was gathered from the local community and other towns on the content of the website.
• A tender brief for the contract was prepared and approved by the group.
• Invitations to tender were sent out to web developers in the area.
• A short-list was drawn up from the tender responses and the businesses short-listed were invited to give a presentation of their ideas to the group.
• The group awarded the contract to Webecom Marketing.
• Consultation on the content from the website was sought from local groups and our Interreg SusSET partners
• The site went “live” on 20^th December 2006.

Outcomes/Results:

• A site that is sustainable, attractive, fast, informative, easily accessible and interactive.

Learning Points:

• Community support is needed from the beginning of the project.
• Arrangements for maintaining and updating the website need to be addressed at an early stage.
• The effectiveness of the site will grow in relation to support that it receives and gives to the community.

Contact Information:

www.visitellon.co.uk      info@visitellon.co.uk