1. Optimizing Your Website for
Economic Development
Presented by
Leah Hill

2. The importance of websites
Choosing your content
How to write copy people will read
Tips for improving navigation
How to increase web traffic

3. The importance of websites
Why should you have a website?
• In 2012, nearly 80% of American adults said they
were internet users.
http://pewinternet.org/Static-Pages/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Whos-Online.aspx

4. The importance of websites
Internet users as percentage of population
http://www.google.com/publicdata

5. The importance of websites

6. The importance of websites
How site selectors use your website
According to a survey by Atlas Advertising, the
average ED website receives 161 visits per actual
inquiry to an EDO.

7. Choosing your content
How do you decide what content to include on
your website? Ask yourself:
Why do you want people to go to your website?

8. Choosing your content
How do you decide what content to include on
your website? Ask yourself:
Why do you want people to go to your website?
To find out more about you.

9. Choosing your content
How do you decide what content to include on
your website? Ask yourself:
Why do you want people to go to your website?
To find out more about you.
What do you want them to do when they get there?

10. Choosing your content
How do you decide what content to include on
your website? Ask yourself:
Why do you want people to go to your website?
To find out more about you.
What do you want them to do when they get there?
To call you.

11. Choosing your content
How do you decide what content to include on
your website? Ask yourself:
Why do you want people to go to your website?
To find out more about you.
What do you want them to do when they get there?
To call you.
Is it easy for them to get to their goal and yours?

12. Choosing your content
Elements of a website
• City or organization name
• Contact Information
• Easy to use Navigation
• Maps
• Branding
• Professionalism and Accessibility
• Downloads
• Links

13. Choosing your content
The most important element is descriptive,
detailed content
• Demographics/Workforce
• Utility and telecommunications costs and providers
• Transportation access
• Tax rates & incentives
• Quality of life
• Leading employers and unionization
• Recent expansions/relocations in the area
• Educational institutions and research centers

14. Choosing your content
(continued)
• Sites & buildings database (LocationOne)
• Business related news/events
• Links to social media accounts
For more information on good Economic Development content, see
IEDC Site Selection Data Standards website:
http://www.iedconline.org/?p=data_standards

15. How to write copy people will read
• concise text — half the word count (or less) than
writing for print
• shorter sentences and paragraphs
• one idea per paragraph
• the inverted pyramid style, putting the most
important point or the conclusion first

16. How to write copy people will read
• bulleted lists
• highlighted text (bold or color, also hyperlinked text)
for scannability
• meaningful headlines and subheads
• write copy that sells benefit rather than feature

17. Tips for improving navigation
Put most important information “above the fold”

18. Tips for improving navigation
The 3-click rule
Main menu
click “About
Missouri Partnership”
Sub-menu
click “Mission”
Content page
Mission statement
page displayed

19. Tips for improving navigation
Track website traffic using Google Analytics
http://www.google.com/analytics

20. How to increase web traffic
Be included in the first page of search engine
results for appropriate keywords
• Your organization’s name
• The name of your region
• The name of your region + economic development
(example: missouri economic development)
• Your url (example: www.missouripartnership.com)

21. How to increase web traffic
Improve your search engine ranking
• Use the relevant keywords you’ve identified in your
website meta tags (descriptive tags within links,
pictures, page headers, etc.)
Meta Tag Analyzer
http://www.seocentro.com/tools/search-engines/metatag-analyzer.html

22. How to increase web traffic
Have a simple web design
• Don’t use too much flash
• Don’t use graphics for headers and buttons, use text
• Don’t use too many frames
• Have a site map

23. How to increase web traffic
Get people to link to your website
• Get people to link to your website using anchor text
that contains your keywords.
• Ex: <a href=”www.missouripartnership.com”>
”Missouri Economic Development”</a>

24. How to increase web traffic
Use Google Adwords
adwords.google.com

25. We’ll make sure the grass is always greener.
Relocating your company only makes sense
if you can count on the grass being greener
How to increase web traffic on the other side of the fence -
year in and year out.
Missouri’s business climate is not only comfortable, it’s consistent,
allowing companies to plan for growth over a long period of time.
for low business
Missouri also keeps the green in your bank account with costs, including
the cost of labor1
Advertising
perennially low costs for business and energy.
(They can’t always promise that on the other side of the fence.)
for low
business
energy costs2
Pro-Business
We’ll make sure the grass is always greener. state for 2 years
in a row3
Relocating your company only makes sense
if you can count on the grass being greener
on the other side of the fence -
year in and year out.
Missouri’s business climate is not only comfortable, it’s consistent,
allowing companies to plan for growth over a long period of time.
for low business
Missouri also keeps the green in your bank account with costs, including
perennially low costs for business and energy. the cost of labor1
(They can’t always promise that on the other side of the fence.)
for low
business
energy costs2
Visit us at www.business.missouripartnership.com or scan here* to watch our new Missouri video.
Pro-Business
state for 2 years
in a row3 1
CNBC
2
Small Business and
Entrepreneurship Council
3
Pollina Corporate Real Estate
* Use any QR tag reader to scan.
Visit us at www.business.missouripartnership.com or scan here* to watch our new Missouri video.
1
CNBC
2
Small Business and
Entrepreneurship Council
3
Pollina Corporate Real Estate
* Use any QR tag reader to scan.

26. How to increase web traffic
Email marketing

27. How to increase web traffic
Use social media

28. How to increase web traffic
Mobile site

29. How to increase web traffic
Update frequently!

30. Leah Hill
Missouri Partnership
120 S. Central Ave.
Suite 1150
Saint Louis, MO 63105
T: +1.314.725.0949 Ext: 202
F: +1.314.725.0743
C: +1.314.954.9252
Leah@MissouriPartnership.com

31. More ways to connect with Missouri Partnership
• Twitter
http://twitter.com/MOPartnership
• Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/MissouriPartnership
• LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/missouri-partnership
• Industry Insight Blog
www.missouripartnership.com/Data/Industry-Insight-Blog

32. Upcoming webinars (all are 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Friday, September 7th: Branding
• Friday, September 21st: Advertising and messaging
• Friday, October 5th: Pitching and media relations
• To register for the webinar(s) of your choice, please
contact Erin Pettit of the Missouri Partnership’s staff
via e-mail at erin@missouripartnership.com or call
314.725.0949.