How a Website Can Save You Time
Short Staffed
Ensuring your website stays up-to-date on your preferred schedule can significantly reduce interruptions such as phone calls or texts requesting information. While community engagement remains vital, it's optimal when you can focus on tasks without a surprise interruption.
Consider your website as an additional member of your staff.
Content Reach
Increase your output twofold!
Configure your website to allow for news announcements, which can then be seamlessly shared on platforms like Facebook and X. This integration means your website doesn't merely add to your communication workload—it streamlines it.
Going Solo Vs a Menu Tab
On Your Municipal Website
Branding with
Enhanced Visibility
A dedicated website enhances the visibility and recognition of the DDA's brand and initiatives. With your own domain name, your DDA website will be optimized for search engines and will facilitate the implementation of your digital marketing strategies. This increased visibility not only raises awareness of the DDA's activities, but also encourages greater engagement from stakeholders and community members.
Focused Messaging
A separate website enables your DDA to craft tailored messages for its target audience—be it local business owners, developers, investors, or residents interested in downtown revitalization. This focused approach ensures that visitors receive information directly relevant to their interests and needs, avoiding dilution by unrelated city-related content.
Design & Functionality Control
By having your own website, the DDA gains greater control over its design and functionality. This flexibility allows for a user-friendly interface, interactive features, and captivating visual elements such as photos, videos, and maps. These enhancements effectively showcase your downtown development projects, events, and attractions.
Community Engagement
While a municipal website targets residents and businesses seeking general information, your DDA website will cater to those interested in the DDA district's activities. Through news announcements, surveys, event promotion and social media integration, you can foster dialogue, gather feedback, and mobilize support for your downtown development initiatives. Active engagement via the website helps build trust, foster collaboration, and instill a sense of ownership and pride in the downtown area.
Does My DDA Need A Civic Clarity Website?
A website serves as a potent tool for a DDA to engage with the community, promote transparency,
gather feedback, and facilitate collaboration in downtown development efforts.
01
Promote Your
Community
With your Civic Clarity website, adding an event to your calendar once automatically displays it in three places: the home page listing, Event page, and monthly calendar pages. You can then effortlessly share the event on platforms like Facebook or X right from your computer.
Creating announcements and quickly sharing them on social media is a breeze. You can even tie announcements to a subscriber email list for daily or immediate emails.
Modules Used
Calendar
Announcements
03
Promote Economic Development
Showcase your businesses through a comprehensive directory, and highlight available properties using the same directory database to attract potential investors. Even display a unique category of the directory on a separate page.
Modules Used
Business Directory
04
Promote Transparency
Centralize information about the DDA's projects, initiatives, events, and services on your website. By providing up-to-date and relevant information, you enhance transparency and foster trust within the community.
The Document Library contains all DDA mandated documents along with additional resources for residents and potential new businesses.
Modules Used
Document Library
Online RFP
05
Not All Website Developers Are The Same
While various paths lead to a professional website presence, the decision committee must ask the right questions of prospective vendors to ensure they receive the best service for their needs. Utilize the checklist we developed for a Michigan Townships Association presentation in 2023 as a guide to cover the most critical aspects of a DDA's website service.
Social Media Is Not Enough
| Engagement | Website | Social Media |
|---|---|---|
| Event Promotion | ||
| Community Feedback | ||
| Information Hub | ||
| Resource Library |
Ultimately, both websites and social media platforms are valuable tools for driving community engagement. A comprehensive strategy that leverages the strengths of both channels is often most effective for DDAs seeking to connect with their communities.
Website Value
Depth of Content
Websites typically allow for more extensive and detailed content compared to social media posts, which are often limited in length and format. You can use the website to provide guides, reports, maps, and relevant links. By providing valuable resources, the website empowers residents, businesses, and visitors to actively participate in downtown development efforts and stay informed about local opportunities.
Control Over Information Flow
Websites provide more control over information presentation and organization than social media platforms. You can tailor content, design, and structure to best showcase the DDA initiatives, ensuring a cohesive and curated experience for visitors.
Long-Term Accessibility
Website content remains archived and accessible over time, providing a reliable resource for community members. Unlike social media posts, which may get buried over time, website content remains searchable and accessible through search engines and navigation menus.
Social Media Value
Real-Time Interaction
Social media enables immediate interaction and dialogue with community members, fostering engagement and feedback in real-time.
Wider Reach and Virality
Social media has the potential to reach a larger and more diverse audience compared to websites alone. By leveraging features such as hashtags, sharing, and tagging, DDAs can extend their reach and increase visibility for their initiatives and events.
Community Building
Social media facilitates community building and networking among residents, businesses, and stakeholders. DDAs can create social media groups or pages where community members can connect, share information, and collaborate on local projects and initiatives.
