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3. EDSR 10-19-2015 ilk Request for Action River To Item Number Economic Development Authority and Housing and Redevelopment 3. Authority Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by N/A October 19,2015 Colleen Eddy, ED Specialist Item Description Reviewed by EDA and HRA New Website Work session Amanda Othoudt, ED Director Reviewed by Cal Portner, City Administrator Action Requested Information presented for discussion only. Background/Discussion During our most recent budget discussions with the EDA and the HRA, staff identified the need to update our website to create a fresh new look,better navigation capabilities and the ability to incorporate information on the both EDA and HRA programs and initiatives. The economic development staff met with the city clerk and communications coordinator to review website companies and options. The group narrowed down the search to the Golden Shovel Agency, who specializes in Economic Development websites. Golden Shovel Agency understands the important role websites play in the economic development process. Sending the right impression is critical and that requires a thorough understanding of the region and the target audiences. Both the EDA and HRA have approved redesigning the EDA/HRA website during the 2015 budget discussions.And tonight, both commissions will have the opportunity to hear directly from the representative from Golden Shovel Agency and have any questions answered. John Marshall,Vice President of Sales at Golden Shovel Agency will make a presentation to the commissions and will allocate time for Q and A. Financial Impact The total cost of developing the website is $11,400 to be split evenly between the EDA and the HRA from the Professional Services line item beginning in 2016 and annually thereafter. Attachments • Golden Shovel Agency Proposal [ emu' / / NATURE Proposal prepared for Golden City of Elk River Economic Development Sh vel Department GROUNDBREAKING ONLINE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Amanda Othoudt Economic Development Director City of Elk River Gateway Website IKeelDer SOCIAL MANAGEMENT Custom Website Development Online Marketing Strategy&Implementation Prepared by: _ John Marshall y Cos) Vice President of Sales V\hoil jmarshallegoldenshovel.com o ; ;i,� Direct: (651) 353-6655 ��� Ft, Golden Shovel Agency 0 li 43 East Broadway Street iii Little Falls, MN 56345 Phone: (888)266-4778 ° / www.GoldenShovel.com This proposal expires 11/30/2015 ©2015 Golden Shovel Agency. This proposal is intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential information.Any dissemination, distribution, copying, or other use of this document is strictly prohibited. 1 Overview Golden Shovel Agency appreciates this opportunity to submit a proposal to the City of Elk River Economic Development Department. Our proposal includes a custom designed website and a goal focused online marketing strategy implemented through our Gatekeeper service. We are confident that our solution can fulfill your expectations with all the necessary tools to present the organization in its best light. Goals of the Project Any marketing effort requires research and planning, which are key factors for maintain consistency through the entire process. We are aware of these needs and we are continually doing market research on new and upcoming trends for website and social media applications. Because of this, we can build a website that effectively supports your organization's identity and also implement a marketing strategy to help you accomplishing specific goals,such as: • Create awareness of development opportunities that help to: o Exponentially increase online presence o Communicate powerfully with target industries o Create and promote City of Elk River's progressive business climate o Create quality employment opportunities in target industries and businesses • Develop an effective marketing strategy to communicate your organization's goals to site selectors and business owners looking to relocate.This provides support to: o Promote the area to attract new business and industries o Showcase local employers and companies o Highlight investors, local businesses, major employers, etc. o Create awareness of available local, state and federal incentives and programs to facilitate new business recruitment • Promote quality of life in the area to: o Showcase assets and programs o Market the area to attract new business and industries, but also encourage the retention and expansion of existing business o Highlight the wide array and quality of available life amenities and outdoor activities in the area Project Specifications A Focus On Custom Design Backed by the Power of the Economic Gateway • Golden Shovel understands the important role websites play in the economic -0 , development process. Sending the right impression is critical and that requires a thorough understanding of the region and the target audiences. ' • Research &Strategy: Our research process begins with learning about the a region and its assets.This includes a design and regional overview meeting, reviewing key community websites as well as competitive sites. This research helps us identify the target audiences and brand positioning used to create an effective design. • Brand Focused Designs: The design process progresses from site outlines to final designs. We will provide designs to client for selection of layouts and main structure of website. Below are some examples of 2 unique designs we have executed. Additional examples are available at: GoldenShovel.com r, o Ideas '';t o� ---�- o. we"w,=<o�u o Hw E Work r, •ww,hr,rw.attiriY►vr+ pd.o, e�<.n s<,r. rnmm.roa„�oR„ro Greater Gallup EDC Momentum West Office of Rural ED Woodbury County, IA Website Modules and Key Features The Economic Gateway content management system (CMS) has tools designed specifically for economic development. Unlike the more templated CMS softwares designed for web developers (i.e Wordpress, Joomala, Drupal,etc.),we have removed unnecessary functionality and streamlined the admin functions to make it fully updateable by the client without programming experience. We make upgrades to your website quarterly at no additional charge so the website stays current. [Greater Americo Online) Recommended Modules Key Features • Content Management System • Completely Editable by Client • Homepage Showcase • Mobile Friendly with Responsive Design • Community Profiles • Population and Setup Support(20hrs) (Demographic data and statistics) • User Friendly Interface • Real Estate • Social Media Integration • News • Search Engine Optimization • Events Calendar • Hosting Included • Business Directory • Training & Support • Incentives Directory • Projects Directory • Quarterly Updates and Maintenance • Jobs Directory • Google Analytics • Contact Form Manager • Cross Platform Compatibility • Resource Library • Section 508 and W3C compliant • Staff Directory • Translation Tool • Secure/Private Section • Google Keyword Search • Fast Facts • Site Redesign Every 4th Year 3 Online Marketing Strateay and Implementation The GateKeeper Social Management service provides ongoing support I(ee e r of the City of Elk River Economic Development Department's online SOCIAL MANAGEMENT communications. We identify goals and strategies and create original weekly content. Through ongoing management of the City of Elk River Economic Development Department's social media assets, our goal is to increase your online presence and effectively speak to the target audiences. Strategy & Plan Development Content Creation & Publishing Setup, Support&Consultation Online Marketing Plan Weekly original content for the Review and/or setup social media website and social media channels assets Strategy meetings Content Publishing Quarterly Performance Reports Organization Analysis Monthly content recommendations Monthly support and ongoing Web Presence Analysis curated by our news partners. training Phone and email support included Audience Goals g> Strategy Content 8 engagement! T Timeline Time Span Launch Estimate • Contract Kickoff Meeting + 1 week Project Initiation • Project Kickoff Meeting + 1 week December 10th, 2015 • Website Design + 2 weeks • Programming + 3 weeks • Content Population +3 weeks Website Launch • Soft Launch &Training +4 weeks March 21st, 2016 • Live Launch (Anytime after soft Launch! launch) 4 Investment Overview o Fully customized economic development web portal • $950/mo. ($11,400 o Ongoing search engine optimization /year)* o Regular ESRI data updates(demographics) o News updates, software upgrades, Google Analytics, quarterly progress reports o Hosting,training and technical support o Social media account creation/management o Monthly Golden Shovel staff support o Online Marketing Strategy, Implementation o Custom copywriting and content development *Domain Registration and Email Hosting are not included. "Renewal of services is billed annually at soft launch anniversary References • Lisa Hurley 402.362.3333 • Julie Rath 507.637.4004 York County Development Corporation Redwood Area Development Corp. 601 N Lincoln Avenue York, NE 68467 200 S. Mill St, Redwood Falls, MN 56283 • Tod Faris 641.856.3388 • Paula Jensen 605.698.7654 Appanoose Economic Development Corp. Prairie Gateway 101 W Van Buren Centerville, IA 52544 104 Ash Street E. Sisseton, SD 57262 "Golden Shovel Agency is more than just a website company; Golden S h over they created important new economic development tools for us to fundamentally improve the way we do economic development GROUNDBREAKING O N L I N E online. We would recommend them to any region looking to ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT digitally reinvent itself" -Janyce Fadden, Jbfadden Enterprises LLC ©2015 Golden Shovel Agency. All rights reserved. Please do not copy or distribute. 5