In February, I told you about a new website the Visitors Bureau had just launched. Our most visible asset — with more than 300,000 unique visitors every year — had received a complete facelift and we were just starting to show it off. The project, which came on the heels of our fall rebranding effort, was only a fraction of the way done though. Late last month phase two went live, and with it came the additions we’d been anxiously awaiting.
The initial launch comprised our most critical and popular content. Items like “things to do,” our “tide tables,” “virtual visitor guide,” and “events calendar” were huge draws for us and we could not launch a new website without capturing our core strengths. Up to 50,000 people a month will access our site during the peak season and we had to make sure we were placing the most critical content front and center.
Phase two ushered in all of our hotel listings, business listings and an entirely new feature for seasideOR.com: recreational trails for hiking, biking and kayaking. This content was previously housed at seasidenaturally.com, a sister site of our core website, and migrating all of this took some time. It made the most sense for us to have all of our content on one visually stunning and information-filled site. And so that’s what we did.
Our biking section features 12 rides in and around Seaside. In addition to a thorough description of each trail, the details include total mileage, elevation gain, maximum elevation and a GPX file (a special file that users can load onto a GPS device – especially good in areas where cell phone coverage can be spotty or non existent). The hiking and kayaking sections, offering eight and four trails respectively, follow a similar outline. All three sections also feature a difficulty meter, telling users if the trail is easy, moderate or hard. Last but not least, we’re also working to secure at least three photos for every single trail we have listed on our site. It’s great content and shows off some of the incredible recreational beauty we have throughout the Seaside area.
I made the analogy in my February column of our new website being similar to moving into a new house. Well, a similar thing happened with the phase two development. As we added bells and whistles, budgeted time and expenses for the work, we ultimately got to a point where we had to make a few concessions. So our blog (which will feature general stories, historical posts and industry information) won’t be unveiled until we complete phase three. We’ll also introduce a birding section in this next phase. I like to tell people a website is never really complete, and I don’t believe it should be. There’s always content that can be improved or added. Our focus is making a site that not only entices visitors to come to the coast, but also acts as an informative and guiding light for when they are in town.
Just a few days after phase two went live, I attended the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism. During the opening dinner on April 24, we were presented with the Outstanding Oregon Tourism Website Award. So if you haven’t checked out, please do so, and tell me what you think!
Have a thought or a question about tourism in Seaside, or maybe an idea for a future column? Drop me an email at jrahl@cityofseaside.us. Jon Rahl is the director of tourism for the Seaside Visitors Bureau and assistant general manager of the Seaside Civic & Convention Center.
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