ED strategy web sites need interactivity Wednesday, January 08, 2003 Some EDPros get involved in managing a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). (Supported by the Economic Development Administration, the CEDS process focuses on trying to figure out a strategy for smaller, mostly rural economies.) Now, we are starting to see CEDS with web sites. Here's an example from Cleveland and Gaston counties in North Carolina. Visit the home page. Go Unfortunately, there is not enough interactivity built into the site. This site will only work if it actively engages citizens in discussions on critical issues. The core interactive feature is a bulletin board. But building on online community involves more than putting up a bulletin board. There needs to be an active moderator to build the community. (In addition, the web site needs some better navigation. While the sign up is fairly easy, the transition from the New Member page to the bulletin board is not intuitive.) Here are some suggestions for improvement. 1. Redesign the home page to focus on critical issues. Right now, there is very little on the home page to "hook" a reader. 2. Shorten the home page and move some of the more detailed explaination of CEDS into the inside pages. 3. Add an e-mail newsletter sign-up on the home page. 4. Create a schedule of on-line events. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links Some Background on EDPro Weblog The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it. One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking. Background on Ed Morrison Download some background information on me here.

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