Putnam provides a benchmark web site for smaller communities Monday, January 27, 2003 If you are an EDPro in a small community, your web site (if you have one) should be at least as good at Putnam, Connecticut. Learn some background. Go. Putnam is a town of 9,000 people in the northeast corner of the state. An intern with the town's Economic Development Commission, Kartik Patel, developed the site. The site is well designed and presented. While the graphics do not show the fingerprints of a professional designer, that does not matter much, as long as the information is clear and easily accessible. Here are some important features: +The home page integrates economic development marketing with town news for residents. +The site includes easy-to-read maps. The maps offer a good selection of regional, local, and town center views. +The economic and demographic information provides a clear and concise profile of Putnam. +The section on the industrial park starts with an aerial view, always helpful to orient visitors. It includes a lot map to let you know what is available. +The pull down menus are based on a freeware program, Coolmenus. You do not have to spend a lot to get good results. Putnam's EDPro, Norman MacNeill, director of Economic & Community Development, has shown the way. Use Putnam's site map to plan your own web site. Use a similar basic, simple design. Fill it with clear, important content. Find an intern or student who can design the site. (In Putnam's case, Kartik is obvously smart with a good eye and a clear head.) 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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