Summary
My hometown of Lincolnton, NC, wanted to increase foot traffic in its downtown area
The Problem
- They wanted to create one place where all business and event details could live so residents could easily find them.
- They wanted a way for businesses to get more value from the Downtown Development Association by helping them interact with the community.
- Together, we decided a new website focusing on the downtown area could accomplish those goals.
Discovery
I spent some time going over demographic information about the community, including:
- Average age of residents
- Average salary
- Population density
I also sat down with the Downtown Development Association to review their goals.
Decision
Using the information I had gathered, I created a user flow.
I also created a prioritized list of features for the website. This list was created during a brainstorming session in which I sat with the client and created a list of desired features. Then, I asked them if they could only pick from one feature, what would it be? Then, I asked for two features, then three, etc. We used that to create the prioritized list.
Design
Next came wireframes, a clickable prototype, and a round of high-resolution mockups.
Some user testing was done internally within the Downtown Development Association amongst local businesses and DDA employees.
Delivery
Finally, the site elements were uploaded to a shared server and developed in WordPress.
Reception
Reception of the website was great – well beyond expectations.
Users loved the ability to find information on upcoming events in one place and enjoyed having the option to leave Yelp-style reviews for businesses on their directory page.
Surprisingly, the biggest response was from the business community. They were excited about having an additional resource to reach their customers, along with the overall functionality of their directory page.
Customers could call the business or pull up a Google map with one click. Businesses could also deliver digital coupons through the site to give an added marketing element.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the site ended up accomplishing all of the DDA’s original goals:
It created a place where residents could find information about downtown
It also created added value for local businesses and gave them additional incentive to keep their business downtown.
