Problem:
Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) was established in 2003 to communicate the benefits of doing business in Lethbridge, Alberta to business investors and site selectors. They already possess a strong brand identifying Lethbridge as the preferred place to live, learn, invest, visit and do business in Alberta. Before this project, however, they still lacked a platform to promote these benefits to local and regional business and investment firms. Additionally, one of EDL’s key interests was to heighten the current business profile of the area by expanding the availability and accessibility of relevant business information.
Solution:
GCS was selected from an extensive pool of international firms to enhance and strengthen the searching capabilities of the existing EDL website with a customized mapping portal. The original site, https://www.chooselethbridge.ca/, now incorporates an interactive, customized map to give users complete access to business statistics and economic data from the City of Lethbridge.
The first part of accomplishing this goal was to gather business data from existing businesses within the Lethbridge region and geo-tag it for use with the mapping portal. GCS created this with an easy-to-use online survey that business owners could complete in a matter of minutes. Our expert team of GIS analysts then compiled and manipulated the new and existing data into a format geo-tagged for a GIS.
The Lethbridge mapping tool is a Rich Internet Application (RIA) that employs the latest in ArcGIS Server technologies and employs both Google and Microsoft Silverlight Application Programming Interfaces (API) to give users a familiar look and feel.
With the ability to completely customize the map using toggle features for each overlay, business cluster, base map, and search function, business owners and site selectors are now able to create a map view that displays only the data important to their goal. Some of these features include business park overlays, population dynamics and, land use maps, as well as business clusters based on a comprehensive business type. Powerful search functions allow users to view data based on relevant categories such as NAICS code, business district, or industrial park.
Result:
Without leaving EDL’s primary website, business owners and analysts now have the power to create personalized user accounts, view customized user-generated business investment profiles, and interact with this data via dynamic interactive maps highlighting current information about the city and its primary industries. This new addition not only gives businesses in the Lethbridge area power to analyze and support their current business and any extension plans, but it improves EDL’s overall web presence and regional marketing influence.
“Working with GCS was a terrific experience! From the initial meeting, Mike Beltz and his team established a seamless line of communication that was key to the success of our long-distance working relationship. They listened to our ideas and suggested solutions that were well aligned with the goals and expectations of our project. Their understanding of our business and commitment to quality resulted in an innovative interactive map and reporting tool that we are extremely pleased with.”
-Renae Barlow, Director, Business Development & Marketing,
Economic Development Lethbridge
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