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7/1/2009 |
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Chamber Launches New Website |
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The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce has launched a new website at www.naperville.net.
After eighteen months of focus groups, individual conversations and substantial feedback from Members, redesigning the Chamber’s website proved to be the answer to the challenges Members faced when using the previous site. The goal for the new site is to enhance the user’s experience through greater functionality with an improved look and feel.
The website is divided into five areas: Naperville Area, About the Chamber, Member Center, Chamber Calendar, and Chamber Sponsors. Focusing on ease of navigation, the website offers visitors to the Naperville Area a welcome from Mayor A. George Pradel with a visitor’s guide and a relocation guide. Visitors and new residents will also find information on newly opened restaurants and businesses in the Naperville Area.
Chamber Members are provided with tools and resources through the Member Center section of the website where they can learn about member discounts as well as chamber committees and TEAMs. Additionally, Members are able to update their business information, make discounts available, and post jobs to the job bank. Prospective members have access to information on membership benefits and joining the chamber. The Member Center is further augmented by an events calendar providing more detailed information and sorting options. Chamber sponsors and partners are also featured on the site with pages devoted specifically to recognition of current sponsors, partners and Friends of the Chamber.
Further improvements will be implemented in a second phase of enhancements to incorporate many of the chamber’s printed material into the online environment including the quarterly newsletter featuring Member successes, event marketing and membership applications. Phase two will also provide direct access to social marketing venues and webinars on topics of interest to the chamber membership.
The Chamber’s new President & CEO, John Schmitt, is hoping the new website will be a valuable resource to the Members and the community at large.
“Our biggest challenge in implementing the new site was organizing the wealth of information about all of our Members and numerous facets that make Naperville great,” said John Schmitt. “We are hoping our website becomes the first place people go to obtain information about Naperville and its businesses and provide referrals and business to our chamber Members.”
Currently, the Naperville Chamber’s website generates approximately 45,000 visitors per month. With increased functionality, the Chamber is hoping to simultaneously increase website visits. This website was designed after looking at other chamber websites, including Los Angeles, Boston and Pittsburgh, with the same caliber of navigation and information in mind.
“Our mission was to bring better visibility to our Members and the new site meets that objective,” said Annmarie Siwik, Chair of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “Members will not only have access to more information, but will have increased opportunities to market themselves to fellow Members and the Chicagoland area. I would also like to acknowledge the Chamber staff who devoted the last 6-8 weeks getting this project completed concurrent with successful Small Business of the Year Awards and Annual Golf Outing events.”
For additional information on the chamber website or to provide feedback, contact Lisa Schwarz, Manager of Marketing and Communications at lschwarz@naperville.net.
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