The Road Trip

Something I’m very passionate about is travel. Around the country or across the globe – there’s always an opportunity to see something new, meet someone interesting, and make some memories.  Perhaps my favorite excursions are around the state of Kansas.  Not only is it convenient and full of nearby destinations, but it’s also fascinating. I’m not alone in this thought, either.  Groups like the Kansas Explorers Club are made up of people who go on road trips all over Kansas to see what there is to see, do what there is to do, and eat what there is to eat.

I’m sure there are still people who pull out the paper road map to plot their journey.  My parents did that when I was a kid, and we’d somehow end up at a Stuckey’s every time.  A lot has changed since the 70s and 80s, and more often than not I find myself checking my phone or laptop for places to go with the family.  So, what am I likely to find about your community in an online search?

One community I visited in the last few years had a lot of information on their website.  Various stores and several restaurants, it looked like the city knew how to engage with the public and promote the great things going on there.  After the long drive to get there, things weren’t quite what they had seemed online.  Most of the stores were closed, in fact, there was just one open downtown.  Restaurants?  Same story.  The website, I came to find out, hadn’t been updated in years, and while all true when it was written, things changed.  The city employee in charge of updating the site either left, or lost their password, so the town was stuck in 2013 on the web, vastly different than reality.   

While frustrating, the trip was not for nothing.  There were other cool things to see and do there and nearby, plus it served as a great learning opportunity.  This brings me back to the question I asked earlier.  What am I likely to find about your community in an online search?  If someone is considering a journey to your community to check it out as a potential place to visit as a tourist, or maybe as a potential resident if they’re in the market, one tool they’ll likely use first is the internet.  Their goal?  To find out about restaurants, lodging, public events, shopping, historic and recreational options – and to find regularly updated, accurate information to help them make their decision before hitting the “Go” button on their GPS app.

Things to include in your online presence:

• Restaurants – where can I eat and what are some of the local favorites?
• Recreation – parks, disc golf, real golf, hiking trails, fishing.
• Stores – unique buys to everyday needs, including fuel to get back on the road.
• Lodging – maybe it’s just a little too far to get there and back in one day, or maybe there’s so much to do, visitors will need an overnight stay to get it all in.
• Other things to do – museums, historical markers, etc.
• Events – even if that harvest festival or July 4^th celebration is months away, having dates and general descriptions of activities will help people plan their visit to your town.
• Social media – don’t forget links back to your community and event social media pages.  Websites are a good way to get information out to people, but Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets can be used for more on-the-fly updates (Parade route has changed, barbecue has been moved from the park to the community building because of rain, Pizza Cabin is offering 20% off lunch today if you’re from out of town…).

Want some examples of sites that are doing it right? Haysville’s HelloHaysville.com and Council Grove’s CouncilGrove.com are both easy to navigate, have mobile-friendly layouts, and a lot of information about things around town.  You don’t have to pattern your community’s site after another’s, however.  If you were going to go on a road trip, ask yourself what you’d want to know about your destination, then fill in the blanks on your own site.

Resources: If you’re a Kansas PRIDE program Community of Action, there’s a $1,000 Promotion Grant that would be perfect for building a website, redesigning a current one, or creating a social media marketing campaign to tell people all about your town. 

Not in the Kansas PRIDE program yet?  Communities of all sizes from unincorporated to Wichita can participate – for free.  You can learn more about the Kansas PRIDE program’s Benefits, and Enrollment Levels online. --Jan Steen, jmsteen@ksu.edu