The Town the Web Left Behind
Why IT resources are failing Alexandria
Why IT resources are failing Alexandria
Several months ago I attempted to put together an online resource site for Cenla. The idea was simple -- I simply wanted to create a central listing for things people or businesses not familiar with the area may be interested in finding. This seemed like an easy task. It was not...
I began with a google search using only the term 'cenla'. This was my first surprise. The first listing to show on that search is titled "Welcome to Cenla RV park". Not bad I thought. It's not what I would consider the most important link for our area, but it could be of use to tourists. And I'm sure this site IS of use to tourists...that is, tourists visiting Spirit Lake...in Iowa.
The second link is for Cenla-SCCA -- a stock car racing association. Again, not what I would expect for slot number 2, but a seemingly valid link. Except for the fact, that the "Cenla" organisation actually excludes Cenla. This is a racing group for the Florida Parishes. I suppose it is yet another attempt of the Baton Rouge region to declare itself Central Louisiana.
Finally, slots 3-5 are occupied by actual Central Louisiana websites - Cenla Federal Credit Union, Cenla Health, and Cenla Focus Magazine (which has finally updated its site). Unfortunately the following 3 links, although local are defunct. The ninth is my own website Cenla Current which is also in dire need of update, and number 10 is finally Alexandria's Cenla RV where someone could surely purchase a lovely motorhome for their vacation to Cenla Rv Park in Iowa.
The Town Talk shows up as hit number 16, local blog WeSawThat makes page 3, Cenla Antics makes page 4, and Cenlamar finishes out page 5. The very first link for an NGO or other public agency in our area is The Arts Council of Central Louisiana which occupies the astounding slot number 131. Now admittedly I like many other people don't fully understand the logic behind Google's logarithms used to determine placement.
A search for Central Louisiana does better with the Chamber of Commerce coming in at slot number 3, the Business Incubator at number 9, and the Art's Council rounding out page one at number 10. These are however the only three agency links on the first page.
We've done quite well with "Alexandria" as page one yields 4 of the 10 slots to Cenla including the City of Alexandria (trumped only by the City of Alexandria, VA and the original old gal in Egypt), LSUA, the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and the Town Talk in that order.
Pineville does a bit better occupying both slot number 1 (City of Pineville), as well as 8 out of the first 10 links (including Pineville HS and Louisiana College). And finally, the more unique term "Rapides" yields local links for 27 out of the first 30 hits.
Now, this is not exactly a scientific way of measuring web presence. Nor is it totally indicative of viewership or hit counts (for instance Cenlamar and the Town Talk get far more hits than Cenla Current and certainly more than our friends at Spirit Lake in Iowa). However, this is the way most people would seek out information on our area.
There are ways of manipulating Google's search system. I did this with my website for the search term 'cenla' and as little traffic as I get still ended up on the first page of results. Our local IT developers need to focus on this. We need people to see our sites, to see the valid links, organizations, and businesses in Cenla from any computer monitor in the world.
Currently our area has the equivalent of listing a person by middle name in the phone book. Unless someone knows exactly what to look for, they'll never find them.
Aside from problems with meta-tags and search results Cenla has an even more pressing online problem. We don't seem to know the date!
Several websites have recently updated and become much more active including the Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. The CVB however still links to files and listings from 2005 with most email addresses of hotels and restaurants now inactive. How this is supposed to increase our chances of landing conventions I don't know.
The England Authority is probably the biggest culprit in local update lag. The website is bulky, unorganized and lacks any sort of continuity. Worse though has to be the website for Alexandria International Airport. Apparently spending 40 million dollars to build a new airport did not include a few thousand for a matching website. The page does in fact tout the opening of the new terminal, along with a rather annoying voiceover but only shows photos of the facility under construction. It may just be me, but this seems like the equivalent of bragging about your toddler and showing the neighbors a copy of the ultrasound.
Years ago I-49 connected with I-10 in Lafayette. Many don't realize that it was actually intended to connect Alexandria directly to Baton Rouge. However politics intervened and twisted a sharp curve just south of Alexandria and rerouted into Acadiana. The funny thing is, people like new roads (not to be confused with New Roads which ironically would be reached from Alexandria by traveling the 'Old Road'). They show up in bright colours on maps, they're safer, faster, and more direct. Right? Well not for us. There are actually two quicker and more direct routes to Baton Rouge and New Orleans from Alexandria -- the "Old Road" LA-1 and US-71 through Bunkie onto US-190. Both of these routes are fairly quick, straight, and mostly free of traffic. But ask most people how they travel south and they will more often than not tell you I-49 to I-10.
People look for the main routes. They do this when traveling and they do this online. Well, right now the digital highway seems to be bypassing Cenla. And, those who are brave enough to seek out the digital route to our region are unfortunately greeted with unorganized and out of date information.
Like billboards on the interstates, we have a responsibility to ensure that we can draw both real and virtual traffic to our region. And if and when we get that traffic to stop in Cenla, they need to like what they see. It doesn't happen by itself. We need online marketing, responsible management of websites, and active updates to be an integral part of all governmental, NGO, and private business IT support programs.
Some sites are improving -- the cities of Pineville and Alexandria both have nice and informative sites. The Chamber is taking an online lead. And, our universities and some large companies are promoting a professional cosmopolitan image of the region. However, many companies, organizations, agencies, and media outlets are doing just the opposite giving our area a rather Mayberry-ish online presence and seem to tell the world that we want you here in Cenla, but we're not likely to try very hard.
Ga-Ga for Google
I began with a google search using only the term 'cenla'. This was my first surprise. The first listing to show on that search is titled "Welcome to Cenla RV park". Not bad I thought. It's not what I would consider the most important link for our area, but it could be of use to tourists. And I'm sure this site IS of use to tourists...that is, tourists visiting Spirit Lake...in Iowa.
The second link is for Cenla-SCCA -- a stock car racing association. Again, not what I would expect for slot number 2, but a seemingly valid link. Except for the fact, that the "Cenla" organisation actually excludes Cenla. This is a racing group for the Florida Parishes. I suppose it is yet another attempt of the Baton Rouge region to declare itself Central Louisiana.
Finally, slots 3-5 are occupied by actual Central Louisiana websites - Cenla Federal Credit Union, Cenla Health, and Cenla Focus Magazine (which has finally updated its site). Unfortunately the following 3 links, although local are defunct. The ninth is my own website Cenla Current which is also in dire need of update, and number 10 is finally Alexandria's Cenla RV where someone could surely purchase a lovely motorhome for their vacation to Cenla Rv Park in Iowa.
The Town Talk shows up as hit number 16, local blog WeSawThat makes page 3, Cenla Antics makes page 4, and Cenlamar finishes out page 5. The very first link for an NGO or other public agency in our area is The Arts Council of Central Louisiana which occupies the astounding slot number 131. Now admittedly I like many other people don't fully understand the logic behind Google's logarithms used to determine placement.
A search for Central Louisiana does better with the Chamber of Commerce coming in at slot number 3, the Business Incubator at number 9, and the Art's Council rounding out page one at number 10. These are however the only three agency links on the first page.
We've done quite well with "Alexandria" as page one yields 4 of the 10 slots to Cenla including the City of Alexandria (trumped only by the City of Alexandria, VA and the original old gal in Egypt), LSUA, the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and the Town Talk in that order.
Pineville does a bit better occupying both slot number 1 (City of Pineville), as well as 8 out of the first 10 links (including Pineville HS and Louisiana College). And finally, the more unique term "Rapides" yields local links for 27 out of the first 30 hits.
Now, this is not exactly a scientific way of measuring web presence. Nor is it totally indicative of viewership or hit counts (for instance Cenlamar and the Town Talk get far more hits than Cenla Current and certainly more than our friends at Spirit Lake in Iowa). However, this is the way most people would seek out information on our area.
There are ways of manipulating Google's search system. I did this with my website for the search term 'cenla' and as little traffic as I get still ended up on the first page of results. Our local IT developers need to focus on this. We need people to see our sites, to see the valid links, organizations, and businesses in Cenla from any computer monitor in the world.
Currently our area has the equivalent of listing a person by middle name in the phone book. Unless someone knows exactly what to look for, they'll never find them.
Partying like it's 1999 -- still?
Aside from problems with meta-tags and search results Cenla has an even more pressing online problem. We don't seem to know the date!
Several websites have recently updated and become much more active including the Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. The CVB however still links to files and listings from 2005 with most email addresses of hotels and restaurants now inactive. How this is supposed to increase our chances of landing conventions I don't know.
The England Authority is probably the biggest culprit in local update lag. The website is bulky, unorganized and lacks any sort of continuity. Worse though has to be the website for Alexandria International Airport. Apparently spending 40 million dollars to build a new airport did not include a few thousand for a matching website. The page does in fact tout the opening of the new terminal, along with a rather annoying voiceover but only shows photos of the facility under construction. It may just be me, but this seems like the equivalent of bragging about your toddler and showing the neighbors a copy of the ultrasound.
Do you take the Old Road to Baton Rouge?
Years ago I-49 connected with I-10 in Lafayette. Many don't realize that it was actually intended to connect Alexandria directly to Baton Rouge. However politics intervened and twisted a sharp curve just south of Alexandria and rerouted into Acadiana. The funny thing is, people like new roads (not to be confused with New Roads which ironically would be reached from Alexandria by traveling the 'Old Road'). They show up in bright colours on maps, they're safer, faster, and more direct. Right? Well not for us. There are actually two quicker and more direct routes to Baton Rouge and New Orleans from Alexandria -- the "Old Road" LA-1 and US-71 through Bunkie onto US-190. Both of these routes are fairly quick, straight, and mostly free of traffic. But ask most people how they travel south and they will more often than not tell you I-49 to I-10.
People look for the main routes. They do this when traveling and they do this online. Well, right now the digital highway seems to be bypassing Cenla. And, those who are brave enough to seek out the digital route to our region are unfortunately greeted with unorganized and out of date information.
Like billboards on the interstates, we have a responsibility to ensure that we can draw both real and virtual traffic to our region. And if and when we get that traffic to stop in Cenla, they need to like what they see. It doesn't happen by itself. We need online marketing, responsible management of websites, and active updates to be an integral part of all governmental, NGO, and private business IT support programs.
Some sites are improving -- the cities of Pineville and Alexandria both have nice and informative sites. The Chamber is taking an online lead. And, our universities and some large companies are promoting a professional cosmopolitan image of the region. However, many companies, organizations, agencies, and media outlets are doing just the opposite giving our area a rather Mayberry-ish online presence and seem to tell the world that we want you here in Cenla, but we're not likely to try very hard.
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