NEW WEBSITE IS MARKETING MARKET TOWNS

 

A bold new website is aiming to showcase 15 Cheshire East market towns and boost visitor numbers.

The website www.cheshiremarkettowns.co.uk brings together 21 different towns and villages across the county, with each one having their own web page or iVisitorGuide. The site is driven by Visit Chester and Cheshire’s online Destination Management data system.

It is hoped that by promoting all Cheshire’s market towns and villages on one website, visitors will be attracted to the region as a whole and encouraged to explore the area for several days.

People logging on will be able to explore an interactive map of the county to find a town that interests them. They will then be able to view all the information they need to be able to plan their trip including:

• Places to stay
• Where to eat and drink
• Attractions
• An events calendar
• Pictures of the town
• Links to other local businesses

Each featured town also has their own unique domain name by which they can market themselves. These names all follow the same format, based on a variation of ‘iVisit’, for example www.iVisitAlderleyEdge.co.uk or www.iVisitNantwich.co.uk.

A wide network of businesses, towns and associations are all signed up to these iVisitorGuides. This cross-promotion is expected to push the website to the top of search engine rankings, resulting in many more tourism enquiries.

A recent report from eDigitalResearch indicates that 91% of all travel is now researched online. It is therefore vital that Cheshire East’s towns and businesses have the best chance of being found on the web.

Cheshire East Council commissioned the website as part of its recession recovery work to support local businesses and help them take advantage of the area’s visitor economy, which is already worth more than £650m a year to Cheshire East. The website was developed in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council and the tourist board, Visit Chester and Cheshire.

Councillor Jamie Macrae, Cabinet member with responsibility for prosperity said: “This website should give a real boost to the many market towns and villages in Cheshire East.

“We need to capitalise on the trend of people holidaying in this country and make sure they are aware that Cheshire East has a rich heritage and a huge variety of attractions.

“The individual web pages also allow businesses and community groups to take control of their own marketing and explain why tourists should visit their town.”

Councillor David Brown, Cabinet member with responsibility for performance and capacity said: “This website shows that it is important for the various market towns and villages to work together to promote the wider region as a tourism destination.

“The website is very easy to use and the individual profile pages allow towns to tailor the message they send out.”

Jonathan Williams, Middlewich Town Clerk, said: “I strongIy feel that Cheshire’s market towns are its greatest asset; vibrant, attractive and a focus for community activity.

“To have a dedicated site gives all the towns a collective strength that can be used to attract residents and visitors into our towns.

“The slideshow of images demonstrates just how beautiful our towns are and it makes you feel proud to live in this part of the world.”