Chamber's Upgraded Website Offers Members New Options

If you're a current or prospective member of the North Tampa Chamber of Commerce, you've probably noticed something different during the past few months.

Officials at the Chamber used the summer to upgrade its website, which rolled out on Oct. 1.

The result?

A sleeker, modernized look that allows its 125 members to do things they couldn't before. That includes locating detailed information about events and being able to put their business advertisements online, said Carol Rehfelt, executive director, who helped spearhead the changes with Webmaster Tom Green.

"We really needed to upgrade it to make it more modern in appearance," she said. "We also wanted to get more basic data on the website."

The chamber began in 1947 as the Sulphur Springs Chamber of Commerce, and eventually evolved into the North Tampa Chamber.

The current Chamber's website was designed about 14 years ago, Rehfelt said. The homepage's redesign was submitted to the Chamber's board for approval before public view, Rehfelt said.

"We had discontinued the monthly newsletter, so the information we mailed to members was no longer being mailed," she said. "As a result, we felt that we really needed to provide them with more data concerning their benefits as a  member, the how-to's of using the group email communication tool and ways they can get promotional things done."

Ginger Rockey-Johnson, a networking specialist who is on the board of directors for the Chamber, said having a solid presence on the Internet is key for new businesses, and Chambers, to succeed.

"In today's marketing, your businesses visibility is vital to your survival," she said. "The public largely believes that a website is your calling card.

"Any businesses ability to show ties to the community involvement reaches your consumers at an emotional level.  So, for members, participating in and being involved in the website is a necessary role."

For more information about the Chamber, go to www.northtampachamber.com.