New HdG Website to Launch by End of 2013

The city of Havre de Grace has a website, though not as many people are using it as could, according to IT Manager Jeff Thompson.

Each day, 238 people visit the city's website, Thompson said at this week's City Council meeting, where he reported that havredegracemd.com would be going through a redesign by the end of the year, a goal he called "very aggressive."

The rollout of a new site will enable staff to update it more quickly, he said, noting that it took three days from the time something was ready to go live until it actually appeared, because of synchronization issues with the host.

According to Thompson, the goal of changing the website is to bring information more quickly to citizens and to increase the site's traffic by 20 percent.

He said the design was in the "early stages."

The city also has a social media strategy that involves using its accounts on Flickr, Twitter and YouTube to present information. Thompson said that the department has "plans to expand into a Facebook page."

His department is also handling more than havredegracemd.com.

"Recently, IT has assumed responsibility of all the city’s websites," Thompson said. IT will be managing the Office of Tourism's website, hdgtourism.com. He said that the Office of Economic Development may have another site coming along as well.

Councilman Joseph Smith, who co-owns Glyph on North Washington Street, requested that merchants be consulted in the development of the tourism site. "I know it's the city site but I think it serves" the business community, he said.

"There are lots of interviews to be had," Thompson replied. "I assure you those will be a part of the process."