It seems a short lifetime ago that a fellow from Moorefield dropped by our old office to talk about this new-fangled gadget called the Internet. Within short order, we were one of the first publications in the area to have a Newspaper website.
Though it offered contact information and some headline News, and even some editorials that have drawn acclaim and rebuke from around the world, the shell of our site was pretty basic. But, it filled the need until such time as an update was contemplated.
In our interviews a local firm called Crunch Communications topped the list of candidates. Part of the challenge for traditional people like ourselves is to deal with people that speak in understandable language. After a few rounds of assessing needs and wants, Garrett was given the okay to start designing. That was early summer and last week the switch was flipped after training, getting familiar with the site, and inputting data.
We’re happy with the results. Advertising is now available, more content is available, and archives are at hand. The site is also searchable so people looking for old articles or wishing to contact an advertiser of wares or services can do so with ease.
Still to this day, the question of the end of the printed word is raised. If everything goes on the Internet, what happens to the paper? The answer is nothing.
Most successful operations that we have studied employ a mix of mediums to best serve the needs of customers. For many of our advertisers, their firm is only a click away from our website and we think over time many will take advantage of our following on the Internet to enhance their business.
Conversely, our readers that travel south or overseas can remain connected to Wellington County. One chap from Hanover routinely checks in, while another from Fort McMurray, Alberta and a couple from Ariss vacationing in the south will plug in to see what’s going on. For us, the benefits are immense, including cost savings of mailing a paper elsewhere for $2 a piece.
Please visit us at www.wellingtonadvertiser.com.
Your personal comments are welcome and appreciated. We’d love to hear from you.
Simply e-mail Dave at editor@wellingtonadvertiser.com.
