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Web site markets area to workers
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By Tracy Turner
In a few months, job seekers will have an easier time learning about central Ohio with the launch of LiveWorkPlayColumbus.com, a Web site designed to help the region’s businesses recruit workers.
The site is being developed in phases, said Susan Merryman, spokeswoman for the Columbus Chamber. It is being crafted to offer HR professionals a single site for information on the area and its opportunities and as a place to which recruiters can send potential employees seeking information.
Merryman said the Web site is expected to be in its final form early next year.
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LiveWorkPlayColumbus.com aims at workers
By: Walker
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Well, there ya go. Where the heck was this 2 years ago when I was trying to figure out this crazy city!!! If I wasn’t lucky enough to stumble on to this site and RetroMetro I would be living at Polaris. Oh, the horror :)
Maybe it’s because it’s not 100% online, but seems a tiny bit boring, unimaginative, outdated design? (Although I’m not a desiger.) If for a tool for those who are convinced, I see the value. Otherwise, not so much, I’m sorry to say and for being negative when I don’t want to be. And “Live/Work/Play”– zzzzzzzzzzz. So 1997.
Now allow me to say that I’m completely underwhelmed and a little bit saddened by the launch of this new site.
According to the Dispatch article yesterday, this site was launched by the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Columbus, and the Department of Development to help job seekers have an easier time learning about our fair city. Which is all fine and dandy, but isn’t this information already out there?
I’m not just saying that because I run ColumbusUnderground.com, but I mean… just look at ExperienceColumbus.com (managed by the Greater Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau). Isn’t it pretty much the exact same site? Or what about DowntownColumbus.com? It focuses more centrally on downtown, but it’s still pretty darn close. And forget about how you used to go to Columbusarts.com (if you ever went there)… because now you can go to the Arts Page on LiveWorkPlayColumbus.com that features the same links to the same things (links coming soon).
I could pretty much go on like this for another hour, but I assume you get my drift. How many more times are we going to have to reinvent this wheel?
And what sort of young people these days are looking for a website that contains some basic overview information and collections of links? There’s no interactivity to the site (although some features may be added when the more finalized version goes live) and really no reason for people to make return visits to this site. Most tech-savvy youngsters are way beyond the basic need of finding out the address of Opera Columbus or searching for a list of restaurants in the Arena District. That’s what google is for. (link and link)
Young people (notice I keep avoiding “professionals”) want to know where they can find a restaurant that only serves food using locally-farmed ingredients and they want to read what the locals have to say about it. Young people want to find other people to connect with and attend events with. Young people already have direction. What they want is content, and they want it to be dynamic.
I guess what I’m trying to say to say here (without sounding too tacky) is that LiveWorkPlayColumbus.com appears to be a Web 1.0 site trying to cater to a Web 2.0 demographic. Ok, yeah… that was pretty tacky.
I appreciate the effort on behalf of the city, but it leaves me wondering if this project came about by really asking what their target audience wants and then following through with it. Because I don’t think people really want another site that contains links to stuff to do. Especially when those links don’t even work with the initial launch of the site.
I’m with you Walker. Great… another website.
*yawn* :)
… ever the centrist…
… all tables, no divs. Very 2003. :roll:
Young people (notice I keep avoiding “professionals”) want to know where they can find a restaurant that only serves food using locally-farmed ingredients and they want to read what the locals have to say about it. Young people want to find other people to connect with and attend events with. Young people already have direction. What they want is content, and they want it to be dynamic.
My thoughts exactly. What good is another boring collection of links? If you want to have a collection of links like this, just put them on the existing City of Columbus website, because an effective marketing tool they ain’t.
At the very least link to more interactive local web resources – local blogs, the CU, etc.
I can see where they might be nervous about putting a fully open forum on an “official” resource like that because it would need to be aggressively moderated in order to prevent inappropriate things from winding up there, and at the same time, that takes some of the life and some of the Real factor out of it… but even if that doesn’t work, what about getting local bloggers to contribute content, aggregate reviews and such from around the ‘net, etc.
The fact that none of the links work yet is what got me. They should have called this the beta launch, b/c aside from the homepage, it’s still under construction.
Yawn Yawn Yawn! yeah there are even several sites that wern’t mentioned in the overload of pseudo resources for columbus on the web.
My favorite part of the site is when you click on “WORK” and then the weird little “Jobs” link at the top of the page and you get a link to Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, et al.
I’m a little confused by the visual reference to sailing on the front page…
I think the site looks really nice, actually. I hope there is more oversight than Experience Columbus. Us, and I am sure a lot other stores would be a part of it if it weren’t for “The Limited” being listed under “boutiques.”
I agree. But is there any real functionality there?
I am assuming there WILL be, maybe I just didn’t spend enough time on it. I thought the map that looks like we have a subway was a little silly.
But what about the idea of the name Live/Work/Play? Mayor Coleman used to say in stump speeches, “Columbus is the best place to live, work, (and instead of “play”…) and raise a family.” Now he just says, “… to live.” Downtown orgs in the 1990s used Live/Work/Play, and I’ll bet DT Columbus used to do this to, although I think they dropped it. Everywhere you used to go, there were Live/Work/Play/Shop banners everywhere, but you don’t see them too much anymore. The moniker is tired, tired, tired, but maybe they don’t know this.
Yes. I definitely agree about the name. I think LiveColumbus.com would be a better sounding option. You can just assume that work and play are a part of the city you live in.
I think they totally missed the boat on this too. They have links to The Other Paper, etc, but no non-traditional resources. Even if you think they are only thinking “link to everything you can find” then they should at least include everything. And they can easily throw on a disclaimer.(you’re leaving our site, going to a different site, we are not responsible if you’re grossed out by an old Sesame Street milk video, etc)
Young people (notice I keep avoiding “professionals”) want to know where they can find a restaurant that only serves food using locally-farmed ingredients and they want to read what the locals have to say about it. Young people want to find other people to connect with and attend events with. Young people already have direction. What they want is content, and they want it to be dynamic.
While I agree with you Walker, I think it’s more than just young people. (Or maybe our definitions of “young” are different.) My parents know how to google. My in-laws (who still have trouble checking their email!) have used Google Earth and watched old vids on youtube. (Not real frequently, but still.) They even go to online discussion boards to discuss their hobbies/interests. (Just not as frequently as me and my friends.) I think everyone using the web is moving in this direction, maybe it’s just “young people” who are doing it more than others. Or we’re ahead of the curve. Dynamic content is definitely important.
So who put this site together, and why are they so clueless?
I guess what I’m trying to say to say here (without sounding too tacky) is that LiveWorkPlayColumbus.com appears to be a Web 1.0 site trying to cater to a Web 2.0 demographic. Ok, yeah… that was pretty tacky.
Tacky maybe. Totally correct, yea I’d say so. This type of website (assuming all the links worked) would be pretty good, several years ago. (As the rest of y’all have pointed out.) There’s 2 options.
1) They got what the site they wanted, which no matter their age or web-saviness proves they shouldn’t be in charge of this kind of thing, b/c it’s missing the mark.
2) They wanted it to be a whole lot better but the people specifically charged with creating the site (?? new hire Joe? intern Dave? was it outsourced?) didn’t meet their expectations.
I’m going with option 1.
HA, sailing. That’s sad (yet hilarious). I agree: “Live, work, play” is totally staid. Is the Chamber really that out of touch? All they had to do was post a thread on here or talk to some of us urban residents. There’s no excuse for such a craptastic site. Some Flash elements would have been nice. Watching the pages load = so painful.
RIGHT??? I mean, sure I guess you can sail in Columbus…but when you have 8 images in the website logo, do you really want them to be:
1. sailing…really?
2. a saxophone player??? (sure we have bands here…but it ain’t Bourbon St.)
3. talking on your cell phone (really don’t get that one, are advertising we have cell towers???)
4. 2 incredibly generic houses
5. A young incredibly unisex couple…just make them two guys if that’s the statement you wanna make.
6. A 1970′s family where the mother looks so uncomfortable holding the kid I’m 90% sure she’s putting it in a dumpster.
Just bad.
p.s. I accept the skyline photo…although it’s not a great one.
I will not totally cry out loud about this site till it is finished. Under Construction = Work in progress. (Could they place that on the home page for the time being?) Links will work hopefully when it is completed (there is a lot of future links that are yet to be active)
Give some time to see if things improve, they have till early ’08 to finish it. I am in favor of a new website (Experience Columbus one is outdated and needs additonal information) Also, I think that site is geared to people who know the city already. Could the city have picked a better name for this site, sure, but it pretty much sums up its intentions.
I agree that the home page could have “more to it” Some multimedia such as a video introduction from the mayor and an “Events occuring this month” video similar to the visitors bereau in Reno, NV. (Throw some of the Columbus Alive vids on there, too)
Walker, you are on the YP Committee, you maybe advised in an upcoming meeting to give suggestions to the website? I am sure there is more to come. Suggest a “Talk Columbus” link off the homepage (that location will give out the local blogs, etc.) Disclosure can be mentioned here before you link to the blogs.
Personal experience, I found this site thru RetroMetro and the only reason I found that one was searching info on the “urban oasis” project and it was the first hit on Google. :?
This site could be a newcomer’s or potential one’s first link to everything Columbus and what we truely offer. One stop shop, which we need, and could be something great.
Hopefully, a contact person will be assigned to this site.
Really serious question for people, particularly any gay ones who frequent the boards, is there a way to actually “market” Columbus as being as gay-friendly as it is on a national level? Sorry, I thought of it while writing about the unisex couple, and had to ask.
I think it would be huge, as I personally think the gay community has done more for Columbus than Les Wexner and Walker Evans combined (see how I did that!)