On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Craig City Council approved a proposal for $41,200 for the design and creation of the new Economic Development website. 

Shannon Scott, the economic development manager for the city, said the Economic Development Advisory Committee issued a request for proposals in November to solicit vendors for the design and creation of a new website. 

The goal of the updated website is to help strengthen and diversify the local economy by attracting new businesses, industries, developers and site-selectors to Craig, as the area transitions away from the coal industry. 

---

---

“We want it to be a one-stop shop,” Scott said over the phone Wednesday, Jan. 25. “If you are an interested business or a site-selector, or someone who is looking to relocate and expand their business in Craig, there will be a place to go and see what Craig has to offer.” 

The website will include a list of available commercial properties, as well as resources for tax incentives, enterprise zones and opportunity zones for potential owners. 

---

---

According to Scott, eight proposals were submitted in response to the city’s request, and three were selected for interviews. An EDAC subcommittee reviewed the proposals and recommended Marketing Alliance as the best fit. 

The first-year costs are estimated at $41,200 for website design and development, copywriting, photography and videography, site tracking and web hosting, which will be a recurring annual fee. The second year costs are estimated to be $1,990 for web hosting and site maintenance.  

Scott reported that EDAC has about $78,000 in its marketing budget, and designing and building a new website was a budgeted expense. 

Council member Derek Duran, who serves as liaison on the EDAC, pointed out that the photography and videography included in Marketing Alliance’s proposal is one of the things that set them apart from the other proposals. 

“Something that we felt we’ve really been lacking in Craig is good video content and photography, as well as testimonials from our local business community,” Scott said. 

Council member Chris Nichols said he was initially surprised by the cost of getting the website up and running. Nichols questioned whether there was a need for additional photos and videography when other entities have done media projects in the past. 

“In my experience with video, it’s terribly expensive,” Council member Tom Kleinschnitz said. “There are some things that are out there, including for Moffat County Tourism, but updated video bids I have received from Miles Media with the Colorado Tourism office is at least more than double what this proposal has. It’s an expensive process, so if they have refined video footage for $10,000, it’s a bargain.” 

Scott said EDAC would meet with the Marketing Alliance consultant on Thursday, Jan. 26, and she anticipated having a contract signed by the end of the week. The updated website is expected to be done in April.