DVI Launches New, Upgraded Website

[Lunican]

DVI Launches New, Upgraded Website

Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI), Downtown Jacksonville’s Improvement District, launched its new and improved website, www.downtownjacksonville.org.  Designed as a one-stop-shop for information on Downtown Jacksonville, the website upgrade includes new web services integration, improved navigation and organization, customizable features, and a fresh design.

The integration of Google’s suite of location-based and event-based services allows users of www.downtownjacksonville.org to plan their Downtown trip at a glance by mapping parking, dining and destination venues on one, easy-to-use map.  Google’s technology is ideal for Downtown websites that need to map various types of information including hotels, dining, and parking options.  It allows the user to browse every available listing as layers of information over Downtown Jacksonville along with the user-friendly callout bubbles which include venue-specific information.  The site’s location-based services also interface directly with iPhone’s built-in mapping and GPS capabilities, allowing the user to get real-time directions based on their current location.

Last month, Google Street View announced the addition of Jacksonville to their list of featured cities.  The DVI website is one of the first Downtown organizations to integrate this new feature at the core of the site, allowing users to take a virtual walk around the locations near the site’s event and directory listings.

“With approximately 13 million visits made to Downtown Jacksonville last year, clearly there is a demand for information about Downtown in addition to connecting more than 200 businesses and retailers with workers and residents.  The site is also a resource for statistics, development documents and legislation related to Downtown Jacksonville,” said Pamela Elms, Director of Marketing, Downtown Vision, Inc.

Users can now subscribe to RSS and calendar feeds, which automatically alert users when there are new events and listings.  The integration of Outlook, iCal, Google Calendar and Yahoo! Calendar with the events listings allows users to transfer event details to the personal organizer of their choice in one click.

“Our website is the one-stop shop for Downtown information.  The comprehensive directory and Google mapping integration greatly improves access to information.  We know that people want to plan their entire visit Downtown, including parking, dining and entertainment, and the enhanced site will streamline that process,” said Terry Lorince, Executive Director, Downtown Vision, Inc.

The entire website has been redeveloped from the ground-up to load quickly, and is designed for use as a  mobile guidebook for those with the latest generation of smartphones such as the Apple iPhone and Palm Treo.

DVI anticipates launching a slimmed down, low-bandwidth companion site designed specifically for fast, efficient use on all types of mobile phones and handheld devices within the coming weeks.

http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/

[brainstormer]

The new website is fantastic!  Now lets start the publicity for downtown business and living and see if we can get this city moving forward.

[JeffreyS]

The site is very easy to use and full of good info.

[Jason]

Much better than the previous site.