About

The City of North Bay, located in Northeastern Ontario, with a population of approximately 53,000, was looking to update their existing Economic Development site to make it a cleaner, more user-friendly, and data-driven online platform.

The Challenge

The Economic Development Department was challenged with an outdated website. Recognizing the importance of a robust online presence in attracting investment, retaining businesses, and drawing talent, the Economic Development team undertook a website redesign project to incorporate a fresh look and data tools.

Choosing The Right Partner

GHD Digital was selected to undertake the North Bay Economic Development Department’s website redevelopment project. GHD Digital’s proposal showcased their experience gained from working with municipalities for over twenty years.

Project Implementation

GHD Digital worked closely with North Bay’s Economic Development Department team to create a framework that aligned with the department’s expectations. All schedules were met, and the project was completed in a timely manner. GHD Digital provided training to the North Bay Economic Development team which was insightful and helped guide the creation of content, use of the CMS platform and development of forms through the Govstack Form function.

Solution

GHD Digital met the North Bay Economic Development Department’s expectations, both in terms of implementation support and the functionality of the solution itself. The GHD Digital team took the necessary steps to understand the City’s expectations regarding page creation and content implementation.

Outcome

The new site has resulted in many notable benefits, including:

• User-Friendly and Flexible CMS

With its flexible and easy-to-use CMS, the new website has the modern and user-friendly feel that the North Bay Economic Development Department wanted. The Govstack CMS is user-friendly and provides the freedom and flexibility to add components, change images, add links, and embed videos, all without the need for third-party assistance. 

• Ease of Integration

GHD Digital utilized the Govstack platform, which allowed for seamless integration of third-party software and tools. This included the integration of an AI-enabled chatbot, real-time data widgets, an interactive site selection tool, Google Analytics, as well as social media platforms and Forms. In order to meet the project objectives of having a modern, user-friendly and data-driven website, it was important that these tools were compatible with the Govstack platform. 

• Streamlined Communication

The addition of Govstack Forms to the website helps facilitate information capture and streamlines communication, enabling visitors to effortlessly submit questions and receive quick feedback. Moreover, it centralizes collected data, contributing to informed decision-making. A notable advantage is the ability to quickly modify information on forms and instantly publish updates.

Conclusion

The collaboration with GHD Digital and the adoption of the Govstack platform has transformed North Bay’s Economic Development site into a userfriendly, data-driven, and modern platform. This has provided the Economic Development team with enhanced capabilities, including analytics integration and addition of communication tools.