A Strategic Partnership

In 2001, Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (Orlando EDC) approached Solodev to redevelop their corporate website and provide strategic marketing consulting to increase brand awareness. The Orlando EDC showed great interest in obtaining a solution where they could update their website without the daily assistance of a web development company.

The Issue
With their previous web development company, requested changes would take days, if not weeks be made. We are well aware of this scenario because we have heard it time and time again from many of our clients.
The cost of making these minor changes was quickly adding up and the Orlando EDC was looking for a cost effective solution to handle this.

The Solution
We proposed redeveloping their site with Solodev Site Publish Pro. In 2001, this approach was certainly cutting edge and a bit radical. The cost of implementing this software was considerable however, after the initial implementation; the Orlando EDC realized internal savings by making minor website changes themselves and within two years saw a complete return on their initial investment.

The Design Process
The design process lasted several months while we repeatedly met with board and staff members. We presented numerous drafts and the design was approved once everyone agreed on the new look and feel.

Fry Hammond Barr, a Florida based advertising agency, assisted the re-branding of the Orlando EDC image by designing a new corporate logo and community brand logo. The tagline chosen for the community logo, “Putting Imagination to Work”, served as inspiration for Solodev designers.

Custom Software Development
Now days, a website is more than a collection of HTML pages, it is a software application. Websites are required to display database information and collect user data.

Along with their website, the Orlando EDC had several custom application requirements: a searchable investor directory, a press release news module, a document data center, and online event calendars. These applications were identified to be critical in the daily operations of the Orlando EDC website.

As with any software development project Solodev undertakes, we work with the client to develop a UML diagram which explains the process of the application and then create a detailed project plan outlining each phase of development. Solodev adheres to strict software development principles guarantying that every project we undertake will be a success.

The Results
In November 2002, the first version of the Solodev powered orlandoedc.com website was launched. The Orlando EDC had full control of their website and our focus turned to search engine marketing. Today, the Orlando EDC ranks near the top of the search engines on virtually every topic they target. The Orlando EDC is an invaluable customer in reference to Solodev and now we set our sights on the next version of orlandoedc.com.