MARTINS FERRY– Local business leaders had a chance to mingle and to learn the opportunities and pitfalls of marketing with a website Thursday morning when the Martins Ferry Times Leader hosted the second Beans and Breakfast for the Martins Ferry Chamber of Commerce.

Attendees included representatives from Unified Bank, East Ohio Regional Hospital, Ferry Hardware Steele Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Ohio Valley Printing, Kendall Behavioral Solutions and law and insurance agencies.

The main event was a presentation from Natalie Gloady, digital strategy manager with Reimagine Main Street, the full-service digital marketing agency, and Brooke Robinson, digital marketing strategist, about website services and digital marketing in general offered in the Ohio Valley to help regional and local businesses “amplify their presence online.”

“We live in a world where the internet is ever-changing. You can fall asleep tonight, wake up the next morning and Facebook might look completely different and they’ll give you no warning,” Gloady said. “You have an educational partner that can help keep track of your website and your social media.”

She said services range from building a website to advertising on social media, as well as branding and creative design.

“We really were built to be an educational partner more than anything, to help educate not only business owners, but also the community on all the potential that online advertising has, and to really fill those gaps.”

They likened a successful website to a house, which needs a firm foundation and utilities of search engines and plug-ins, along with the exterior decoration and furnishings of content. Their presentation included examples of well-designed and poorly-designed websites, emphasizing the need for clear and consistent visuals and easy navigation.

“We are a Google partner, we’re an award-winning agency, we specialize in really every form of online communication that there is,” she said.

Robinson reminded attendees of the importance of using a website on mobile devices.

“If people don’t find the information that they’re looking for within two clicks, they’re going to back out and look elsewhere,” she said. “You want to make sure that information on your website is easy to read, easy to find and provides people that ‘Who? What? When? Where? Why and how?’ within.”

They also pointed out the importance of having websites compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, adding owners of websites that have been edited after Jan. 18, 2018 can be sued by people with disabilities if the site does not have options such as inverting the colors, alternative text and having the information read to a user.

Michael Goclan, senior commercial banking executive with Unified Bank, said the information was valuable.

“I think it’s good to be able to come and meet with like-minded businesses and be able to understand the different ins and outs of web design. It was interesting to hear specifically about the ADA concerns that are out there with respect to usability of the website,” he said.

Kayla Shreve of East Ohio Regional Hospital, Ferry Hardware and the Lions Club, was enthused.

“I think it’s great. Definitely something I’m interested in,” she said. “It’s a good resource for us.”

Phil Wallace, owner of Ohio Valley Printing, said the chance to exchange information was welcome.

“I think this is a pretty good program they’re working on. I think they’ll do a great deal of progress in this area,” he said. “I think it’s one of the best programs we can use.”

Melissa Keller of Steele Insurance in St. Clairsville also took note.

“I wasn’t aware of the ADA compliance for websites, and also it was interesting to hear about how to make QR codes,” she said. “We do have an established website already, but it’s interesting to hear new input on how to make it more accessible to everyone.”