The Hope and District Chamber of Commerce has a new website at hopechamber.ca.
Chamber president Lloyd Forman said the reason they decided to have a new website is because they wanted to have it under the control of the Chamber. Forman said they previous did not have control over their website.
“We’ve got to get it in-house and take responsibility for it,” said Forman. “We now have a website controlled by the people who are meeting regularly together.”
Content-wise, Chamber secretary Sharlene Harrison-Hinds said they wanted the website to be “more interactive, more current, more responsive” and have it do more marketing on behalf of the members. Harrison-Hinds named having a “business of the month” section, links to members’ social media site and featuring new shops as marketing tools. They will also keep an eye on council matters and host a job board.
“Our board members are volunteers who are willing to go the proverbial extra mile to make the Chamber a key part of life in Hope,” said Harrison-Hinds. “We are trying to make this a sort of community hub without the rants and drama of social media. We want the page to be inclusive not exclusive.”
The website also features a section where they put their agenda minutes and financial statements from 2012-2017. The folder for 2017 is empty. Asked what the Chamber plans to do, Forman said updating the website is a process.
“We’re at least getting closer and closer. They will all be on there,” said Forman. “Everybody around the Chamber is a volunteer … so everybody has a busy life, but meanwhile, all of the Chamber’s stuff has to come out of their spare time.”
Harrison-Hinds said that as secretary, she has to upload those documents and she will have to learn how to do it.