City launches 'Shop Elkhart' Campaign

The City of Elkhart announced a new initiative called Shop Elkhart to promote local businesses to its citizens. The service provides all local businesses with a link on the city’s website that directs shoppers to new web pages designed and updated by each local business.

By offering businesses the ability to display information such as new merchandise or services, current coupon offerings, available job openings, and other topical news, the city can help make their business community more accessible and more vibrant.

Shoppers simply click on the Shop Elkhart icon on the city’s website to search for local businesses. They have the ability to print coupons, view menus, ask questions, determine store hours, join mailing lists, and find the business location among a host of other capabilities.

Shop Elkhart provides businesses with a website if they do not have one. It can also link to any existing business website or social media site. It will give citizens a direct platform to communicate with businesses and provide the ability to expand and enhance functionality depending upon the future needs of the local businesses. The Shop Elkhart system is fully searchable by product or service categories. Maps to the businesses are also provided for easy travel.

“The City is pleased to offer the Shop Elkhart service to our citizens and our business community. Our local businesses can have the internet presence they need and our citizens can support our city businesses by buying local” said Mayor Dick Moore. “This product enhances the city’s goal to provide the needed tools to assist in the growth of our local businesses by supporting the “Buy Local” theme.”

Webinars will be offered on a regular basis to help companies get comfortable using the system. Company representatives may contact Denny Correll (dennis.correll@coei.org) in the city’s Economic Development Department for assistance.

About Shop Elkhart

Shop Elkhart is a service product from WebQA, the leader in citizen service systems. WebQA’s GovQA service products lead the country by servicing over 30 million citizens and 60 million people worldwide.
Source: City of Elkhart