The final stage of the Brawley Bypass is yet to be completed, but businesses in the city expected to be most affected by the state’s new stretch of roadway are turning to technology to help them stay afloat.
The bypass will reroute traffic between Highway 78/86 and Highway 111, putting travelers onto an expressway north of the cities of Westmorland and Brawley. The bypass is intended to alleviate congestion on both cities’ main streets, where big rigs and off-roaders hauling their toys to the dunes compete for the green light with residents and customers. The heavy traffic does damage to city streets and clogs up the cities’ main thoroughfares, and while that certainly won’t be missed, the potential for customers will.
While the bypass should make traveling through town a piece of cake, proprietors of places like A Thing Called Cake bakery are turning to the Internet to drum up customers and preserve their businesses.
Brawley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathryn Figari is helping lead the way to the Web, introducing software to chamber members that will create business Web sites for those who might have trouble doing it on their own. The chamber has been providing workshops to help teach chamber members to use online social networks like Facebook and search engines like Google to bring in customers.
Bakery owner Karla Leon keeps her customers up to date by posting her daily specials on Facebook, accompanied by photos intended to make current and potential customers drool.
Many things drive people to the Internet, and social networking sites such as Facebook can be used as tools for much more than connecting with old friends and making new ones. They can be used to keep customers past, present and future aware of what is offered and how to get it. If traveling there, customers can tap into directions and even a 360-degree view of the outside of that business to check on available parking or other factors.
With more and more people switching to smartphones, the Internet and all it offers are only a touch or two away. It only makes sense for local businesses — not just those affected by the bypass — to jump aboard the information superhighway.
THE ISSUE: Brawley businesses go online to keep afloat.
WE SAY: The information highway is a great tool for local businesses.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? Send us your thoughts on this topic to www.ivpressonline.com/letterstotheeditor
The bypass will reroute traffic between Highway 78/86 and Highway 111, putting travelers onto an expressway north of the cities of Westmorland and Brawley. The bypass is intended to alleviate congestion on both cities’ main streets, where big rigs and off-roaders hauling their toys to the dunes compete for the green light with residents and customers. The heavy traffic does damage to city streets and clogs up the cities’ main thoroughfares, and while that certainly won’t be missed, the potential for customers will.
Brawley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathryn Figari is helping lead the way to the Web, introducing software to chamber members that will create business Web sites for those who might have trouble doing it on their own. The chamber has been providing workshops to help teach chamber members to use online social networks like Facebook and search engines like Google to bring in customers.
Bakery owner Karla Leon keeps her customers up to date by posting her daily specials on Facebook, accompanied by photos intended to make current and potential customers drool.
Many things drive people to the Internet, and social networking sites such as Facebook can be used as tools for much more than connecting with old friends and making new ones. They can be used to keep customers past, present and future aware of what is offered and how to get it. If traveling there, customers can tap into directions and even a 360-degree view of the outside of that business to check on available parking or other factors.
With more and more people switching to smartphones, the Internet and all it offers are only a touch or two away. It only makes sense for local businesses — not just those affected by the bypass — to jump aboard the information superhighway.
THE ISSUE: Brawley businesses go online to keep afloat.
WE SAY: The information highway is a great tool for local businesses.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? Send us your thoughts on this topic to www.ivpressonline.com/letterstotheeditor
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