Josh Armstrong/The News

Richard Hiatt presents the Mount Airy Downtown Business Association’s new website during the organization’s meeting on Thursday.

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The Downtown Business Association is re-entering the digital age thanks to a new website.

During its meeting Thursday, the organization revealed mountairydowntown.org to its members and other city residents. According to DBA President Phil Marsh, the site is meant to increase nationwide — or even worldwide — interest for Mount Airy’s small businesses.

Of course, the DBA has maintained a website in previous years, visitdowntownmountairy.com. When asked why a new website was needed, Marsh explained that the old site was not completed as the DBA had expected.

Hence, the DBA decided to move in a different direction. Specifically, it desired independence to fully control the website.

“We don’t have to depend on getting somebody else or another company,” said Marsh. There is “nothing wrong with another company doing the site. But we can do it ourselves.”

To create the new website, the DBA turned to its latest board member, Richard Hiatt of online video network Southern Style Spotlight. With his background in website design, marketing and videography, the organization felt he would be perfect to mastermind the rebirth of its online presence.

On Jan. 3, Hiatt was voted onto the DBA board. One week later, he began work on the new website. About three weeks later, Hiatt had completed it, although the website will be updated regularly.

“The great thing about the website is the board can modify it,” said Hiatt. “We can make changes; we can make additions; and we can make subtractions.

“It’s kind of a way to make it more user-friendly for folks who are going to look at what is happening in downtown Mount Airy.”

Understandably, Hiatt and the DBA decided to move certain elements of the old site to the new one. For instance, visitors will recognize the same “Familiar Citizens” page.

In addition to an interactive map of Mount Airy, other features at the new site include pages for videos, photos, sponsors, contact information and upcoming events.

Participants in the meeting expressed concern over the latter page, when it displayed only DBA-sponsored activities. But Hiatt and Marsh assured the crowd that the page was not in its final stage, meaning such events as Mayberry Days and the Autumn Leaves Festival could soon be added.

Furthermore, the new site will incorporate social media. When the DBA posts a message on its Facebook page, the message will likewise appear at mountairydowntown.org.

A few attendees questioned how the site would achieve more activity than its predecessor. Hiatt answered that a crucial mean of increasing its traffic involves meta tags, described as words placed into the website to be detected by search engines like Google and Yahoo. For instance, an individual in California might search “Andy Griffith” online and find the DBA’s website in the top 10 results.

But one of the main draws for the new site is its potential to create more attention for its sponsors and members’ businesses. Marsh hopes this results in more people joining the DBA. An annual membership costs $100 or, as Marsh described, “a little more than $8 a month.” All the proceeds go toward co-financing DBA events. To give an example, Marsh said the candy given out at last year’s Christmas parade cost more than $300 altogether.

“That’s why we need everyone to be a member, who has a business.”

According to the meeting’s handout, the DBA purchased advertisements at radio stations WBRF, WSYD and WPAQ and newspapers Yadkin Valley Living and The Mount Airy News in 2011.

“That might not be advertising one business, but it’s advertising Downtown Mount Airy. So if it brings people downtown, it’s going to help someone’s business.”

Whether it is via a new website or exciting events, Marsh promised to promote the local businesses as much as possible.

“We’re going to promote as good as we can,” he concluded, “and try to come up with new ideas on how to keep people coming to Mount Airy.

“That’s the main thing. Keep ‘em coming.”

Reach Josh Armstrong at 719-1921 or armstrong@heartlandpublications.com.