IDA Category: Downtown Leadership and ManagementSummary of: Downtown Long Beach Web, Mobile and Database Integration “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs

How It All Began

As consumers turn to web and mobile technology for accurate and descriptive information in a quick and concise format, businesses have to evolve to meet this demand. The Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) has taken the lead in providing the platform and education necessary for businesses to utilize web and mobile marketing to target clientele.

The Downtown Long Beach App, an award-winning smartphone application developed in 2010, incorporates a variety of features, including on-the-go information about events, parking, public transit and a Downtown business directory. The App also allows users to “mark” their parking spot, find walking and driving directions, and report vandalism, graffiti, etc directly to the DLBA. After developing the App, the DLBA identified a way to further improve this technology to allow greater functionality for businesses, residents and visitors. By streamlining data management, the DLBA expanded and enhanced the accuracy of the central database and automatically syncs the corresponding directories on the App and DLBA website.

With more than 5.5 million tourists, conventioneers and visitors annually, a growing residential population of 31,000 (more than 460,000 city-wide), and more than 1,800 business and commercial property owners in Downtown Long Beach, the usefulness of a consumer friendly and a real-time, fully integrated database was apparent.

The DLBA worked with Geoffiti (www.geoffiti.com), a local creative firm, to help design and develop a database blueprint that would sync updates supplied by verified sources and inform consumers, businesses and the DLBA of any changes within the 120-block area of Downtown Long Beach. Examples of changes include the opening or closing of a business, a transition in management, different business hours, or new contact information.

How It Happened

The DLBA consulted with community partners to address the challenge of creating a way to display and share information that was intuitive to the user. The DLBA’s Marketing and Special Events Task Force, a committee comprised of business owners, civic partners and residential representatives, helped to develop a list of necessary outputs for the database integration to be considered a success. In addition, a number of community-based focus groups were implemented in order to solicit input from a diverse audience of stakeholders.

In fall 2010, the DLBA met with Geoffiti to discuss improving database functionality. The desired result was an expanded, seamlessly integrated, centralized data management system that was of direct benefit to residents, visitors and businesses. Geoffiti agreed to partner with the DLBA to design a new system that would change the existing time-consuming and inefficient database process and incorporate the new concept with the App and DLBA website redesign.

Introduced in increments throughout the first half of 2011, the updated application, new website and revamped database system is a fully functioning, revolutionary method of managing a business directory and providing accurate information to all connected platforms and users.