October 20, 2014 2.35 pm This story is over 113 months old

New £25k Lincoln shopping website to boost retail potential

Shop Lincoln: A £25,000 website has been launched by the Lincoln Business Improvement Group to tempt more people to shop in the city.
Photo: The Lincolnite

A £25,000 website has been launched by the Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG) to tempt more people to shop in the city.

Every retail business that pays the Lincoln BIG levy is featured on the Shop Lincoln website, which went live last week.

Some 60% of the £25,000 invested in the site and the database that sits behind has been secured by Lincoln BIG from European Regional Development Funding.

Lincoln BIG see the site as a positive step for smaller, independent, shops – many of whom struggle to maintain or afford their own website.

The website has been designed to offer shopping information to local residents and 50,000 users of the Visit Lincoln website through links and integrated content.

It will be marketed and promoted by Lincoln BIG to raise local and regional awareness of Lincoln as a shopping destination.

Lincoln BIG has also offered retailers a series of workshops and training sessions on how to use new media to promote their business.

The site will not only give descriptions and locations for all businesses but will also feature special offers and vouchers and give travel information.

It is also mobile friendly so can be used on smartphones and tablets whilst in the city centre and has its own social media channels.

Lincoln BIG’s chief executive, Matt Corrigan, said: “The Shop Lincoln site is one of the ways that Lincoln BIG helps to support the retail sector in Lincoln, giving further online presence to every business.

“Lincoln’s unique offer of independent shops and boutiques alongside high street fashion brands sets it apart from other regional shopping destinations so we hope to reflect that on the Shop Lincoln website to draw more potential shoppers into Lincoln City Centre.

“We hope that people will also use the website on their mobile devices to find where to go next or to see what offers and deals are available in the city.”

This month, 800 businesses in the city are being given the opportunity to decide on the future of Lincoln BIG – with ballot papers on whether to give the organisation another five years sent out at the end of September.

Those levy payers will have until November 4 to register their vote.