FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAMARILLO , CA – February 17, 2006

The City Of Buellton rests just north of Santa Barbara, CA off the 101 Freeway. It is prominently known as the home of Andersen’s Pea Soup, and the location featured in the 2004 film “Sideways.” One could say that Buellton is a “sleepy town” but insiders know better as there is currently a surge in development to improve and beautify the city. This surge has carried over to the city’s web site which recently underwent an improvement of its own. A complete overhaul has been done to update the navigation, graphic design, and other aspects of the site. SOHO Prospecting, located due south of Buellton in Camarillo, was hired to take on the task of the web site redesign .

Linda Reid, City of Buellton Administrative Assistant, got the job of choosing a new look for the site. According to Reid, “We wanted something with better navigation – we were looking for a more professional image and an easier way to manage the city’s information.” The web site redesign would focus on custom navigation catered to the site’s different users, and graphic enhancements that relate directly to the city’s official seal. SOHO Prospecting, which specializes in web site development (creating new web sites as well as updating existing sites), began formulating ways of applying modern design with Reid’s vision for a clean, easily navigable site.

To address the navigation and site structure, three unique user portals were created: Residents, Visitors, and City Business. This helped to serve only pertinent information to each user which streamlines the process of finding and using data within the site. Then SOHO Prospecting’s graphic design team created a layout and design consistent with the defined user portals. Colors, logos, and pictures were chosen with the city and their official seal in mind, while each user portal received a slightly different color variation to create a sense of individuality. Finishing touches to the web site redesign included professional employee photos taken by Jason Clay which were included in a newly expanded directory.

“We’ve received a very positive response to the new web site,” said Reid. “This is the first time any changes have been made to our site since Buellton became a city in 1992, so this is an important step for our city.”

The web site redesign also allowed for fresh look at what content was being presented which inspired new ideas for inclusion. Additional items not in the previous version of the site include expanded tourism features noted in the Visitors portal. Here, potential visitors to the city can learn about the city’s history and statistics, as well as local restaurants, hotels, and featured attractions. It was the perfect opportunity to work with and incorporate new content, considering a blank canvas lay before them.

The new web site redesign was launched on schedule and aligned with an announcement made in the city’s newsletter, The Buellton Banner. The finished product can be viewed at www.cityofbuellton.com. “We are very excited about the finished product and are proud to have helped the City of Buellton implement such an important communication tool,” said Dale DeHart, president of SOHO Prospecting.

DeHart founded SOHO Prospecting in 2001 after more than 25 years in marketing at several private and publicly traded companies. Working with partners, SOHO Prospecting provides web site redesign , web site development, company branding, internet marketing, business-to-business telemarketing, direct mail marketing, marketing materials, advertising and public relations. For more information, call (805) 482-2170 or visit www.sohoprospecting.com .