Information about the Shop Sheffield website

The Shop Sheffield website is a partnership initiative between Sheffield City Council, Creative Sheffield, and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It adds to the growing suite of Sheffield information websites. First there was Eat Sheffield, followed by Event Sheffield, and Shop Sheffield aims to follow in the footsteps of these successful sites.

The aims of the site are:

1: To provide valuable information to the public about Shopping in Sheffield

2: To enhance communication with retailers

3: To generate income to become sustainable

Total cost to the council:

The total cost of the website was £20,875. Of this amount, the council paid £5,875.

Breakdown of costs:

Site planning - £3,000

Site development - £17,000

Site marketing - £845

Domain name - £30

Average hits per month since going live:

The site has had 293 hits since its launch at the end of April, an average of 147 hits per month.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria are directly linked to the site aims:

Aim 1: Provide valuable information to the public about Shopping in Sheffield

Measurements: Page hits

Public feedback

Retailer feedback

Aim 2: Enhance communication with retailers

Measurements:Interaction with retailers via site

Feedback from retailers

Number of retailers signing up to the site

Aim 3: Generate income to become sustainable

Measurement: Advertising income generated

We consider the site to be successful so far, based on positive feedback from retailers and members of the public. The site has only been live for two months, so it is very early to evaluate the success of the site, but we are continually monitoring activity on the site, and plan to maintain promotional work to maintain interest and continued use.