Search for the Modern Age

As a destination marketing organization, the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) does its best to stay ahead of trends, needs and new technology to further their goal and mission as Durham's official marketing agency.

With the launch of the redesigned website, http://www.durham-nc.com/, the organization took several leaps forward in bringing its number one information fulfillment tool in line with that goal.  As already noted here, here, and here, the new site is considerably more functional than previous.  One of the biggest advancements in service, however, is the search capability and results.

Back in the day - years ago - veritably the stone ages in computer time...Google used to install mini search units on the servers of organizations that needed them when search functions needed to integrate both web-based and internal data.  These were state of the art at the time and supplied organizations with super fast and complete search results on their sites and delivered to site visitors the absolute best information available on their query.  As the sands of time trickle, so too does the creeping obsolescence of all things computer, and this Google unit became little more than a space filler on a server rack...and it was still delivering the search results for the site.  Needless to say, the search results were amongst the things to be least proud of on that award-winning digital destination.

Fast forward to now and users will see a vast improvement in the search results because the tools that drive them are considerably more advanced and enhanced, and the output results are amazing.  Imagine searching for a place and getting not only information about that place, but also information about events happening there.  "It's like stepping out of a mid 90's compact sedan and sliding behind the wheel of a new sports car with every bell and whistle," said Sam Poley, DCVB's Director of Marketing and Communications.  "The search results on this site are so much more user friendly  both for those visiting and those who call Durham home."

The site is now easier to keep up to date and fresh with new content is being added all the time. Visitors are encouraged to return often.