EVERYONE IS A CRITIC!

Probably one of the best things you can do to improve your downtown is to ask a few out of towners to drive through and make constructive comments on what they see, what they like and what they don’t like.  

A fresh set of eyes on your downtown will prove helpful and insightful.  There may be things (good and bad) right under your nose that your community stopped noticing a long time ago.

While driving around have your “guests” ask themselves…
• Why would you come here?
• Why wouldn’t you come here?

Don’t be offended by the answers, you need to know this information in order to begin making things better.

These are all low-powered Travelers’ Information Stations, all operating at 10 Watts of power.

If your community has an old fashioned 530 AM, low wattage radio stations, reactivate it and start broadcasting!  It’s amazing how many communities on interstates advertise their station, but there is nothing be played…just static.

Why on earth would a community not make use of their radio frequency; especially since it is being advertised along an interstate.   Nothing says "My community doesn't care" like a dead radio freqnency.   If you have a station, but are not using it; do your community a favor and either use the station or at least remove the signs advertising the channel, along the interstate.  

It's my belief, that if you have a station; you should use it.    Yes, it may be an outdated mode of advertising, but it is just another tool in the toolbox.

Probably the easiest and least expensive options for a business to broadcast their goods and services to the world is to get listed on yelp and tripadivsor.  For whatever reason, some businesses still feel getting listed is something magical or mysterious...it isn't.    Encourage your local businesses to get listed and then watch the reviews start coming in.  From my own past experience; it is amazing how quickly reviews start coming in once a business is listed.

Whether you realize it or not, virtually every community has "tourists" coming through their town in a given year.  They may be visiting relatives...they may be lost....it doesn't matter.   Communities should make a conscious effort to get their business on these (and other) websites.  Besides, the reviews received may help the business clean up their act.

In smaller communities, off the main roads, are there directional signs on the closest major roadway directing drivers to your downtown area?  If not...why not?   If these roads are not owned by the community; work with your county or township commissioners and get directional signs placed on nearby busy roads going through or near the community.  This is a no brainer.  Visitors can’t visit your downtown if they don’t know where it is.  Most local governments are more than willing to help other local governments in getting these type of signs installed.  You lose nothing by asking for this type of help.