Background

The Web- or Internet Marketing is a new opportunity for providing conditions for the economic development of Bulgarian municipalities. By replacing passive temporization with active marketing, the Municipality of Botevgrad established its own investment site: www.chez.com/botevgrad, presenting the following opportunities:
- Quick access of investment information to potential investors or partners - companies, trade chambers, trade representatives from all over the world, etc.
- Presenting specialized information to potential investors (partners), plus a range of photo, audio and video materials that would help the decision-making process.
- Simplified and accelerated supply - when the information product appears on the Internet, further operations are concluded only through its electronic address.

Practice

Due to Web-marketing in the Botevgrad Municipality, foreign investments have provided more than 1,200 jobs within two years. The opportunity to manage business from every spot on and above Earth has incited companies to direct their productive channels to countries, or towns respectively, which offer the best conditions. The web-marketing has the following stages:

Preparation of a professional Internet information system of the municipality by the specialized company Orient 45 - W.M.A.

Fifty-five linked pages have been based on the Internet, the concept being dependent on the aim and the type of target users. Through modern technology, the site has been provided with means of updating, new information input and communications, operating in real time, with the help of a municipality officer, as follows:

- Professional information site (for projects, web sites of companies from the region, professional messages);
- Public information site (for public, sports and political organizations, educational institutions, citizens);
- User request site (for proposals by potential clients), listing database;
- 'Discussion room' site.

The specialized sites and the information-updating module are based on the Cold Fusion technology, operated by a Bulgarian specialist in France.

Business services

These are organized by appointing a specialized web-marketing company or establishing a special department within the municipality administration. This department consists of an Internet communications specialist, who combines business services with electronic data processing, and a specialist in economic resources and development. They cover the following activities:
- privatization of municipal enterprises;
- privatization of state-owned enterprises on the territory of Botevgrad Municipality: information stage, followed by contacts with the principal;
- development of investment projects in the field of agriculture, industry, infrastructure, environmental protection, culture, tourism, sports, etc.;

E-mail for contacts and opportunities for simultaneous information exchange between the two parties (chat room);

Statistical information processing.

The technical provision consists of a basic PC configuration and full access to the Internet. The contract for permanent computer maintenance is an obligatory part of the technical provision.

Results

Thanks to the investment site www.chez.com/botevgrad the situation of the Botevgrad Municipality has been notably improved through:
- establishing 1,200 new jobs by attracting foreign investment;
- promoting the municipality and utilizing its resources effectively.

The fast growth of the numbers of Internet-users around the world is talkative of the efficiency and popularity of activities carried out through the Internet. For smaller municipalities, it would be cost-effective to join efforts and establish a mutual regional department for marketing.