Digital Application for the High Street recovery - ERDF funded

The use of online platforms and social media is an increasingly important way for businesses to generate footfall and sales. It can be difficult for some businesses in local high streets and neighbourhoods to get this up and running - it may be an unfamiliar method of generating trade and challenging to put something credible into practice. In turn, this can have a cumulative impact on the prosperity of local high streets and neighbourhood areas. Only around 25% of businesses in Cheshire West and Chester are currently active on social media.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWC) is therefore looking to commission a digital solution that enables local businesses to establish and sustain a successful online / social media presence. This should generate footfall and sales on the high street, improve the wider prosperity of the high street / neighbourhood, and enable the Council and its partners to access information to understand what is working, or not, and the impact on businesses and trade in the local area.

The digital solution must aid high street recovery by increasing the awareness of the Shop Local Safely Campaign and support all businesses in the borough to individually and collectively re-open safely. This includes increasing business awareness on how to safely and successfully reopen the high street, enabling businesses to increase consumer awareness of the safety practices they have in place, and understand the sentiment of high street safety conversations on social media.