It just got easier to explore Marion County, WV.

A newly launched website for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Marion County takes a major technological leap forward, making it simpler to find things to see and do in the area.

“It’s a big upgrade, and we expect a big impact,” said Leisha Elliott, director of the CVB. “It’s very forward-thinking and user focused technology, built from what we drew from our current user data and feedback.”

Among the many upgrades are:

• A custom itinerary builder to easily plan your trip as you browse the site
• Easier navigation and Integrated maps
• New travel guides for visitors
• Better social tools so people can share their favorite parts of the county

“We want people to see what we see about this county— all there is to do, the recreation, the local businesses,” Elliott said. “And now we have a true platform to share that. And our visitors have a helpful, easy tool to explore those options.”

PLANNING

The built-in itinerary tool allows users to select attractions they find interesting while they browse with just one click of a checkbox. The site saves their preferences, and compiles the itinerary for them.

“Instead of the usual ‘click, back, click, new tab, back,’ process, you can bookmark everything you like, then find it all in one place. It makes you a personalized page to just print and go.” said Justin Ferrell, a web developer for Digital Relativity, the West Virginia agency that built the site. “The new site is much more user-oriented.”

GUIDANCE

“People don’t just come to us for lists, they come for advice,” Elliott said. “The new site helps people find things that suit their own interests, not just assuming what they might want to see.”

Itineraries and pages direct visitors to certain activities and locations, based on what they are looking for.

“One of the best parts is breaking out what’s uniquely Marion,” Elliot said. “For example, pepperoni rolls. A new tour page tells people where to try them, and explains their uniqueness and history here.”

MAPPING

A map on each page displays the locations for the sites listed there. And, when users create their own itinerary, it will automatically update a customized map for that particular trip.

The personalized itineraries will also be able to pull the user’s current location while they’re planning, and tell them how far away they are from each item on their list.

SOCIAL INTEGRATION

Sharing is also simpler on the new site. Users can easily share their favorite parts of the site and the area to social media, from any page they view.

“Part of the allure of Marion County is the people. The kindness here is standout, and we don’t want that to get lost among the information,” Elliott said. “Allowing and encouraging people to share their stories helps paint a more detailed and realistic picture of our place, and what it’s actually like to visit.”

The new site is now live. You can explore it yourself at marioncvb.wpengine.com.