York Lighting co-owner Liz Rowe plans to increase her online presence after listening to a retail consultant tell Route 17 businesses that expanding their social media presence is key during the Route 17 construction. But she still worries about how the overall perception of Route 17 could deter shoppers.
“Even if it hasn’t hit you yet — with all the traffic congestion — there is fear (traffic) will transfer to I-64 or Jefferson Avenue, which has more retail stuff, and we would prefer they stay on Route 17.”
Rowe was one of a dozen Route 17 business owners who attended a construction-mitigation seminar on Monday to learn how to stay afloat while the four-lane divided highway is widened to a six-lane divided highway to accommodate about 56,000 vehicles a day. The Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads sponsored retail consultant Marc Willson to give the seminar, which was organized by the York County Economic Development Authority.
Some of Willson’s main points were to communicate with the Virginia Department of Transportation, cross-promote by selling products in other people’s stores and grow an online presence. He also encouraged the group to create a unified logo to draw attention to their situation and to reach out to bloggers who could bring them more publicity.
Rowe’s business is on Route 17 at 5741 George Washington Memorial Highway where the main construction hasn’t begun yet.
Route 17 contractors are continuing the main construction from Hampton Highway to the AMF bowling alley, which includes building curbs and gutters, installing permanent storm drainage systems and installing water lines. They also still have to complete the northbound lanes of the bridge over the Poquoson River.
In the section where York Lighting is, the bowling alley to Wolf Trap Road, contractors are laying pipes, grading the ground and installing traffic signal pole foundations.
Rowe said one way to combat the fear that drivers will choose alternate routes would be to have positive publicity. VDOT is keeping the four lanes open and it repaved after the snowstorm, she said. If this could be made more public and the county’s keepitinyorkcounty.com webpage were better connected to Route 17 businesses, maybe people would stay on Route 17, she said.
But some of Willson’s ideas such as finding bloggers and making friends with VDOT officials were out of Rowe’s reach.
Business owners’ time is very limited, she said. “It is used up — we can’t find enough time to take care of our kids let alone write a blog,” Rowe said.
Chef Patricia Grunow of Med Meals 4 You said she planned to enhance her website with video, increase her Facebook “likes,” and reach out to her clientele more frequently after the seminar. She also said she wanted another sign for her business near Lakeside Drive because she thought the Route 17 entrances were hard to see with all the construction.
Gene Firth of Total Home Improvements said if his business were retail oriented the seminar would have been more helpful but he appreciated learning about the county’s keepitinyorkcounty.com site that encourages people to shop locally.
Somers can be reached by phone at 757-298-5176.
