The Greater Houston Partnership Story

What does it take to be a competitive global city? Economic growth and opportunity is not something that is guaranteed or easily acquired — and with steep competition, it’s the innovative and the determined who will lead the way.

Since 1840, the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) has contributed greatly to establishing the region as the premier place to live, work, and build a business. Serving over 1,100 member companies in the 12-county Houston region, GHP’s forward-thinking approach continues to ensure Houston’s success as one of the great global commerce hubs.
 
In 2018, GHP envisioned a new digital strategy to increase productivity and better satisfy member needs. The Partnership desired new processes that would eliminate the need for third-party assistance and would empower its teams to continue the platform’s expansion well into the future.

To meet and achieve its goals, GHP partnered with Poetic to comprehensively assess current systems and identify specific technologies that would enhance and future-proof GHP methodologies. Poetic worked closely with GHP stakeholders to develop a tailored technology roadmap, diligently considering the GHP budget, infrastructure, and timeline. By getting to know and understand GHP, Poetic was able to identify possible roadblocks, recommend seamless integrations, and provide options that allowed autonomy.

The first step in the multi-phased plan was addressing the Partnership’s website, Houston.org. Through a combination of website analytics, market research, competitor analysis, and user interviews, Poetic was able to identify the specific user goals, needs, and pain points of GHP’s diverse audiences. The personalized strategy included flexible content sharing options for the GHP staff, efficient portals that streamlined the GHP member experience, and a modern build of the existing software. Poetic used efficient and cost-effective problem solving, making sure that the solutions implemented met the Partnership’s immediate needs and also sustained its mission and long-term goals.

Within eight months of launching the updated website, GHP saw a 47% increase in new memberships and an 11% increase in revenue from membership renewals. Its website traffic increased by 61%, with social media initiatives more than doubling website traffic. The organization is now empowered with tools to better distribute content and engage with its members — who, in turn, enjoy an improved online experience. The overhaul was so successful, the American Marketing Association recognized the website as the 2018 Most Improved Website.
‍
The success of Houston.org is not only important for GHP but the city of Houston. The site gives many visitors their first online impression of the city, serving as a gateway for the world to learn about Houston as both a global economic engine and a diverse place to live and work. It’s the city’s flagship platform that sells the region to companies looking to expand or relocate, while also increasing engagement within the region’s business community.

The transformation of Houston.org serves as the first milestone and accomplishment in a sustained long-term partnership between GHP and Poetic. As GHP continues to grow, Poetic continues to work behind the scenes to ensure Houston.org and the GHP digital presence remain effective tools to promote this great city.