#wearedotbarcelona

Neighbourhood commerce in Barcelona goes digital with .barcelona

Here at the .barcelona domain we’re working to help small shops and businesses in Barcelona go digital. From the end of May to mid-November we promoted the project “El meu comerç .barcelona”, where establishments were able to get a professional website with a .barcelona domain in a fast and simple free process.

The initiative meant that besides getting a new website, commercial establishments were able to link their digital identity with the city and form part of the .barcelona digital community.

“The digital environment is everywhere today, and for all ages”, notes Noelia Setó, the owner of noeliasllar.barcelona in the Sants neighbourhood. “I’ve got one because Victor, who’s about to turn four, sometimes says to me: ‘Mummy, search Google to see what Ladybug’s friend is called’, for instance. Amazing! So even if you’re a business with on-street premises, you need to move with the times and use all the resources which allow people to know about you and your product”.

As a society we’re experiencing a digital transformation. The arrival of the internet on our phones and in our homes means the way we consume and find information has changed, not just among the younger generations but even among people who are not digital natives.

A Google search is usually the first thing we do when we need something, as Noelia remarked. That’s also the case when we look for a shop or business, even in our own neighbourhood. “On the website, simple though it is, there’s valuable information about the business: where we are, the products we have, some images, opening times…all that means that people who don’t know me are comfortable enough to come and look around! Young or old, there are more and more ‘mature’ people gradually getting into the internet and the digital environment, and they surprise you!”, adds Noelia.

At lambicus.barcelona, an establishment specialising in Belgian beer and located in the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni, they were also clear on how having a website would give their business added value. “It helps bring us new customers, young and not-so-young. On the website we can tell people about the activities we have (tastings, presentations, festivals etc.) and the latest news. They can also contact us and it’s a quick way to know where our bar and shop are located”.

The last campaign for the project “El meu comerç .barcelona” saw fourteen commercial establishments in different Barcelona neighbourhoods sign up, all of which opted for a .barcelona domain. “Barcelona is a brand. It’s an identity. It nourishes collective activity. It makes you part of something. Puts you under its wing. So, everything linked to Barcelona is a plus for a business in the city. It’s like an exchange. We build all the values it conveys into Noelia’s llar.”

The application period for “El meu comerç .barcelona” is over for the moment. You can find more information about the project on the information page.

These are some of the websites created with the programme:

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