A recently-launched, redesigned website showcasing Channel Islands Harbor businesses, events, news, and services has received top awards from two professional associations.

The website, www.channelislandsharbor.org, was redesigned by Searle Creative, a Ventura-based marketing company, in collaboration with the Ventura County Harbor Department. The Harbor Department owns and manages the website. The website was launched in June 2018.

“The redesigned website provides the perfect platform for Harbor Department staff to provide up-to-date information about Harbor businesses, events, news, and services,” said Mark Sandoval, Harbor Director. “Thank you to Searle Creative for their excellent work and our online community for turning to our website to find relevant, factual information about the Harbor.”

ADDY Award

In March 2019, the American Advertising Federation awarded Searle Creative with one of its prestigious Gold ADDY Awards in the “Consumer Website” category of the 2019 American Advertising Awards – Coastal California Competition. The ADDY Awards is one of the advertising industry’s largest creative competitions, attracting nearly 35,000 professional and student entries each year nationwide.

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EPIC Award

In April 2019, the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) awarded the Ventura County Harbor Department with its Excellence in Public Information and Communications (EPIC) Award in the “Digital Communications: Website/App” category.

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The redesigned website helped the Harbor Department reach its goal of positioning the Channel Islands Harbor online as a top regional destination to visit. The Harbor Department executed an aggressive content marketing plan in an effort to promote businesses, events, news, and services. In the first six months of the launch, pageviews increased 168% for businesses, 141% for events, 141% for news, and 62% for services when compared to the previous year. Overall, user visits to the website increased 55%.

The Channel Islands Harbor is managed by the Ventura County Harbor Department and owned in fee by the County of Ventura. The majority of the Harbor is operated by private businesses who have been granted long-term leases by the Board of Supervisors.

Editor's Note: this story was published on April 17, 2019.