San Antonio Digital

Small and micro-businesses in San Antonio face notable challenges, particularly when it comes to strengthening their digital presence, enhancing digital literacy, and accessing targeted support in these areas.

In the wake of the pandemic, many businesses were still grappling with the effects of prolonged safety protocols, supply chain disruptions, and shifting consumer behaviors favoring digital alternatives.

The City of San Antonio received federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, designated specifically to improve small businesses' online presence. The initiative not only aimed to help small and micro businesses recover but to thrive in a digital-first economy.

This required managing and coordinating with multiple vendors, marketing partners, and various stakeholders to provide a cohesive and impactful solution. The challenge wasn’t just building a platform—it was building and managing a community of support that could help businesses adapt and grow effectively.

Platform Overview: sanantonio.digital is a comprehensive resource designed to help small businesses strength their online presence with two main objectives. First, it offers accessible blogs and videos covering essential digital marketing topics, empowering businesses with foundational knowledge. Second, and even more impactful, is the platform’s logic-driven assessment tool, which evaluates each business’s current digital standing across website performance, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media engagement. Through a tailored questionnaire, users receive actionable insights, effectiveness statistics, and clear definitions of key marketing terms to guide their digital growth.

Scalable, User-Friendly Tech Stack: The platform is built on a highly scalable tech stack, ensuring ease of use and smooth operation. AWS EC2 and Cloudflare manage virtual server scalability and security, while MariaDB supports efficient data handling. AWS S3 provides reliable storage for content, with automated deployments for continual updates. The main website is powered by WordPress, while Angular is used for the questionnaire interface, and Laravel powers the backend, handling business data and report generation. We developed API integrations to link third-party tools and implemented automated reporting and intuitive UX, so even non-tech-savvy users can navigate the platform confidently.

AI-Driven Personalization: A unique aspect of the platform is its integration with OpenAI, which delivers AI-driven recommendations based on survey responses. Each business receives customized advice specific to its needs, with detailed guidance sent directly to the recipient’s email. This email serves as a gateway to a personalized profile that tracks each business’s progress and offers ongoing resources for continuous digital improvement.

Digital Assessment Tool: At the heart of the platform is a robust, logic-driven assessment tool. This tool evaluates businesses in three essential areas: website performance, SEO, and social media engagement. As users complete a tailored questionnaire, they receive personalized insights, including actionable strategies, effectiveness statistics, and simple definitions of complex digital terms. By addressing each business’s specific digital standing, this feature provides clear steps for businesses to improve their online presence and reach.

Scheduling & Communication Hub: To streamline collaboration between businesses and the 12 agency partners, sanantonio.digital includes scheduling and tracking tools for managing consultations. Notifications are automatically sent to both parties to confirm, modify, or cancel consultations, while city administrators are alerted to track eligibility for complimentary services. These functionalities are accessible through a user-friendly dashboard that simplifies communication and allows all stakeholders to monitor progress transparently.

Custom Mapping: To enhance our support for businesses impacted by construction, we mapped the construction zones in San Antonio using detailed geographic data provided by the city. The city supplied several .shp files (shapefiles) containing construction corridor information, which we processed and converted into GeoJSON files for web compatibility. Using the Google Maps API, we integrated these GeoJSON files into an interactive map, allowing for seamless visualization of construction zones. This solution required significant backend work, from data transformation to API integration, ensuring that the information was accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible for both business owners and stakeholders.

Equity Score Integration: We also integrated equity score data provided by the city. By programmatically matching business addresses to their respective equity scores, we gained valuable insights into each business's socio-economic context. This data allowed stakeholders to better understand the unique challenges faced by different businesses and tailor our support accordingly, ensuring that resources were allocated equitably and effectively.

Accessibility Compliance (VPAT): As part of our commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible platform, Herospace Digital developed a fully compliant Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) Report for sanantonio.digital. This report was crafted to align with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and WCAG Levels A and AA requirements. Our team along with the COSA accessibility team conducted a comprehensive audit focusing on accessibility criteria such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and usability of interactive features.

All data is self-reported by program participants.

Survey Execution and Recommendations: Over 400 businesses completed the digital presence survey, which assessed their current standing across key areas like website, SEO, and social media. Through sanantonio.digital rigorous development, Herospace oversaw the seamless execution of these assessments, ensuring each participant received a personalized report with clear action items and targeted recommendations.

One-on-One Consultations: From the beginning Herospace felt the most integral aspect of the project was to provide tailored, relevant marketing advice and solutions to small and micro businesses. A critical element of the implementation was facilitating one-on-one consultations. Herospace managed and coordinated over 175 individualized sessions between marketing experts and small business program participants. Our role extended beyond logistics—we monitored quality, reviewed consultation notes, and did our best to ensure each business walked away with insights specific to their unique needs.

Coordinating and Managing Vendors: With a network of 13 local marketing agencies, Herospace spearheaded the delivery of consultations and tangible digital assets to over 100 businesses. We actively recruited skilled vendors, trained them on the system and platform expectations and established clear guidelines and consistent communication channels to maintain high standards in alignment with project goals.

Budget Management and Financial Oversight: Herospace effectively managed the program’s $114,000 budget dedicated to providing qualified businesses with digital solutions. We prioritized financial stewardship, rigorously tracking expenditures to ensure each dollar was used strategically and transparently for maximum program impact. Additionally, we administered a separate invoicing budget to cover the costs of over 175 consultations, ensuring that each vendor partner received prompt and accurate compensation.

User Experience Testing and Refinement: User experience (UX) was essential to the platform’s success. Partnering with the City of San Antonio, Herospace conducted user testing with local business development organizations, refining the questionnaire’s clarity, flow, and relevance. We also implemented automated email alerts and a custom dashboard, streamlining coordination between businesses, vendors, and city stakeholders to enhance the overall experience.