Why Your Town Needs a Modern Digital Presence in 2025

The world has moved online. Has your town?

Here's a stat that should worry every town councillor in the country: over 80% of UK tourists research their destination online before they visit. They're Googling "things to do in [your town]", scrolling through images, checking what shops are open, and looking for somewhere to eat.

If your town doesn't have a modern, well-maintained website, you're invisible to these people. And invisible towns don't attract visitors.

What "modern" actually means

I'm not talking about having a website. Most towns have something — a page on the district council's site, a WordPress blog that hasn't been updated since 2019, or a Facebook page that the tourism officer manages when they can find the time.

None of that counts. A modern digital presence means:

• A fast, mobile-first website that loads in under 3 seconds
• Up-to-date content — events that are actually happening, shops that are actually open
• Good SEO so your town appears when people search for things to do in your area
• Beautiful photography that shows off your town at its best
• Clear, useful information — parking, opening hours, walking trails, accommodation

The cost of doing nothing

Every day without a decent website is a day your town is losing potential visitors to neighbouring towns that have got their act together. And it's not just about tourism revenue — it's about the message it sends.

A neglected website tells visitors your town is neglected. An outdated events page tells them nothing is happening. A broken contact form tells them nobody cares.

Meanwhile, the town down the road with the nice website, the interactive heritage trail, and the AI-powered events page? They're pulling in visitors who would have come to you instead.

It doesn't have to be expensive

This is the bit that surprises most councillors. A professional tourism website doesn't have to cost £50,000. It doesn't even have to cost £10,000. With modern technology — the kind we use at TownStack — you can get a fast, beautiful, content-managed website that practically runs itself.

And there are funding options. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Rural England Prosperity Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and BID levies can all contribute. We've written a complete funding guide if you want to explore your options.

What a good website actually does for your town

Let me give you a real example. When we launched Visit Shaftesbury, the town went from having virtually no online presence to ranking on the first page of Google for dozens of tourism-related searches. Local businesses started reporting that visitors were mentioning the website. Event organisers found that their events were better attended because people could actually find out about them.

That's not magic — it's just what happens when you give visitors the information they need in a format they can actually use.

The bottom line

Your town has a story worth telling. It has history, character, independent shops, community events, and natural beauty that visitors would love — if they could find it.

A modern digital presence isn't a luxury. In 2025, it's the absolute minimum. The question isn't whether your town can afford a good website. It's whether your town can afford not to have one.

If you'd like to talk about what a modern website could do for your town, book a free consultation. No obligation, no hard sell — just a conversation about what's possible.