In 1994, Judy and Marc Weitz decided to create a web site — ExperienceNewOrleans.com — to promote the positive side of New Orleans and help visitors plan their trips. Having been online since the 80s, she was increasingly surprised at the negative perception so many people had of New Orleans, and was determined to change it as much as she could by showcasing the best of our great city.

Over time, as the need for internet marketing grew, Compucast stayed on top of the ever-changing field of internet technology and online marketing and continued to provide online services to businesses who contacted them for help.

ExperienceNewOrleans.com evolved into the comprehensive site that is visited by millions worldwide.  Today, Compucast designs sites for all businesses and specializes in the New Orleans hospitality industry with several flagship web sites promoting the New Orleans businesses it represents (including NewOrleansRestaurants.com, WeddingsInNewOrleans.com, NewOrleansKids.com, NewOrleansCoupons.com, MardigrasNewOrleans.com) assisting visitors, tourists, and business travelers planning their trips to the area.

Compucast Web Media has shared their internet expertise in popular publications such as Hot Wired Magazine, Meckler Media’s Publication: Internet World’s Internet Broadcasting and Southern Hospitality Magazine and is often called upon to participate in local seminars on internet marketing due to their working experience in the area. Recent radio interviews include the BBC (Mardi Gras morning annually) and the Disney Channel on “What Kids Should Know about Mardi Gras”. They are known as the internet webcasting firm that broadcast the annual (and the first) Mardi Gras LIVE.

Judy was awarded “Small Business Champion of the Year” for the State of Louisiana in one of 6 categories, and was selected as one of 5 finalists as “Woman Business Owner of the Year” through NAWBO.  She was asked to meet with the Director of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, at his request during a post-Katrina visit to New Orleans.  Upon introduction, Chertoff called Judy “the poster child of business preparedness” due to her uninterrupted service – for extended periods of time at no charge — to so many businesses during and after Katrina as one of only two New Orleans web sites to stay online.

Just to illustrate what Compucast is able to accomplish, we were happy to see some of the latest statistics from the market intelligence company Hitwise. The Hitwise monthly report for the Travel vertical for February highlighted one of our flagship sites – Mardi Gras New Orleans. We were ranked as one of the Travel category’s “Fast Movers” for the month, placing us in good company with other travel sites that placed highly in traffic ranking for the last four months. The website analytics company Compete.com also paid attention to Compucast – ranking Mardi Gras New Orleans in the top 10,000-most-visited websites! (See the full report here.)

We didn’t just gain one noteworthy traffic ranking, however. Our very own Experience New Orleans cracked the top-50,000 sites (as ranked by Compete.com).

In addition, a few of our clients’ sites have gained ranking significance: both Tiger Rag and Maison Dupuy are top-500,000 sites. When you realize just how many sites exist on the internet, this number takes on a whole new meaning!

We’re proud of our accomplishments, and we will continue to apply our expertise to meeting our clients’ needs. If you have a need for solid marketing, a fresh new design, or a brand-new website, give us a call!

Luckily today was a beautiful spring day, as it provided a perfect setting for French Quarter Festival’s annual press conference and jazz brunch.

Held at the Court of Two Sisters, press, patrons and friends were able to take in great food and some illustrious company, while presenters such as New Orleans City Council Vice President Jackie Clarkson, CVB representative Mary Beth Romig and French Quarter Festival’s Executive Director Marci Schramm set the stage for what to expect from this year’s festival.

If the excitement of the crowd foreshadows the fun to come, we will certainly be in for a ride. Headliners for the festival include some of New Orleans’ favorites, and that’s not even mention the food. There’s even a crawfish eating competition!

The team at Compucast, along with locals and tons of visitors alike, cannot wait for it to be festival time. Can you?

After 15 years, Compucast has grown so much, that we have had to move into our very own space – which you can find at the bottom floor of 6660 Riverside Drive.

An office party is in the mix, so don’t worry, you will have your chance to see it!

We hope that you do visit, and that you love the new digs just as much as we do.

Judy Weitz, owner of Compucast Web Media and Marica Mackenroth, Search Engine Marketing Specialist for Compucast, are both attending the PPC Summit in Chicago this week.

The rest of us are anxious to have them return and give us all the latest data on what’s new in the world of “Pay Per Click”.

New Orleans is so fortunate to have this prestigious attraction located right in the heart of Downtown.

With their future developments coming soon, it won’t be too long for them to reach another milestone.

Needless to say, hotels, restaurants, attractions, bars and shop owners in the high trafficked tourist areas of downtown New Orleans are elated as this means not only a high volume of business…but also high end spending from SuperBowl fans. With the trickle down affect, the economic impact is great for the entire city.

This news also benefits New Orleans NOW since it tells the rest of the world that we have recovered and we are still the best party city to host this popular event.

Compucast sends a BIG THANK YOU to the men and women who worked extremely hard to make this happen!

Meanwhile, we’ll also be hard at work making great websites. Some of our recent creations include sites for the Japanese restaurant Sake Cafe as well as New Orleans heart surgeon Dr. John Pigott’s website.

Additionally, we recently re-launched the Bombay Club after redesigning their site.

Once again, happy Cinco de Mayo!

- Judy Weitz

In addition to filling a whole table, we will also participate as an Exhibitor showcasing not only our recent website designs but also promoting the online global marketing that we do for the City of New Orleans.

If you are at the National Tourism Week Lunch, be sure to stop by our table and register to win some great prizes!