Journal

TownConnect.co.uk was created to give people another useful way to discover local businesses, services and places.

September provided an encouraging sign that this approach is beginning to gain momentum.

Visitor numbers increased by 321.4% from August to September, meaning the September audience was more than four times the size of the previous month.

Total visits increased by 194%, bringing them to almost three times the August level.

For a platform still in its early stages, this is significant growth. The more important question, however, is what people do once they arrive.

Search for somebody to build a website in Rhondda Cynon Taf and one thing becomes apparent very quickly: there is no obvious shortage of people willing to do it.

Web designers and small digital agencies can be found from Pontypridd and Porth to Treorchy, Treherbert, Aberdare, Abercynon and Llantrisant. Some have been operating for decades. Others are newer one-person businesses. Some build custom systems and e-commerce platforms; others concentrate on relatively simple websites for trades and small local companies. Some quote projects individually, while others now advertise complete websites for little more than the monthly cost of a mobile phone contract.