Click here to see the new Norway.com
“Our goal was to create an informative and entertaining website about Norway,” said Norgate Online US and AS General Manager, Jake Moe, who also serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the Norwegian American Weekly newspaper.
The Norway.com website originally launched in 1999 and was owned by private web developers in Oslo. In 2003, the website was purchased by Norgate Online AS/Inc., a joint company formed by the Norwegian American Foundation in partnership with the Norse Federation. The intent of the purchase was to create the largest online gateway between Norway and the United States.
After five years of ever-changing and advancing technology, Norway.com was due for a facelift. Last January, Jake Moe began working with Creative Media Alliance, a web-developer based out of Seattle, Wash. to create a new sleek and modern Norway.com. It took nearly a year to bring the site up to speed, but on Dec. 1, 2008, the new Norway.com officially launched. In its first month, the new site generated traffic from over 150 countries including the United States, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy and France. The response to the new site has been remarkable, since the relaunch Norway.com has seen a 300 percent increase in visits.
The upgrade included installation of several scenic videos of Norway from tourism businesses and organizations such as Hurtigruten, Fjord Norway, Fjord Tours, Holland America, Flåm, and Innovation Norway. It also included installation of live webcam footage from several cities across Norway, interactive maps, a digital issue of Norway.com magazine, and regularly updated Norwegian News and Culture pages.
In addition, several of the old sites most popular features have remained intact, including the online travel planner. Now Norway.com caters even to the savviest of travelers. By using the online planning tools, in combination with the interactive maps, travelers can create a vacation and be able to see hotel and accommodation options, local recreational activities, and nearby restaurants in just a few easy clicks. The new site is user-friendly and offers a variety of ways to look at Norway.
Other features that you can still find on Norway.com include the Shop Norway store, the Norwegian American Foundation home pages, the Norse Federation home pages, the online calendar of events with listings in the United States and Norway, and the business, travel and education directories.
For more information or to find out about advertising on Norway.com, call (206) 441-3129. By visiting the site, you can also request to receive the Norway.com monthly e-newsletter, a great resource for Norwegian Americans interested in getting involved in the Norwegian American community.
By Tiffanie Clark Norwegian American Weekly
