TOWN centres are receiving a digital upgrade as an innovative programme helps communities understand how they perform online and what they can do to attract more visitors, customers and investment.
SMART Busnes, delivered by Antur Cymru, has developed a series of Digital Place Plans for the six Ceredigion towns it supports, providing detailed insights into their online presence, digital visibility and overall performance.
The plans examine everything from marketing, promotion and social media activity to visitor behaviour, digital infrastructure and coordination between local organisations. The aim is to identify where opportunities are being missed and provide practical recommendations to strengthen town centres both online and on the ground.
Described as a “health check for the high street”, the approach combines search data, footfall analytics, digital behaviour and local intelligence to build a comprehensive picture of how a place is performing.
Bronwen Raine, Managing Director of Newcastle Emlyn-based Antur Cymru, said the plans help turn strategy into practical action.
“Digital Place Plans help bridge the gap between strategy and delivery,” she said. “By taking a whole-place view, they support towns to make better use of existing assets, work more collaboratively, and build the confidence needed to make informed, long-term decisions that benefit local communities.”
Rather than focusing solely on individual businesses, the plans take a broader look at the entire town ecosystem. They assess how easily people can find a place online, how visitors navigate it, where digital gaps exist and how effectively organisations are working together to promote it.
The findings are designed to help communities prioritise improvements and create long-term benefits that extend beyond any single project or business.
The latest Digital Place Plan focuses on Lampeter. Developed by Digital Place Lead Clive Davies and presented to Caru Llambed, the town’s regeneration partnership, the report has already begun inspiring new ideas and initiatives.
Elen Page of Caru Llambed said the session prompted immediate action on a potential community project.
“Thank you Clive,” she said. “Have just drafted the Expression of Interest for our skatepark – so inspired. Data next thing!”
Kevin Harrington, Programme Manager for SMART Busnes, said the plans provide communities with a valuable evidence base for future decision-making.
“By creating a shared evidence base, they show what is already in place, where the gaps are, and how digital can support local priorities in a practical and realistic way,” he said.
The Digital Place Plans form part of the wider SMART Busnes Shared Prosperity Fund programme and complement a growing range of digital support available to businesses and communities across rural Wales.
Last December, SMART Busnes became one of the first programmes in Wales to launch a practical toolkit focused on Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), helping small businesses improve how they appear in AI-generated responses on platforms such as ChatGPT and Google AI Search.
As AI increasingly changes the way people discover businesses, services and destinations online, the initiative is helping rural Welsh SMEs access the same digital strategies often associated with much larger organisations.
For towns such as Lampeter, organisers believe this could play an important role in ensuring local businesses remain visible, competitive and connected in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
