Have questions? Ask LOIS - Click on any of the questions listed below to view the answer.
How do I get started in using this tool?
The LOIS Administrator will work with your organization to develop an overall profile of the area that you wish to include in your subscription. A series of profiles for each of your community or economic development allies will also be created. A unique user name and password is assigned for each user of LOIS under your subscription. Once you have completed training, your customized LOIS is ready to go.
What is the Administration Site?
Accessed through the Users Resources section of the LocationOne.com web site, your user name and password are required to enter this site. Data, images and user preferences are entered in the LOIS Administration Site and can be easily previewed on the Presentation Site.
What is the Presentation Site?
The LOIS Presentation Site allows you to view the information and images that you have entered into LOIS as it will appear on the Internet. You will be given a unique URL that integrates into your website providing you with your customized view of LOIS. No password or special log-in procedure is required to view your site. Since you can share your information with other allies, your information can be accessed on their sites, as well as on LocationOne.com.
Does this application need to be installed on my server?
No special software is required for LOIS. All data, images and file attachments entered into LOIS are stored on the LOIS server.
What types of records are included in LOIS?
LOIS includes individual state, county, metro, locality (community), and site and building records. The system is designed to be as flexible as possible to meet the needs of the user; therefore, records can be elected to be "hidden" or filtered from view on your web site. LOIS easily adapts to your changing needs.
Can my organization use LOIS for sites and buildings only?
LOIS is designed with the built-in flexibility to allow you to decide which records and/or sections you wish to display on your view of LOIS.
How did LOIS select the data fields for each record?
LOIS has been developed to meet the needs of site selectors and real estate consultants. The data fields are compliant with the International Economic Development Council's (IEDC) Site Selection Data Guidelines. There are more than 1,200 total fields within the LOIS records. Although ideally these fields should all be filled in, only a limited number are required.
Who is responsible for entering state, county and metro data?
Typically, a state-wide economic development agency (government or professional association) has accepted the responsibility for the state, county and metro data. This data can be purchased and imported directly into LOIS. The community data is the responsibility of the local economic development organization.
Can a realtor input information into the system?
Yes. A commercial or industrial real estate professional or broker can be assigned a username and password to LOIS. Data can be entered directly into the application by using the data administration site or by utilizing the import feature. Realtors or brokers can contact the LOIS Administrator at locationone@locationone.com to sign up for this feature.
Does LOIS include an integrated GIS component?
Through an agreement with ESRI, LOIS has incorporated an integrated GIS component. This useful tool provides five mapping modules (street level, topographic, flood plain, census and aerial). These maps are interactive and can provide customized views for a radius up to 50 miles. In addition, a demographic report highlighting valuable up to date census data is available through the LOIS GIS component. We are currently working on building a mapping system unlike any other. Stay tuned for more information. We will have it completed by mid 2010.
Can we use LOIS on a regional level to promote the buildings, sites and localities?
LOIS excels as a customized marketing tool for organizations that want to share data on a regional basis. The parameters of a region can be defined by the subscriber or user. A regional profile is created and customized to include all of the participating states, counties, metros/ regions and localities. The data entered by the participating regional partners "rolls" to the regional portal, as well as being published on the partner's individual web sites.
Can I customize the appearance of LOIS?
We encourage you to customize the appearance of LOIS so it incorporates well with your organization's web site and collateral materials. You have the ability to place your organization's logo or marketing banner in the header of the LOIS application. In addition, if you do not have a graphic to place in LOIS as the header, you can type in your organization's title information fields using the matching font, color, and size features. At no additional charge, a high resolution HTML header for your LOIS site can be developed as part of your subscription.
Can I integrate LOIS into my Web site?
LOIS is a proven tool to market communities, sites and buildings on the Internet. It is most powerful when a user integrates a link into their LOIS site that the LOIS administrator will help you integrate at your convenience. A user can customize their view of LOIS by incorporating their organization or community logo, marketing banner and local photos or images. In addition, by selecting the same text font and colors, LOIS becomes a seamless part of a user's web site.
How do I integrate LOIS into my Web site?
A template (URL) will be provided to create a hyperlink to LOIS from a user's web site. This template will allow a user to choose which section of LOIS they want the public to enter (states, counties, metros, localities, buildings, sites or search form). The image or text a user chooses for the hyperlink to LOIS is the user's preference.
Is the information downloadable?
Site selectors ask for information in a variety of formats. LOIS has incorporated the flexibility to download the data in Adobe PDF (Quick Reference Flyer), HTML (Printable Flyer) as well as in a customizable, searchable download feature that produces a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
What type of reports does this system produce?
You can create custom reports with information from the site and building database and the IEDC data standards tables. Customized, downloadable reports are available for state, county, metro, locality, building and site records. In addition, a demographic ring report is available through the GIS component.
Do I need a web master to help me with publishing LOIS data onto the web?
Beyond any assistance you may need to add a customized link (URL) to your web site that directs you to your view of LOIS, there is no need for a web master when entering or publishing data in LOIS. Once there is a link on your web site to LOIS, the data that you enter is published in real time on the Internet.
How do I publish photos or images on LOIS?
You are encouraged to incorporate photos or images of your community(ies), buildings and sites in order to add value to your information. Up to twelve (12) images can be displayed for each record. As a service to you, the LOIS Administrator will publish your images within 24 hours after electronic (e-mail) submission. There is no restriction on the size of the image. The LOIS administrator will create a thumbnail image. In addition, other PDF, Word or Excel files can be added to any record.
What does it cost to use the system?
For the capabilities and marketing value offered by the system, LOIS is a very affordable tool. The annual subscription fee for using LOIS depends on the population served by the economic development organization(s) served under the contract.
