ASPHALT PAVING ASSOCIATION OF IOWA WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WEBSITE
The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) announced at 
the Monday, July 17, ceremony honoring the Operational Excellence Award recipients during the NAPA Midyear Meeting in Chicago that
the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa, of Ames, Iowa, is the winner of the 2016 Outstanding Website Award.
The Outstanding Website Award recognizes website designs that promote the use of asphalt and the asphalt pavement industry. Websites are judged on the use of industry messages and efforts to educate the general public about the asphalt pavement industry.
The Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa (APAI) in partnership with Cylosoft (www.cylosoft.com) is leading the charge for asphalt pavement in its state. Although the number of tons of asphalt mix continues to grow in Iowa, there is still plenty of market share to win.
“We are constantly promoting the advantages of asphalt and the quality of Iowa’s asphalt contractors,” APAI Executive Vice President Bill Rosener said.
APAI’s website, www.apai.net, is the “face” of the SAPA for many of its members and the general public. It is the first impression many associate with the Iowa asphalt pavement industry.
In 2016, APAI decided the face of Iowa asphalt pavement industry needed a facelift. APAI took in to consideration how it uses the website to communicate, who visits the website, and how to organize its professional education materials and industry resources. “We utilize the website to keep our APAI members informed about upcoming events and to educate the general public on the benefits of asphalt,” said Rosener. In addition, APAI members come to its website for tools and resources to help them build quality pavements.
The new website went live in the beginning of December 2016. Visitors were greeted by updated graphics, a store that allows members and attendees to register for APAI events, and easier navigation.
The improvements to APAI’s website are attracting many visitors. In the past 12 months, the site has hosted more than 9,500 visitors, who have accrued more than 54,000 page views.
Talking about next steps to make the website even more valuable for visitors, Rosener said, “Our goals are constantly evolving and expanding. We would like to improve our store function further and increase the usage of our pavement design program, I-Pave.”