Active members of Joomla Chicago will not be surprised that the house was packed when Avery Cohen and Ken Novak of web Internet marketing strategy, implementation, and web analytics firm Metrist Partners gave a seminar this morning sponsored by the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. What many come as a surprise is the high pitch of interest in web development, online business, content management systems (CMS) and epublishing business in Evanston.

Avery and Ken were peppered with questions from members of the audience, including advertising/creative promotion provider Linda Frothingham from Frothingham Communications, writer/editor Jim Morris from Tagline Jim, and film/video producer John McCarthy from InterImage, about how to improve Return on Investment (ROI) using web analytics. Business people like attorney David Kahn and Henry Funkenbusch of Sign One zeroed in on issues like how to use Google Analytics and do search engine optimization (SEO).

Evanston is filled with innovative tech firms that are keen to expand their web presence - firms such as biotech company Precision Biomarker and high resolution sensor and test system provider Psylotech, as well as the "Technology Incubator" (Technology Innovation Center) that houses them and about thirty other tech firms. Some, like advanced IBM partner Taishan Works, are Internet experts and yet still found plenty to learn in the Metrist presentation.

Other participants included landscaper Nature's Perspective, NWU affiliate The Family Institute, patent specialist Cardinal Law Group, financial planning firm JAS Financial Services, and portfolio manager Blue Sky Investment Partners Inc.. Key your eye on them for upcoming web enhancements.

Jonathan Perman and Brooke Saucier of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, together with Chuck Happ of the Technology Innovation Center and Laura Folkl of the Downtown Evanston marketing/promotion association, were on hand to foster follow-on opportunities within the group and with the rest of the Evanston business community.

With all this interest in web business and content management (CMS) for the web, is it any wonder that the CMS Association has has selected Evanston as the site for the 2010 CMS Expo?

Stay tuned for more developments in the Evanston web community! Thanks, Avery and Ken!

Joe Scarry is head project manager for Chicago firm Arc Technology Group -- the web design, development and content management company whose open solutions drive business success.