Virtual Sorrento began as little more than a hobby project. Photographic artist and local resident Ray Blaber initially developed the site with the sole intention of showing his home turf to the world. With a rich background in media, particularly commercial television, Ray founded Virtual Sorrento while the internet was still in its infancy. The site grew with time, and became commercially sustainable as the internet became a household staple. To this day, Virtual Sorrento endeavours to create the most interactive and community-focused website that exists for the Sorrento community - if not for any online community.
Timeline
To see where we’re going, you must see where we’ve been.
Screenshot - Virtual Sorrento - May 2001
Screenshot - Virtual Sorrento - May 2004
1999
Virtual Sorrento was first registered and launched. Its aim: to show Sorrento to the world. Using simple picture-&-word descriptions of the area, the site informed newcomers of what to expect from the area, whilst virtual realities (the latest innovation at that time) gave an eye-catching and interactive appeal to the site.
2000-2002
Virtual Sorrento developed its first advertising schedule. As it grew from a few humble pages into several hundred, the new revenue stream meant the site could now afford to expand. It developed a new community business directory and, with the emergence of fresh internet ideas, began a visual enhancement process. Its iconic virtual realities – from which the business name is derived - are still vital to the site’s image and online appeal.
2003- 2007
As the internet grew and changed so too did Virtual Sorrento. The site became more information-centred, moving away from its virtual reality beginnings. Information about the area, its beaches and national parks, along with an interest in the historical and heritage significance of the area, became the focus for the site. Inevitably, Virtual Sorrento became a booking centre for local accommodation; the growing incorporation of accommodation into the site matched the growth of the area in popularity. Discovering where to stay, what to eat, see and buy had become the reasons why people now visited Virtual Sorrento – and the direction of the site’s future growth was crystallised.
2008
Virtual Sorrento was redeveloped from scratch; an all-new design and a fresh vision for the site began. Within 12 months of the first paper sketches and dot-point ideas for the new-look Virtual Sorrento, the site had grown to 1600 pages – and still growing! The site was now heavily optimised for the area, with flash integration and extensive online media and business solutions offered throughout the site.
Virtual Sorrento was rebuilt with room to grow: the site’s framework for online shopping was predicted to grow rapidly, and would become a major feature of the site. The branding of Virtual Sorrento made the site instantly recognisable and memorable in the community.
2009 - Now
Virtual Sorrento’s vision endeavoured to work more closely with the community. From the outset, the aim was to highlight environment and community news. Virtual Sorrento will strive to generate even greater online traffic to promote and support local business, while at the same time allowing the general public to voice its opinions and create positive change. Ambitious targets have been set for the future, and we’re up to the challenge!
