Harry's www.harrys.uk.com

Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Licensee Rob McKeon and media development manager Steve Adams had a clear idea of what they wanted when they created the website to promote Harry's bar in Stoke-on-Trent.

Rob, left, says they wanted "the site designed as a magazine, which, I suppose, goes back to my days as a journalist".

Before taking over Harry's five years ago, Rob worked as a radio presenter with the BBC and brought his communications skills to bear on deciding the contents of the website.

He says: "The two key things were that it should be a magazine and that it was updated all the time to keep it fresh ­ two or three times per week."

Apart from giving details about things like forthcoming events and the pub's food offering, the site is also about having fun.

For example, there is a page dedicated to showing pictures of the staff, explaining what they do and giving insights into their lives, with things such as getting them to confess to their worst secret.

Steve says the staff profiles help put "customers at ease with staff even if they have never met them".

The site also has its own "soap" that it written around staff working at the bar, a bogus agony aunt, and a message board.

All of these innovations have helped raise the profile of the pub in the eyes of one of its main revenue streams ­ students.

The students have also found a novel way of using the site, namely posting questions on the message board and hoping that someone will help them with their dissertations.

It's not just Stoke's 15,000-strong student population that are attracted to Harry's opening times (it trades until 4am every day).

The pub is a regular haunt of council staff who work in an office nearby and are attracted to the fact that they can order their food and pre-book a table on-line.

This allows them to maximise their lunch hour by not having to order food once they arrive.

Every month, Steve and Rob analyse the number of hits the site has received and which pages are proving the most popular.

Steve explains: "We can then find out what is working and what isn't and whether we need to add anything new."

Even though Harry's is off the main circuit, the website has undoubtedly helped stimulate interest and prompted customers to visit the bar, says Rob.

"We are as popular as pubs and bars on the main circuit," he notes.

He reinforces this assessment by adding: "There is a Wetherspoon's only 300 yards away and we take more than them even though they are three times the size of Harry's".