Your municipal website is more than website—it is an extension of Town Hall. Visitors should be able to find the answer to most of their questions without needing to pick up a phone. While the main focus is municipal government, many sites also include social aspects and business information. There are rules and regulations to follow and municipalites need to be cognizant of current ADA guidelines. Online forms are becoming expected. There are items that municipal sites need to include...and items that you might not want to post on your official municipal website.
We will help you through the twists and turns of developing your vital municipal website.
Are You Ready?
Your project is a team effort. We work with you every step of the way. But this also means that you are part of the team. You must have the time to work with us. It is important to understand your goals to ensure the goals are reached.
Checklist for a new website:
Who are you?
Take a few moments to think about your municipality. Is your picture the same as how others see you?
Define your audience.
The audience should dictate the message. Is the site for residents or non-residents? Tailoring content for specific visitors is important.
What are your goals?
What do you want your website to do? Provide information for residents? Or is it to be used as a public relations vehicle for visitors and local businesses? Writing down your goals for your website will increase its effectiveness and keep you on track. Knowing what you want it to do is vital to actually having it do what you want it to do.
Examine your budget.
A municipal website is an extension of town hall. How it looks and works is a reflection of your municipality. If it is messy, out of date, and not mobile responsive, it does not reflect well on the municipality. The cheapest option is not necessarily the most cost-efficient option. On the flip side, you may not need all the extra bells and whistles.
ADA Compliance
It is mandatory that government websites be ADA compliant. Just as your buildings must provide wheelchair access, your website must support those with disabilities and who use assistance devices such as screen readers.
Do you have the time?
Not only must you have the time to work with us during the designing and building of the website, there must be a dedicated person or persons for postings and keeping content up to date.
So, Are You Ready?
To get started, we have made worksheets to allow you to think about the different aspects of your site and to get those creative juices flowing. Tell us about your project. The more we know, the better we can serve you.