In the past, local government websites have been quite basic, offering limited options to make changes. As a result, cities of all sizes have embarked on updating their websites to increase functionality and operational efficiency. The conversation around the new website project, however, is often focused on updating the technology - which can prove to be a major misstep.
Are You Engaged?
According to Ashley Fruechting, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Vision Internet, many cities are realizing technology alone is not a magic fix for all website problems or disparities. In an interview with Gov1, Fruechting explained how cities should develop a communication strategy focused on engagement not just technology.
Everyone has heard the term citizen engagement and understands the value of creating a network of communication between residents and local government. What many cities fail to realize, however, is that engagement is achieved through more than an investment in new technology.
“In actuality, engagement starts when the public realizes that the organization is interacting with them about mundane aspects of daily life that prove to be very important, such as parking tickets, permits, registering for classes, etc.,” Fruechting told Gov1.
Therefore, local governments should spend less time transforming the website into a place for residents to hang out. But rather focus on making all interactions and tasks easy. The website should be a platform where users can contribute their ideas and engage with the city directly, while providing crucial information and capabilities.
“Engagement is not a tool, it’s a mentality that we are going to set up our public services in an easy-to-use system,” Fruechting explained.
Communication Strategy
A local government website should provide information and functionality of great value to the community, which in turn will drive engagement. This often means cutting down on overall content so the most important features are easily accessible.
“There must be more than a basic content management system in place,” Fruechting told Gov1. “There must be a communication strategy around content that benefits staff and residents alike.”
Fruechting points out the difference between content management and a communication strategy: content management ensures the proper tools are in place to make changes to website content internally. This allows each department to have control over what information is available on the site.
A communication strategy, on the other hand, takes into account what users will do with the technology and information on the website once it is available, and better gauge the value of the resources. Municipalities must identify the top tasks on the site and what information is most in demand.
The city of Grand Forks, North Dakota, must manage an extensive leaf collection process every fall. The city must vacuum up the leaves so they do not clog the sewers or cause other problems in the community. Many residents wanted to know the status of the leaf collection through the autumn months. Grand Forks responded to this demand by creating a dynamic map on its website to track the progress of leaf collection citywide.
Grand Forks also tied in its social medial channels to let people know the map existed and how to leverage it. This social media following began to grow and provided the city with an extensive list of residents they could engage with across several channels with other updates throughout the year.
“In this battle of thinking through the technology and making sure the content is being created, cities must take a step back and think why the content is being created in the first place,” Fruechting told Gov1. “Leaders need to set up a framework to determine the purpose of the site.”
According to Fruechting, the top purposes of local government websites should include:
- Providing function for people to perform tasks online
- Representing and providing accurate information
- Ensuring the completion of a task is delightful and easy for users
The simplest way to achieve these goals is through data analytics. Cities must capture data from the website, phone calls and other citizen interactions to gain insight into the top needs and concerns of the public. Using this information, local governments can better identify the content that aligns with the website’s overall mission.
What To Consider
When a website appears to be falling short of its goals, take a moment to evaluate the criteria of the site to determine where it is breaking down. Fruechting provides some common questions to consider:
- Do you offer your most commonly requested services online?
- Is your website design professional and credible?
- Is the content strategic, concise and informative?
The evaluation of the website should occur on a regular basis. Changing seasons, emergency situations, new initiatives and other major events can often alter the priorities of a community. Therefore, it is the local government’s responsibility to adapt the website to the evolving demands of the public.
“It is recommended for cities to conduct quarterly analyses of their websites to determine what should or should not be there,” Fruechting told Gov1. “The cities must also have the technology in place to react to changing needs and customize content to better serve the community.”