Web Sites for Local Government

Web Sites for Local Government

Internet Web Site Implementation and Design Worksheet

Determine the goals and objectives of your site

Communicate information to citizens on:

City Council meetings, minutes and workshops

Phone numbers. E-mail addresses, locations of city staff

Regular scheduled activities, recreation, cleanups

Standard "request for" forms ( permits, licenses )

Receive feedback from citizens on:

E-mail to specific service providers ( Recreation, Public Works, Council )

Interactive real-time forms, permits, license, data collection

Any non-emergency, potholes, signs down, service wish lists

What is the main objective of your site?

Educate citizens on available city services

Improve citizen participation in local government

Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of city services

How will your site be used?

General public access and information to city services

Special sections for volunteers, commissions and committees

Password protected sections ( closed to the public ) for staff information and education

Develop a site plan

Create a detailed project plan

Create a short mission statement for the site

Be very specific about what will be included in the site

Use information gathered from your goals and objectives

Have a clear understanding of what will not be included

Think about logistical constraints (time, personnel, budget) on your project

Where to host your site?

Host with external Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Co-host with other local government agencies

Create flow diagrams ( format ) that describe how a visitor might use your site

What is the most appropriate way to present the subject?

Create a project schedule

Build your site

Content

Gather information from City Departments that can be made "web friendly"

Formulate a master information design scheme for the pages and their content

Create visual design standard (color, text and image concentration)

Organize information based on your agreed to site format

Design your Web structure (well-balanced Web site hierarchy)

Be aware that copyright law applies to the Web published materials

Test your site prior to going "live" on the Internet

Test your site for program errors, spelling, grammar and bad links

Have people not familiar with the site go through the entire site for errors

Test with different browsers on various platforms

Check pages with HTML validator checkers

Promote your site

Embed keywords into the site's 25-word description

Register your site with search engines like Yahoo, Excite, Lycos, Alta Vista, and Infoseek

Send out press releases about your site to relevant publications and the broadcast media.

Add your URL to business cards, letterhead, and newsletters

Maintain, monitor, and enhance your site

Obtain feedback from the users of your site

Analyze your site with Web monitoring software from your ISP

Maintain backups of your entire site in house and at you ISP

Summary of Example Links on this page:

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