How Effective is your Website?

Through the years I have visited countless websites for small towns. Some communities had a well-designed website with a vast array of information that was easy to find. However, there were others that were lacking in content or things could not be found with relative ease. Yet there were some towns that did not have a web presence whatsoever.

In this day of phone apps, the importance of a website has started to dwindle. But while phone apps are good for those on the go, there is no replacement for the full website if it provides enough information to be useful.

However, improving your website, or starting from scratch can be a daunting task. A highly effective community website can be very time-intensive. This is especially true if you don’t know where to focus your efforts to make the website effective. Here are some thoughts on how to make your community’s website more effective.

Express your Brand Through your Website

Your community’s website is one of your best chances to express your brand. The mark, tagline, colors, and fonts of your brand image can all be implemented into your webpage, whereas other applications may only use the mark or logo.

Just through the use of a community’s website, your brand can be then recognized in other parts of your community. Residents and visitors alike then come away with a more cohesive picture of the community. For instance, the colors and fonts that they first witness on your website may also be present on your wayfinding signage.

Keep Your Information Current

One of the biggest struggles that municipalities have in relation to their website is keeping it current. When many municipal websites are designed, there is a renewed vigor by the community leaders to provide as much information as possible. However, many smaller communities don’t have enough staff to regularly update the webpage. Then the good intentions tend to fail and the website quickly becomes outdated. What’s left is a page that advertises events from a year ago or doesn’t have the minutes of the last few Council meetings.

Communities need to know their limits. Without enough staff to regularly update your website, it is not a good idea to provide information that quickly goes out of date. Stick to your bread and butter. Agendas, minutes, and significant events. If you’re planning to reconstruct Main Street, post that information. But if your local chamber of commerce plans to have a band downtown Wednesday night, leave that information to their own media sources if your staff can’t keep up with somewhat regular events.

Make it Applicable

Many of the larger cities are integrating their service management programs into their websites allowing residents to apply for permits or services online. However many small towns cannot afford the subscription cost of these web applications. This shouldn’t hold your community back. Adobe Acrobat has a much more affordable subscription cost and can make all of your application forms fillable. Having fillable PDF forms makes them easier for your residents to fill out. It also improves legibility and therefore improves the review and approval processes.

But even if the PDFs on your municipal website are not fillable, put them on anyway. Making those applications available online makes their approval process easier and faster when the applications come in. But don’t forget supporting documentation. For instance, if you have a permit application specifically for decks, include any related regulations, and make the fees available on the website as well (just make sure you keep those up-to-date). It is quite frustrating for applicants to come in and apply, just to be turned around and sent back home because they don’t have enough information.

One good example of a small-town’s permit page is Knoxville, Iowa’s. They don’t have fillable PDFs, but many of the forms have supporting information included in the PDF.

Interact with Your Residents

Many communities have ushered many of their community interactions to social media platforms. Lankford, South Dakota, has done this admirably. But many, especially older residents, haven’t been lured into social media. They still look to your community’s website for the information and interaction they desire.

However, you still need to provide an easily identifiable route for visitors to your site to interact with community leaders. An “[email protected]” link tucked in the footer of your webpage isn’t nearly enough. Have a “Contact Us” link available in the top dropdown menu or have your staff directory available through an easily recognizable link.

Keep it on your Mind

Rural Resurrection is not my source of income. I have a full-time job in community development that pays the bills. But this blog is regularly on my mind. I’m regularly thinking of ways to make it better. Make it more viable for small towns throughout the Midwest.

Keep your community’s website on your mind. At least in the back of your mind. As you go through your daily activities, there may be something you see, something that makes you think of a way to make your community’s website better.