This blog makes updating your municipal website easy! A checklist of five items you can run through, print out or stick on the wall to double check that the municipal website is in tip-top shape!
Municipal Clerks have a lot on their plate. From attending Town Hall meetings to managing Town records, there is no shortage of tasks that need tending to! Keeping municipal websites updated and fresh should also be on the municipal clerk’s list of priorities. Local government website design has become increasingly important for public transparency and it can help visitors find the information they need quickly and easily.
To help municipal clerks manage their websites, here’s a handy checklist:
- Update the footer: this contains the contact details, office hours and many times links to the municipal social media pages. Make it as simple as possible for residents and visitors to connect with the municipality.
- Events calendar: this can be updated with official events like town hall meetings and elections and with informal gatherings like spring barbeques, July 4th celebrations and yard sales. The municipal website is the official communication from the municipality to its residents - share all the info you know!
- News & Notices: Posting the latest news and announcements on the Town's website helps keep residents informed. It can be an official legal notice posting or an article that you found useful about resources or suppliers in the county. It can be updated on when the town hall will be closed or about information sessions held by the municipality.
Pro-tip: link your calendar with the news and notices, to make the news visible in two places! - Licenses & permits: ALWAYS make the most recent license and permit applications available on the website: this will save you many phone calls and many many sighs! Digital services are becoming increasingly important, and many local government website design are able to incorporate payment portals and other digital services.
Pro-tip: or, even easier, get HeyGov to put digital versions of your forms and license applications on the website: with a payment step and electronic signatures! - Agenda and minutes: we know you know that these documents are extremely important and local government website design are created for this task! So, just a friendly reminder to upload the latest copies to your website when you have it.
Other items to update:
- Ordinances/municipal codes: this enables residents, investors and visitors to quickly find municipal bylaws, ordinances and measures.
- The hero image, this is the image at the top of the home screen and likely is the background to the name of the municipality. Updating this to coincide with special days, events or seasons is a quick update - that makes the world of difference!
We hope this checklist helps keep municipal websites up-to-date. Keeping it fresh and updated helps ensure transparency, encourages engagement and makes it easier for residents to find what they need.
