We have been tasked with creating the new City of Jellico, Tennessee web site. (No, really).
- What should be on every city web site?
- What do people want to see?
- What should we avoid?
- What things do YOU think are important that others may not have included on their town site?
CITY WEB SITES: To begin with, we will explore some web pages from other municipalities.
Take notes on things you want to have on our site on a page labeled "Jellico Web Site Ideas". Put a * next to items that are very important. If you see things you do NOT want to see on our web site, write those on the back of your page. If you have ideas for the page that we don't see on the other pages, write them down and underline them. Your opinions are important.
Take notes on things you want to have on our site on a page labeled "Jellico Web Site Ideas". Put a * next to items that are very important. If you see things you do NOT want to see on our web site, write those on the back of your page. If you have ideas for the page that we don't see on the other pages, write them down and underline them. Your opinions are important.
- Jellico: www.jellico.us
- New Tazewell: www.newtazewell.org
- Harriman: www.cityofharriman.net
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| Although it is no longer online, this is what the City of Jellico's web site looked like. |
Theme Ideas:
What should be on the Jellico City web site?
- Calendar (Google Calendar)
- Weather
- Map
- Volunteer
- Government (Addresses / Phone Numbers)
- Post Office
- City Council
- Minutes (From Town Meetings)
- Animal Control / Shelters?
- Library
- Contacts
- State Park
- Video Interviews?
- Explore the City Banner (Like Williamsburg)
- Jellico Culture / History
- Jellico High School
Jellico Alumni
- Jellico Elementary
- Festivals
- Rentals (Stage, Park, etc.)
- Business / Store Rental
- Gas Prices?
- Local Attractions
- Shops
- Bucks Museum
- Restaurants
- Monuments
- Historical Markers
- Tacket Creek
- Nearby Schools / Colleges
- Shops / Businesses
- Hit Counter
- (Things we can do to fix the city itself)
Williamsburg City: Navigation
- Home
- Government
- Mayor’s Office
- Administrative Assistants
- Assistant City Clerk
- City Clerk
- City Council
- City Ordinance
- Comprehensive Plan
- Council Minutes
- Departments
- Boards/Commissions
- Fire Department
- Kentucky Splash Waterpark
- Main Street Program
- Maintenance
- Parks and Recreation
- Planning & Zoning
- Police Department
- Sanitation
- Tourism Commission
- Community
- Animal Control
- Apartment Rentals
- Bill Woods Park
- Briar Creek Park
- Area Businesses
- Churches
- City Park
- Clubs & Organizations
- Community Events
- Kentucky Splash Water Park
- Main Street Program
- Media
- Merry Jeffries Center
- Parks & Recreation
- Planning and Zoning Committee
- Variance Committee
- Historical
- History of University of the Cumberlands
- Historical Photos
- History of Whitley County
- History of Williamsburg City Government
- Religious History
- History of Williamsburg City School
- Historical Links
- Whitley County Historical & Genealogical
- Tourism
- Accommodations
- Area Attractions
- Area Map
- Convention Center
- Events
- Merry Jeffries Center
- Parks & Recreation
- Restaurants
- Tourism Commission
- Economic Development
- Applications & Forms
- Business Incentives
- City Maps
- City Utility Rates
- Demographics
- Existing Businesses
- New Business Information
- Quick Facts-Kentucky
- Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
- Southeast Kentucky Regional Business Park
- Industrial Sites Available
More Info...
What should a city website do?
Principles and goals
for city websites
Contents
City websites are not just a tool
for broadcasting information, but a space for interaction, feedback, and
resident participation. Through thoughtful design, regular user research with
real residents, and continuous improvements, municipal websites can be a
pleasant experience for residents to get information and conduct business with
government.
City websites should:
Be universally
accessible
City websites should work for
everyone. The information and services on your website should be available to
all users, including those with disabilities. They should be easy to use, easy
to understand, be available in the major languages spoken by your community,
and usable on different devices and browsing technology (i.e. older web
browsers).
Start judging your website’s
accessibility by asking:
- Does your site offer content in all major languages spoken by your residents?
- Is your site responsive to assistive technologies?
- Does your site provide a consistent experience to desktop and mobile devices? Higher bounce rates on mobile might indicate your site is not mobile responsive.
- Is your site’s content written at an appropriate reading level?
- Is your color scheme accessible for people with color blindness?
- Is your web traffic coming from all over town and in different languages? A lack of traffic from all over town could indicate areas to improve citizen engagement.
Establish a sense of
place
It’s important for your website to
be official, provide up to date content, and act as the authoritative place for
conducting city business online.
Assess your site’s authority by
asking:
- How many pages do you have on your website?
- Are pages being updated to stay current, or retired when they are no longer needed?
- What is the ratio of content on your homepage that is actionable vs. outdated or not a distinct user need? If your homepage does not direct people to the most commonly searched for information and services, you might consider moving your content around to make a better user experience.
Provide digital
services
City websites should be the
government, not just provide information aboutthe government.
Residents should be able to do anything they can do at city hall on your city’s
website, at any time, at any place and on any device of their choosing.
Start assessing how well your city
provides digital services by asking:
·
Does your site offer digital
services?
- How long does it take to complete each service or transaction?
- What is the completion rate (start and finish) of the services that your site provides?
- What is the breakdown in transactions happening online than in-person (in City Hall or over the phone)?
Treat residents with
dignity
City websites should be respectful
of residents’ time and offer a simple experience that works. When sites are
easy to use, residents can quickly find what they’re looking for. It should
always be easy and simple for your users to give feedback. This creates a space
for government to learn how to make the site a better experience for users.
Start judging how your site respects
its users by asking:
- Are there feedback loops on your site to better understand users’ experience? (i.e. surveys, comment boxes, email address, etc?) By asking users about their web experience, you will get qualitative answers that explain your site’s analytics.
- What is the tone of your site’s content? Is it bossy? Patronizing?
- How many clicks does it take for a user to find what they are looking for? Typically, if it takes more than three clicks to reach something, you should re-evaluate your site’s information architecture.
- Can users find what they are looking for at all?
- Can residents do what they want to do online?
Be resilient
City websites can be unavailable
because of hardware problems, server maintenance and overload, coding errors,
or other unpredictable reasons. You should have a clear plan on how to address
these problems when they happen, and how to communicate them out to your users.
Questions to start judging your
site’s resiliency:
- When your site is most heavily trafficked?
- How often is your site down?
- How do you communicate to your residents when your site is not working?
- What is your plan for fixing web errors and malfunctions?
- What is the tone of your error messages?
- If digital services are currently unavailable, does your site provide alternative ways for residents to perform the transaction? This might include a phone number or a physical location.
High School Web Sites:
- Scott County: http://shs.scottcounty.net
What should be on the Jellico High School web site?
Main Components:
- Main Slideshow
- Calendar
Navigation:
- Home
- About Us
- District
- Faculty
- Administration
- Teachers
- Staff
- Academics
- Athletics
- News
- Student Life
- Clubs
- Store
Theme Ideas:
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