5 Tips for Creating a Municipal Website That Drives Community Engagement in 2023

A municipal website serves as the primary source of information for local residents, businesses, and visitors. A user-friendly website can help promote community engagement, encourage citizen participation in local government, and improve the overall quality of life in the community.

Here are five tips for creating a municipal website that drives community engagement:

1. Focus on Responsive Design

A responsive website design ensures that your municipal website is accessible to everyone, regardless of the device they use to access it. With the increasing use of mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is more important than ever. In fact, Google’s mobile-first indexing means that websites that are not mobile-friendly may not appear in search results.

According to a report by Statista, mobile devices accounted for 53.3% of global website traffic in 2020, and this trend is expected to continue. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a responsive website design that adapts to different screen sizes and provides a seamless user experience.

2. Prioritize User Experience

Creating a user-friendly municipal website is all about putting the needs of the user first. This means designing a website that is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and informative. A user-friendly website should also have a clear and concise layout, with important information and services easily accessible.

According to a survey by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), 71% of respondents rated “ease of use” as the most important aspect of a state or local government website. By prioritizing user experience, you can help ensure that your municipal website is accessible and useful to all members of the community.

3. Provide Online Citizen Services

One of the primary purposes of a municipal website is to provide information and services to citizens. By offering online citizen services, such as paying bills, requesting permits, and submitting complaints, you can make it easier for residents to interact with local government.

According to a report by the Pew Research Center, 82% of Americans have used the internet to access government services. By providing online citizen services, you can improve the efficiency of local government, reduce administrative costs, and increase citizen engagement.

4. Encourage Citizen Feedback

Citizen feedback is essential for improving local government services and policies. By encouraging citizen feedback on your municipal website, you can foster a sense of community and collaboration.

One way to encourage citizen feedback is by creating an online forum or feedback form where residents can submit suggestions, complaints, or comments. According to a study by Accenture, 70% of citizens want to be involved in the decision-making process of their local government.

5. Promote Community Events and News

Keeping citizens informed about community events and news is an important function of a municipal website. By promoting community events and news, you can help build a sense of community and foster citizen engagement.

One way to promote community events and news is by creating a community calendar or news section on your website. According to a survey by the National League of Cities, 70% of cities use their website to promote local events.

How Publish Mason Can Help You Create A Website?

Publish Mason is a website builder that can help you create a user-friendly municipal website that drives community engagement. Here’s how:

1. Responsive Design:
   • Publish Mason offers responsive website templates that adapt to different screen sizes and devices, ensuring that your website is accessible to everyone.
2. User Experience:
   • Publish Mason’s website builder is designed to be easy-to-use and intuitive, allowing you to create a website that is visually appealing, informative, and user-friendly.
3. Online Citizen Services:
   • Publish Mason allows you to easily add online citizen services, such as bill payment, permit requests, and complaint submission, to your municipal website.
4. No Technical Resources Required:
   • With Publish Mason, you don’t need any technical knowledge or coding skills to build a website. The website builder is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, allowing you to create a professional-looking website with just a few clicks.
5. Fast Website Making:
   • Publish Mason’s drag-and-drop website builder makes it easy to create a website quickly. You can choose from a variety of website templates, add your content, and publish your website in just a few hours.
6. Low Subscription Cost:
   • Publish Mason’s website builder is economically priced, making it an affordable option for municipal websites. You can choose from a variety of subscription plans that are tailored to your needs and budget.
7. Search Engine Optimization:
   • Publish Mason’s website builder is optimized for search engines, ensuring that your municipal website ranks high on search engine results pages (SERPs). This can help you attract more traffic to your website and increase citizen engagement.
8. Security:
   • Publish Mason offers secure website hosting and SSL encryption, ensuring that your municipal website is protected from cyber threats and data breaches.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a user-friendly municipal website that drives community engagement is essential for local governments. By focusing on responsive design, prioritizing user experience, providing online citizen services, encouraging citizen feedback, and promoting community events and news, you can create a website that is accessible, informative, and engaging for.

Let Publish Mason help you create a website. Start your free 1-month FREE TRIAL today.