Borough officials seek feedback from public about website upgrade
Online survey asking what users would like to see in next version
LANSDALE » The new-look website for Lansdale Borough is not so new anymore, and borough officials want to hear from users what they’d like to see in the next set of upgrades.
The borough is seeking feedback through an online survey as it begins to plan the next version of Lansdale.org.
“The redesign doesn’t necessarily mean that the site will have a completely new look. If we find that the layout and functionality of the site work, they would remain, and we could make enhancements where there’s a definite need,” said Communication Coordinator Tracy Flynn.
The current look of the borough’s website went live in February 2014, after a borough-wide technology study was commissioned in 2012 and a web upgrade was discussed by the borough’s Communication Commission for much of the subsequent year. The borough hired Kansas-based web design firm CivicPlus in September 2013 to oversee the revamp, and by the start of the following year the firm produced a new-look (and award-winning) website design, with category pages for each borough department, interactive calendars and request trackers, easy-to-find links for paying bills and finding event information, and a photo-heavy design meant to show off the town’s events and attractions.
A free follow-up look at the website was part of the contact with CivicPlus, and borough officials are starting to plan that process now. A survey has been developed and sent out in a borough newsletter Monday, asking readers several questions for specific feedback on what they would like to see in a new site.
“Understanding what our citizens are looking for, and making it readily available on our website, is a main goal of the Communications Commission, and the survey is a great way to garner feedback from those using our site,” Flynn said.
The survey asks how often one visits the website, what brought a visitor there, if they found what they were looking for, if they created an account to receive notifications from the borough, and how they would rate the site on several different categories. Space is provided within the survey for giving specific answers to questions including what part of the site you can’t live without and what you would like to see changed, and Flynn said the borough hope to benefit from having fresh eyes on the site that don’t use it often.
“Citizens may have a completely unique idea that the commission didn’t think of, so gathering feedback from the users is crucial,” she said.
In recent months the Communication Commission has also discussed the possibility of developing a borough mobile app, and the survey asks for feedback on that too: if you would use a mobile app, what device(s) you would use it on, what features you’d like to see, and other apps you currently use.
“We’re eligible for the redesign in mid-September, so we’re looking to run the survey for roughly a month, to the end of August, which gives us two weeks to analyze the results and compile that into a plan for the redesign,” Flynn said.
A redesign typically takes up to six months, but could be shorter for Lansdale thanks to the survey and prior experience, so any changes to the site would likely not occur until 2018, she said.