City Of Kirkland issued the following announcement on Dec. 20.
As of December 18, 2020, the City of Kirkland’s website, www.kirklandwa.gov, has been launched with a customer-focused design and new platform. The revamped website improves accessibility for all users and replaces the previous website platform which was outdated and no longer supported by the company that developed it. To create a website that would provide the public quick and easy access to city services, the City of Kirkland partnered with website developer OpenCities which supports more than 500 government websites.
“We are excited to provide a better way to access the information and services that our community needs and desires,” said Kirkland City Councilmember Jon Pascal. “Whether checking the latest city news, sharing input on decisions that affect the community, paying bills, submitting permits for home improvements, or seeking out parks and recreation programs, community members rely on the City’s website as a vital hub of information and engagement. We hope the community will explore the new site and help us identify any broken links that typically occur with website transitions.”
In June 2020, the City of Kirkland invited community members to take a short survey and attend a website design workshop to share their experience with the current City website and assist staff in developing a new website that better meets the needs of the public. Suggested improvements included better content organization; more intuitive navigation; a more prominent search bar; filtering by categories; and more icons, buttons, and inviting imagery.
A main feature of the new website is an improved search bar, and users are encouraged to start there when searching for information. Also featured on the homepage are the six top services users have been known to search for: Pay A Utility Bill, Coming Up at Council, Work at the City, Our Kirkland (the customer service portal), Register for a Parks Class, and Review the City Budget Information. The new website provides ADA accessibility and includes site translation capabilities, and many of the City’s forms have been replaced with online forms that are easier to use and more efficient.
The City of Kirkland website can still be found at the same main URL: www.kirklandwa.gov. While most of the site’s content has been transferred to the new site, there is still work being done to refine the new site. Because the new website uses customer-focused design and pages have been reorganized and reduced from 2,500 pages to 634 pages, information will be found in different locations compared to the previous website. City webpages bookmarked as favorites will need to be updated.
The City will need the help of residents and businesses using the site to find errors common in website conversions. Anyone encountering a link to the old website will be led to a “404 page.” There, the user can fill out a form so issues can be tracked and fixed. Additionally, visitors to the new website are invited to complete a short survey located on the homepage.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City Of Kirkland
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