New Republic website allows for better navigation, accessibility

Municipality’s newly revamped site improves user experience with ease of use
 
If you’ve been to the city of Republic’s website lately, you may have noticed some changes. The city has a new, upgraded website, which Mike Landis, public information officer, said will make for a better navigating experience for those who use it. The city launched their new website on Saturday, Aug. 15.
“This project had been in the works for several months,” he said. “Our goal was to provide a fresh look, improve functionality, and increase accessibility. The former site was designed and launched four years ago, (and) since then, website technology and design trends have changed quite a bit. We wanted to ensure our citizens have an up-to-date and user-friendly experience.”
Landis said the upgraded website has features which make it easier to use than the previous website.
“The new site has a layout that makes it easier for visitors to navigate,” he said. “Our goal was to make the interaction as simple as possible. In addition, the design incorporated accessibility features, such as fonts and colors, which make it easier for individuals with visual impairments to find their way around the site.”
The website is maintained by the city’s Public Information Department and was designed by Civic Plus, a company that Landis said specializes in the design of city and county government websites. He added that the website has a “built-in, back-end interface” which allows the owner to make changes to the site.
 “This platform is a product of Civic Plus and isn’t something that’s available off the shelf for the general public,” he said.
While professional website design can be expensive, Landis said the city didn’t have to spend any extra money for their new website.
“The website redesign didn’t cost anything above and beyond our normal contract with Civic Plus,” he said. “Our agreement allows a brand-new website every few years.”
Landis said there are even more upgrades planned in the near future.
“In addition to the main website, we are planning to launch a secondary site focused on commercial and business development,” he said. “This will provide important and instant information for developers. Furthermore, we are looking at the possibility of launching a mobile app version of the website.”