The City of White Rock unveiled its new website at the July 23, 2018, Regular Council Meeting and officially launched it on July 24, 2018.
The complete overhaul provides a platform for more effective and efficient communication, and the extensive use of advanced features will make it easier for people to locate the information that they care about.
The old website was built in 2011 and was created from the viewpoint of the City’s departments, and not from the viewpoint of residents, visitors, and businesses.
“We have moved from having a department-focused layout to a user-focused layout,” said Dan Bottrill, Chief Administrative Officer at the City of White Rock. “From the homepage, the user can quickly identify which category they fall into Resident, Business, Visitor, Government or scroll down the page and then navigate to the information they are looking for,” Bottrill concluded.
The new website was built using survey results and web behaviour analytics to gauge users’ preference and behaviour when visiting the City’s website. As a result, the new website has a search-centric layout, which ensures that users can easily access information without having to click through many tabs or pages. For example, six special graphic buttons were created to the most commonly visited pages on the City’s website.
One of the graphic buttons is for a feature that allows the City to notify subscribers of important information via email and/or text. The new Notify Me function allows people to sign up to receive updates on topics that they are interested in such emergency alerts, news and announcements, job opportunities, event and committee information, and more.
The look and feel of the City’s new website has a clean, modern, and seaside inspired theme. Elements from the City’s logo are also incorporated seamlessly and subtly. Local photography ‘paints’ the background of pages with the inviting, calming sceneries that White Rock is famous for.
The new website is also compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure that those who are visually impaired and using a screen reader are able to navigate the website and find the information.
The URL to the City’s website has remained the same: www.whiterockcity.ca.
Additional Information:
- Information sheet on how to navigate new website to sign up for Recreation and Culture activities