Generative AI (gen AI) is a useful tool that can help you write draft content for your government website. At this point in time, you can’t completely trust it to write perfect and accurate content. But using it can save you time. There are several free gen AI tools available. The most common ones are … Continued
If you want a great government website, you need a strong vendor to support you. A good vendor: Understands the importance of content and make it easy for you to manage it Has a deep understanding and commitment to digital accessibility and security Always gets better Most local governments rely on a vendor to support … Continued
Website content is one of the first things someone interacts with when learning about your government service. It should be part of your local government customer service strategy. A service helps someone do something and an action page is like digitally holding their hand through the process. The information in your service inventory is a … Continued
People come to your website to accomplish tasks. They want or need to do something. This means interacting with your digital government services. Some of your services are digital government services. Some are in-person and many are somewhere in between. Regardless, people should be able to find out about all of your services on your … Continued
If your government website is like most, it has a lot of PDF documents. They outline steps to a process, answer frequently asked questions, provide checklists, list requirements. They are very common and they are a problem. Most PDFs are not accessible The best way to make a PDF accessible is to do so from … Continued
Plain language helps you convey complex information. Your readers understand and get what they need quickly, with fewer questions and less confusion. As a government, using plain language will help you improve your services, forms, and public information. Benefits of plain language: Helps people know what information means the first time they read it. Makes … Continued
Why digital accessibility matters 1 in 4 Americans are living with some type of disability. 4.6% are blind or have serious difficulty seeing. 5.9% are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing. 12.8% are living with a cognitive disability like dyslexia, attention deficit, or autism. About 1 in 12 men are colorblind. It’s the law. Section … Continued
When you make a new website, it’s important to get feedback on it to make sure it works for people. Getting feedback on your website should be part of your government customer service strategy. If you don’t have the time or budget to do extensive user research, here are 3 easy ways to get feedback … Continued
When you work with departments on a new website, it’s helpful to begin by learning about their priorities. Once you understand them, you can work on ways to make their key services easy to find. This will help you develop a government content strategy. Each department has its own mission and operational goals. Depending on … Continued
A team agreement is a shared set of norms and expectations that define how team members will interact. Sometimes they are referred to as working agreements. They create a foundation for: Trust Accountability Collaboration Why team agreements matter Team agreements pave the way for a productive and effective work environment. They provide a framework for … Continued
